New guy in the trend, hi there!

Currently abstained from porn for 350 days, and previously abstained from masturbation for 298 days. I have walked this journey since last year with my therapist, but I reckon that it will be more effective to walk it with a community that's in it. There's a saying, it takes a village to raise a child. I will say that it takes a community to kick a bad habit off. Please guide me along, thank you fellow Fapstronauts.

I've relapsed upon masturbation about 2 months ago with the notion that perhaps masturbation without porn is considered healthy, and that porn is the real problem. There are articles out there that states that masturbation is healthy and stuffs, while articles about it being unhealthy is related to porn. I do masturbate time to time for the last few weeks, only when the urge arises. The frequency is low, and only when necessary. I do question if this will be detrimental, or is it just natural? My therapist said that as long as it does not constitute to an addiction, and disrupting my life, it is not too bad. It's like having sweets once in awhile does not get you diabetes, as long as there's a fine balance.

I started out with the mindset of quitting all part of my sexual addiction, with porn being the first thing to exterminate, follow by my visit to "massage parlour", and masturbation. However, the third itself is a dilemma at times. What do you guys think about it? I've stopped Fapping for almost a year, so I should be able to do it again. It's a matter of will and a little help from the therapist, family, and community I reckon.

 

I have considered starting a relationship, but have barely any progress. Perhaps it's the worried of risk taken in the road of pursuit, self-esteem issues, introversion, social anxiety(to a small extent). I've had quite a few girls that told me that I am an eligible bachelor, but those are mainly the ones that I have little interests in. I am an athlete that has represented at national and international level for my country, decent looking, and doing not bad in school. But I always have issues asking girls that I am interested in out, and can get quite awkward in the process because of the butterflies in my stomach. In addition, I had a really bad rejection back in secondary school by a classmate, that scarred me quite a bit. The porn addiction and masturbation acted as an emotional band aid and slowly led to an addiction, and massage parlours came along. I've always hated this part of myself I reckon, but it gave me comfort and shut me out from reality for the moment, that essential need for love. On the surface, it made appear cool and perhaps a little bit snobbish, but deep inside, I do yearn for love and relationship. The sight of lovely couples are endearing to me. Therefore after a few years, I've decided to seek help from a psychologist, to fix my addiction in PMO and massage parlour. It has been pretty successful for the moment, but I have been stagnated for awhile. What you've said is what my psychologist told me as well, but I still at it, trying. I don't think I have issues hitching up casual sex, but I reckon it's a relationship I want. I don't want to have sex for the sake of it. Like what you said, it's a slippery road back down into porn and fantasy, I am really afraid of it.

 

Hey thanks for the feedback, I think that makes sense too. I will work on it. Even though porn is the main culprit, but nonetheless masturbation by its nature without affection, only fantasising isn't healthy either. 2nd day off Fapping since I joined NoFap, and 353 days away from porn. I can do this!

 

Pretty well, 8th day away from masturbation and 359 days from pornography. I'm just keeping myself busy with other stuffs and staying away from all the internet junks that could lead me back to it.

 

Exactly 365 Days from Pornography and 2 weeks away from masturbation. Yay