Masturbating once is not a "relapse" it's a "reset" - Risky/excessive masturbation can be a relapse.

People will make language mean what they associate it with. Relapse is close to the original meaning, the re- prefix means repetitive, like if you recheck or reframe you are doing it twice or more. If you want to be technically meaningful you have to define the duration of time, like two or more times in a day, a week, or whatever. I'm sure some people don't care the language has a prefix function though and it's just all absolute, but if say someone PMO one time after ten years and then don't do it again for a year then it might be more accurate to call it a lapse rather than a re-lapse.

And re-boot.

 

You're confusing a couple of things. Lots of activities release dopamine, from racing a car to having loving sex with a partner, but they don't count as relapses.

A relapse occurs (in this context) when the combination of the activity (not just masturbation, but related activities such as masturbation games, watching porn, seeing a prostitute…), the dopamine and the delta foss causes a reinforcement of the reward pathways plus your brain creating extra dopamine receptors. It's a result of a supernormal stimulus (a.k.a. superstimulus).

It's definitely not as simple as, "It releases dopamine." It has to release too much dopamine, causing your brain to generate an excess of dopamine receptors along with a reinforcement of the reward pathway for the unhelpful behaviour.

That's why a relapse is a physical change to your brain, not something temporary. Racing a car or having loving sex doesn't do this to your brain. Nor does a simple short session of masturbation.

Without opening up your brain and looking (which, obviously, we can't do), it's not always possible to ascertain if it has been a relapse. However, you can make an educated guess:

Masturbation games, pornography, prostitution, etc. depending on the extent of the activity, all either probably or definitely cause a relapse.

Mere simple masturbation, without games or porn or anything else, doesn't count as a supernormal stimulus, just as having loving sex with a partner, which releases much more dopamine, doesn't count as a supernormal stimulus. They don't create that physical change in your brain; it's only temporary, so it's not a relapse.

I hope that I've explained that clearly.

 

No it is a relapse, this challenge is called NoFap, if you masturbate you release a LOT OF dopamine and chemicals since sex is a very large part of your brain. You are not breaking the habit but keeping it alive by masturbation.

And we all know, when you masturbate without porn, then there will be a point you will use porn again. And even if you use porn-related imagination, it is like the same.

So I am doing the real NoFAP challenge:

- No porn
- No FAPPING....

Hope I have explained this clearly......

 

Oh my God Thank You so much, I've been worrying so much that my slip ups have been relapses and that has been making me feel really discouraged. I was about to reset my counter back to day 0. The best I have been able to manage up till now was 2 weeks without masturbation.

 

Wait, 'Administrator Account'? And an inaccessible profile? Did Alexander leave?

 

In my personal opinion, if i do M once i'll consider it as relapse and also i will reset my counter

 

The thing is that a relapse isn't an opinion. It's an actual change to your brain, specifically to the receptors and the pathways.

If you masturbate once with porn, given that you're an addict, it definitely will be a relapse; your brain will be quick to change. If it's a straightforward masturbation without games, porn or problematic behaviour (e.g. the death grip, a fetish, edging), and it's been a while since the last time, it is unlikely to be a relapse.

But, yes, you reset your counter depending on your goal. If your goal includes no masturbation, you would reset it.

Reset and relapse are two very different things. They are unrelated, though in many cases they are synchronised.

 

Excuse me everyone in here, is not my intention being disrespecful, but, i compare what you guys are saying, like saying to an alcoholic that is not so bad to just drink a cup...

Many people that visit this website, aren't here just for give it a try to NoFap, many are here because they have serius problems towards PMO, many of us (myself included) we are addicted to PMO, even if we just do M it means go back to the addiction. What i am saying is because i been there, years of addiction, tried to overcome it but just kept relapsing over and over again...

I keep my original opinion.

"In my personal opinion, if i do M once i'll consider it as relapse and also i will reset my counter"

 

That was pretty helpful, thanks so much.

 

Thanks for sharing this.

 

M with P but without O... ie. Stopping before it got too carried away. Couple of mins. Relapse? I feel I know the answer here.

 

Hi Subby,

I believe it to be a relapse. Do you?

 

Hi... yes, I believe it is too. My "PMO brain" kicked in yesterday and did the "oh well, you fucked it now anyway" so there is no doubt about the relapse this morning.

 

What I disagree with the OP is that we are all addicted to PMO and allowing one single masturbating session w/ can lead to many more. So be careful with what you decide to do.

 

R - Compulsive user.. more than once daily... binging.
O- Compulsive user … daily
Y - Starting to get there.... once every few days
G - On the road to recovery... once a week
B - Once a fortnight
I - Once a month.
V - Full recovery

This shit does not work: (you quit or quit)
We are porn addicts. There will be always an excuse to PMO

 

i have experienced this and been a very frequent prey to this feeling of lets try it once and then spending essentially the entire day doing the same thing time and again without any further plan of action but rather a lot of frustration inside of myself regarding the habit.

 

Well, that would be a relapse as defined by Alexander 5 years ago.

 

exactly my friend.

 

@Dr.J_76ers read this post. Do not worry, we will win and use the calendar.