Insomnia and depression due to nofap

Hi Stafford,

Welcome to the NoFap community, you are most welcome here.

I'm sorry that no one has responded as yet but I have no doubt that someone will soon.

Thankfully I have never suffered from Insomnia, although my wife does and I know that it gets her down so I can kind of understand.

With reference to your anxiety and insomnia I definitely feel that they are both connected, although I do not feel that is anything to to with NoFap as your topic title suggests. As a person who also has issues with anxiety I understand that anxiety can raise its head and I can clueless of the reason, however there will be a reason for its appearence that I can promise you. Sometimes we may get anxious from things thats going on in the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind is like a huge memory bank that stores all of the stuff that isn't going on in your conscious mind, its capacity is virtually unlimited. So, its all there, its just that you are not consciously aware of it.

This is from Wiki;

"In Freud's opinion the unconscious mind has a will and purpose of its own that cannot be known to the conscious mind (hence the term "unconscious") and is a repository for socially unacceptable ideas, wishes or desires, traumatic memories, and painful emotions put out of mind by the mechanism of psychological repression."

The subconscious mind has the job ensuring that you respond exactly the way you are programmed. Your subconscious mind makes everything you say and do fit a pattern consistent with your self-concept.

So in a nutshel, I think its possible that something is causing you to be anxious that you are not fully aware of yet. When anxiety hits me now I write my thoughts down and say exactly what you have posted. Transmit your thoughts and feelings (or just type) onto the paper and see where it takes you. Think about what is happening in your life at present and explore how you are feeling about it all.

The answer is there within you and you just have to find it. I hope this makes sense and if nothing else, food for thought.

Good luck on your quest.

Warmest

G

 

Hi @Stafford . The PMO fight may be the Eason for your insomnia, or something else that it is worrying you.
Usually PMO addicts we believe that it is impossible for us to fell asleep without our nightly "PMO session".
Of course this is not true, it is just an excuse to do it.
It is important for your recovery that you have a healthy sleeping routine.
This is what helps me:
I got to the gym for 30 minutes bicycle workout every evening before dinner
I return, stretch and relax for 10' on the floor. Yoga exercise can help you too.
I practice Tai Chi twice a week since started my reboot, this has helped me a lot to vent out the stress ( I used to do it through PMO)
Do not watch TV nor read any device after dinner. ( which also prevents the temptation of watching porn in bed) . Grab a paper book and read until you feel tired.
Learn how to meditate when you are in bed if you cannot sleep . You need to concentrate in your breathing, do not think on anything else.
If you still cannot sleep, Inrecommend you to get Zzzqyl. It is over the counter, is not a physiological drug and you do not get addicted to it. You can try half dose if you do not feel super stressed. It helps me sleep without feeling groggy the next day
I hope this helps
Fercho

 

It is difficult to isolate the root causes of insomnia. I had sleeping problems early in my reboot. My mind would race at night and be filled with sexual thoughts in the morning so I had to get out of bed. I was so used to porn that anytime I had nothing going on my mind would steer right to porn related thoughts.

Early in our reboot our brain chemicals are swinging wildly. We often self-medicated several mental health issues using PMO. Once we stop the brain needs to reach a new level of equilibrium. Also early in our recovery our brain was used to being in a highly excited state of mind all the time. It usually takes a couple months for your brain to get used to a calm state of mind.

Unfortunately, none of these explains why you are experiencing insomnia at almost the 3 month mark. One possibility is we used porn to medicate other underlying mental health problems such as depression or anxiety. Without our 'medicine' these issues can rise the surface and need a doctor's help and prescribe real medicine for a legitimate problem. Also, any new stressful events can cause depression and anxiety. Also, this time of year people experience Seasonal Affective Disorder because of the reduced amount of sunlight we get during the winter.

In the meantime you can try the normal how to fall asleep google search results. If those aren't working then go see a doctor.

 

Yes, I used to grind my teeth on and off for years. When I started my reboot I started grinding my teeth almost every night. I needed to get a mouth guard to stop grinding away the enamel.

 

Yeah, all the time, especially during the first two months or so. Try to find some self massage techniques, specifically for your jaw. I've relieved most if not all of my jaw clenching this way.

 

Many times we turn to addiction to cover up underlying mental health issues. The chemicals the brain releases during PMO can medicate depression, anxiety, OCD, and aspergers. Without those brain chemicals we are fighting a mental health issue without any meds. That is why some people get worse after starting NoFap.

If you are still depressed after 120 days then it's time to see a real life doctor. There is no shame in searching for help, seeing a doctor, and getting medication. 120 days is plenty of time for the normal mood swings to even out. If you truly have an imbalance of brain chemicals then gutting it out isn't going to help.

 

Migraines can be caused by fluctuations in the balance of hormones. If you're getting them now it can be a sign that your brain is rebalancing your hormones. I know they can be scary and very painful. Migraines do not cause any permanent damage to your brain however. If they become chronic or overly debilitating you should see your doctor.

I'm obviously not a doctor, but it sounds to me like you may have some underlying depression and anxiety, which may explain why you've turned to PMO to alleviate/suspend the symptoms of that in the past. There are many things that can help, and even conquer depression and anxiety. Seeing a therapist, meditation, journaling, cognitive behavior therapy (which can be practiced on your own), regular exercise, etc... can all be of great help. I can speak firsthand on the benefits of those things.

Sorry to hear you are having a rough time right now. I promise it can get better. Best of luck and keep us posted!

 

I got the same problems, I am 19 and it's been 3 months I can't Really sleep.
Did you figured it out?