Get educated, get tools, and learn to love withdrawals

Thanks for your post! This thread is very helpful and empowering.

I decided to switch to real life sources of dopamine like running, sleeping well, eating properly, connecting with others in a meaningful way and reaching my goals. That makes me happy in the long run, not only for a moment of pleasure. It also helps me to cope with withdrawal symptoms, when I can focus on other activities.

Still, there's a long way to go. It's good to know that there are others who succeeded. Thank you again!

 

The last 10 years (I'm 30) I'm trying to stop PMO, falling all the time. I'm just beginning this "new try" and I've just found this site. This really helps a lot. Thank you all guys for being here making this effort. It is really good to have you here, right now, to reading you...even if I don't know you. This words, knowing your experiences was son necessary for me. Thanks, deeply, thanks.

 

Great thread, great advice.

 

Thanks so much!

 

Thanks...this helped a lot today.

 

Thanks a lot William. I'm able to successfully avoid pmo now. Urges are quite hard, withdrawals are present, but they are only temporary. I'm on day 12 and, hopefully, I will never relapse. Some benefits that I've noticed are that I don't think of girls as sexual objects anymore, I am more focused while studying and I procrastinate way less. I still need to improve on that but I'm on my way.
I'd like to mention that, what you stated about giving up pmo for life and not for a specific no. of days was a huge insight for me. Prior to that, I was always thinking that I must try to reach a preset no. of days but, at midway, I would rationalise thinking Well, just once, is not that bad. I can reset my counter and return to abstain for this no. of days again.
Now, every time my urges rationalise pm, I keep reminding myself: 'pmo is a thing of the past. It has nothing to do with me anymore. I am never going to relapse.' Upto now, it has worked wonders. I just need to keep up and never surrender to urges.

 

William, thanks for your encouraging words. I am on day nine of being PMO-free and this us exactly what I needed to read today.

 

You've verbalized essentially what I was thinking upon joining this community. So far I've made it to 21 days and I don't see myself going back, although it is a daily fight and I'm far from having purged my craving for porn.

One thing you say, however - that thinking of porn is porn, that it feeds the addiction - I know that is true, but that's the hardest thing. In particular, I have no control over my dreams, and in dreams I do see some porn scenes I viewed too many times. These also come back to haunt me during the day in an extemely vivid way: it's almost as if I was looking at it, and it has the same immediate dopamine rush effect, and in a matter of seconds I can start having an erection. And it's hard to fight against that. How am I supposed to not think about it? Sometimes it seems to more I try not think about it, the more I think about it.

 

Hi I'm 81 days in - towards going without PMO and MO. I've had one moment where I watched a small P clip but did not MO over it.
I'm confused. The first 8 weeks I felt better than usual. Some small withdrawals. The last two weeks I have been feeling highly anxious, stressed, get bored easily and agitated.
I have not had sex for over 3 months. I feel I'm lacking something, like intimacy with someone.
And yet I know I'm way better off without P, PMO and MO.
But well it has confused the hell out of me. I seem to be smoking more to get some hit, like PMO or MO gave me the "release of anxiety feeling".
I want to reach the goal of 90 days without PMO and MO.
But then I'm like already thinking of MO asap. Should I or shouldn't I?
I'm afraid I may undo all the good healthy stuff I've worked towards to date!

 

Hello, fapoholic23 here.

I was referred to this website by a close friend with whom I discussed my addiction to porn. I am also a recovering addict and alcoholic, clean for other 7 months now and the next thing I want to eliminate is my addiction to porn.

I am really glad that communities like this exist. I no longer feel as isolated as I did, even just a few days ago.

My nofap challenge starts today. For 90 days, 1 day at a time, I can and will overcome my addiction to porn!

Thank you for creating this thread.

 

Your last post was touching to read William. Congratulations, and I look forward to reading your final post.

 

From my own experience, it's exactly how you describe it: black and white, no grey areas.
Congratulations!!!

 

Congratulations William,

And thank you. Your posts have helped me a lot in understanding some things. And I am sure you have influenced many many people here.

And it is your testimony that this thing can be beaten that is especially powerfull.

Congrats again and enjoy your "new" life, even if it one year old.

 

Thaughtful and unselfish! really good Karma coming up for william

 

Great quote in your signature William. Even cooler that the guy is a runner. Going to die to myself right now and every day. Thanks!

"whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" - Matthew 10:39

 

Hi William,

Thank you for all you have done for me. You have really been a great mentor and inspiration. I know you have helped many. Your notes to me came at jus the right time. I would not be where I am now with out your influence. Farewell my friend. This passage comes to mind....

Timothy 4:1-7
1I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

6For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.


Farewell William, you have fought the good fight....and won!

 

Thank you William, your final post has been a joy to read. So much hope and encouragement!

To all the other guys (n gals) on here, we can all do this! We can all make the 365 days and beyond!

 

I definitely got something "positive and helpful from this thread" brother. You'll be missed, but your legacy will be remembered. I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say thanks for all your help, and I'm really happy you were able to "return to normal."