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How dopamine sensitivy affects your recovery

Discussion in 'Rebooting - Porn Addiction Recovery' started by Sir Minato, Jul 20, 2019.

  1. Sir Minato

    Sir Minato Fapstronaut

    I just watched a YouTube video on Nofap and I realised something
    Stupidly enough there were pictures of women in bikinis on one slide of his presentation. I have watched that video before, one week ago. This time, my brain was really hungry for them and I had to stare at them. Last week when I watched it I checked them out but they were boring more or less.
    Why was my brain producing more dopamine this time, than it did last week?
    Wait a minute. Is this really the right question to ask?
    It stroke me all of a sudden and it seems so obvious. I was expecting that I would have to be less affect from the same pictures compared to last week. I was even disappointed that it could still be so strong when I did so well all of this time.
    While writing this, I also found another important factor. But first things first:
    Where did my stronger feeling of urge come from when seeing those pictures?
    My theory is this: the actual level of dopamine doesn't necessarily have to vary. But my dopamine receptors are getting more sensitive! This changes alot. This is a good sign! It's a sign of success, that I find those pictures a turn on!! Nothing to be disappointed about!!! Because it means that my brain is so sensitive already, that even those bikini pics that wouldn't do anything to me last week are suddenly perceived as a turn on!
    I don't want to know how many fellow nofaplers got aroused like that, judged themselves for it and then reset or relapsed. This is huge! And it doesn't change that those bikini girls are still a hyperstimulus and a possible quick source of gratification. But if I were to fap on them now, I would numb my receptors again and my next dopamine kick would possibly come from P videos and pics wouldn't be enough.
    What makes those bikini girls a hyperstimulus? They are hot, there is no regulation meaning noone would reject me, noone would even see it. It could be a secret pleasure and there would be no direct social consequences for me. I think that makes it so tempting for the brain.
    Personal example:
    I was in the swimming pool some days ago, there I didn't care about anyone at all. But it was also with real humans. Could I look anyone of them in the eyes and just go objectify them and go to toilet and wank off? It's already alot harder. I'd have to lie to my family when I go to toilet. I'd have to make it a secret.
    But with the pics on my phone, noone would know. It would be quick. Easy. That's one thing.

    The other thing, and I feel that we have to take more responsibility for ourselves by acknowledging this:
    When your dopamine receptors become more sensitive, it will take you less to be turned on, less to start feeling urges and less to want to stare at hot content.
    That means you have to become even more careful and responsible about where you look at and at the same time not judge yourself for finding things a turn on but rather see it as a side effect of your healing process! If you are turned on easier, you have to look away faster.

    And since brains are curious we will want to explore this new way of seeing things. I experienced it with myself, too. I'm checking for myself :am I finding this hot right now? Really? How? Yea I can feel it. Definetly a turn on. I don't want to look away anymore. Oh god it's so good to look at this. Omg what's happening. Hahaha. But now you can know beforehand:
    The longer the streak (and the purer the dopamine withdrawal), the more you will be turned on by things that may have left you cold before. Pictures, people on the street, so on. Consciously direct your focus somewhere else, because you have read this now and don't need to experiment anymore. Don't forget. Your brain is an addict. It will try to make you look for that kind of stuff with "purely scientific intentions". Don't.
    Good luck for everyone, I hope this perspective helps out. It helped me so much to realise this. I immediately feel so much in control and responsible for my consume and where I draw my attention to and I don't judge myself that I find lesser things a turn on asking myself "why you still a horny bitch bro" hahaha. It's more like "yep I'm still addicted, it takes some time for DeltaFosB and my brain to rewire. And now even lesser doses of sexual content can cause more intense feelings because my dopamine receptors are getting more sensitive".

    Peace
     
  2. I'd be extra careful around YouTube as it has been my downfall too many times to count during the 19 months of nofap. Even something as trivial as a single video thumbnail can make the relapse progress possible. As you said, an addict's brain is extra sensitive to things while on nofap. It will crave every single thing related with sexual stimulation and dopamine. As for the nofap videos, I only use Leonard Banks' videos. He's been on a 2 year nofap streak, his videos are straight to the point, no fluff.

    https://www.youtube.com/user/Striving4Wisdom/videos

    Also Tim Johnson for general self-improvement videos. He's been addicted to many things in the past 30 years such as alcohol and opioids.

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZWNH10D7ztlDASSApHTzZg/videos
     
    Rehab_warrior and Sir Minato like this.

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