It's NOT addictive???

If you're looking for an honest opinion, I'm willing to chip in brother

Personally, I believe in nofap and so I guess I'm already biased against research against it, but if you want to be convinced that it works then the only way to know for sure is to immerse yourself in the challenge. Like a lot of people have said, if you have complete control of the matter then it should be no problem to go ninety days without PMO. There's a lot of research out there saying that porn is addictive and yet there's also a lot of research out there saying that porn/masturbation is non-addictive/completely natural. And that's great, it's fantastic to get a lot of different viewpoints on such a controversial issue. That's the way controversial issues should be. But all that information is just that; information. To know anything of substance, to your core, you have to take your own path and then decide whether or not it's right for you.

You can make the analogy to religion; there are a lot of different arguments over which religion is truly the correct one that will lead you to salvation. I think that the correct one is the one that works best for you. For every problem there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, just the one that you believe makes you a better person than you were yesterday.

Maybe there is new research that says porn addiction isn't real. But personally, I know that if it truly wasn't then I wouldn't be having such a difficult time to get my counter to ninety. And in truth I don't like the way that masturbating to porn makes me feel. It makes me feel ashamed and pathetic. Maybe porn isn't addictive. But inside I feel that anything that makes you feel disgusted with yourself should be exorcised from your lifestyle no matter if it's addictive or not. If deep down you feel even a hint of the thought that maybe PMO doesn't let you live to your full potential, at least give that thought a shot.

And if nofap turns out to not work for you, then that should be rejoiced. At the very least you tried something new and hopefully learned more about who you are as a person. I sincerely hope you find your path and share it with everyone else that may have doubts about nofap. If you find something that you believe helps you more than nofap ever did then hell, embrace it. Go for it. But for now, unless I personally find something that is more beneficial than nofap, I'm going to stay the course.

Stay strong brother

 

clash: I couldn't think of anything to say that hasn't already been put beautifully by yourself, I do agree entirely. This just isn't merely case of trying to prove whether porn or masturbation is chemically / psychologically addictive. What is important is that in the modern world it is clearly an issue that affects many peoples lives in a very real and felt way, you only have to log on to this site to see that. This site is full of heartfelt outpourings of people who feel backed into a corner by their own urges! It's a very individual experience and sometimes you need to put brain neuroscience aside and go with intuition.

 

Thanks Gwynne! I really appreciate that

A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.

 

you can basically get addicted to anything. the problem with porn and masturbation is that the amount of dopamin that is released while doing this stuff is very high. consequently, you want to have that feeling again and your body craves for it. Hence, it can become an addiction.

 

When I think about the amount of time wasted looking at porn i would certainly say it was addiction maybe it's worse for some more than others but it has got to be addiction because it's got a grip on me I am hoping the longer I do Nofap the weaker the grip porn will have on my brain

 

What does addictive even mean? To me any behaviour that does you no good for whatever reason that you cannot give up without really having to take it to task is an addiction. People argue that cannabis isn't addictive (physically/chemically) and yet its the 'ritual' of preparing a joint, the anticipation/behaviour surrounding participating in it that is as addictive as the actual drug itself and I guess that goes for everything??? Tom Waits once sang "I don't have a drinking problem except when I can't get a drink." and he's not just referring to the actual drink but the entire process/lifestyle etc(?) which reminds me of one of my favourite (because its SO relevant) quotes, 'None are so hoplessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free', including the authors of scientific papers on addiction???

 

I would be more apt to believe that article if hadn't lived through some awful withdrawal days over the past few weeks. I'm someone that doesn't suffer from anxiety / depression, but I've been horribly, frighteningly depressed since I start NoFap. If it's not addictive, why is my brain having so much trouble without it?

And obviously, you've got the accounts of thousands of guys on this site and others like it. I just think there's too much real world evidence to say it's not addictive.

 

In its roots I really don't care that much for science at this state. Mostly I notice it with myself, the change and the progress with my problems.

Simply put, I couldn't get it up with a normal girl, I couldn't get it up on my own, I couldn't get it up with soft porn. Porn made me look completely different towards girls and although I know I'm a month in, I still feel messed up. I'm in my flatline now and do have this low craving for porn. Yes I still long for 'getting horny' but it's a switch I've thought myself to ignore. After starting the nofapp I don't need porn anymore. I've seen the improvements already and it should become better and better the coming weeks.

Although I trust in the nofapp for 90%, I think that there are more problems related to this than just porn. Confidence, (lack of) sexual experience, age, depression, mental disorders, they all contribute to the problem. For me this is one obstacle to clear and live the life I've become scared to live. If I can be P(MO) free than the only thing left is my lack of sexual experience. While building up confidence in the coming weeks/months, that should become easier to overcome.

And then there is that. I think that every guy who recognized his porn addiction/problem had a very good reason to be here. Guy's are hard on each other and a 'non-functioning' penis is "not done". I tried telling my old friends this and they just laughed. Some actually told it to girls because they thought it was funny... My new friends know the surface of this problem (some know everything) and accept it fully. Mostly because they really want me to find a girl and if this is what it takes they are behind it a 100%.