Is hard mode necessary?

I would avoid it during the first two weeks, as the hornyness involved might push you back to PMO'ing. But after that, in my opinion, go ahead, as long as you don't think it's causing increased urges to use porn/masturbation. Up to you though. I've received multiple BJ's without being able to finish (delayed ejaculation) and I've not masturbated afterwards, if I can do that I'm sure you can manage.

 

The way I see it, it all depends on the severity of your addiction. If you are someone who was PMO-ing for a few years a couple times a week and are trying to kick the habit of porn and masturbation then I’d agree with what the poster above recommended; give it a few weeks so that the sexual activity doesn’t potentially cause a relapse. However if you were a heavy addict that was literally looking at porn and fapping multiple times every day for years then you are in a state of sexual exhaustion, and in order to fully recover you definitely need to go on hard mode.

 

If I could meet a woman who would want to be intimate with me, I totally would do it. I don't go out to clubs or anything though, and I don't use hooking-up apps. Actually, I don't go out much at all! Getting out a little more would probably be good. Well, it's not the most related to the original question, but its something.

 

In that case I would definitely say go on full hard mode. Even though you’ve been on a few streaks in the past, recovery from your addiction level will most likely take at least 180 days and possibly up to a year to really see any strong noticeable benefits. Any sexual activity during this time can set you back to square one. While it’s true that you wouldn’t be looking at porn, someone with your addiction level has such a vastly different rewiring of the brain that it is unhealthy to tempt it at all with the dopamine releases that occur from either masturbation or sexual activity with another person. I’m in the same boat as you frankly. I was addicted to PMO-ing for nearly 15 years and as a result I can’t be engaging in any sexual activity until I have fully recovered.

 

I’m not saying there’s no way you’ll be recovered, but you will be severely slowing down your progress if you do. Although in some cases people with your level of addiction may not recover at all until they obstain from sex and masturbation for a long enough time. You also have to understand that in many cases the brain does not distinguish between whether you ejaculate from fapping or having sex. A dopamine release is a dopamine release. And it is this constant release of dopamine that has caused our brains to rewire so much to the point we’re at now. This is also why people of our addiction level cannot hope to start seeing benefits right away compared to some others with a less severe addiction. It takes much longer for true addicts to rewire their brain to its normal state through abstinence. I strongly recommend you obstain from sex or anything pertaining to it until you are healed. Otherwise you may be in a rut for a very, very long time...

 

I do wish you luck. It will be tough but it will all be worth it in the end. Stay strong brother.

 

for some of us YES hardmode is an absolute must. iam a hard case and warrior-mode is the only thing that works for me.

 

Hey guys, what do we include in hard-mode? Is cuddling and kissing included?

 

avoiding porn and orgasm is the most important. no edging either so masturbation should be avoided too.

 

What about giving oral or a handjib to my girlfriend? Is that a no-go?

 

If you’re on hard mode then you need to obstain from any and all sexual activity. So yes, that includes pleasuring your gf.