Hey all! As you have probably gathered from the rather hefty title, I have a lot I'd like to discuss/get opinions on. Firstly, I'll give my two cents. So, I first decided to try NoFap about two months back. I had got to ten days and then regrettably Fapped, because I rationalized it. As in, I said 'It can't be that bad, there is no proof, not enough evidence/studies, etc.'. After that failed attempt, I asked myself whether or not these empirical, subjectively qualitative accounts of success stories, benefits, etc. were just a placebo, were they because of just porn addiction, or perhaps just self-affirmation? I mean, if you perceive something as being REALLY BAD and the cause of a LOT of problems and then you quit that thing, isn't it just logical that even if it wasn't causing those problems, at least not fully, that you would see some improvements? It's like the magpie affect. You see one magpie, you think you get badluck, therefore you get back luck. In reality, all that happened is that you either a.) perceived something neutral as 'bad luck' or b.) subconsciously set yourself up for something negative because that's the way it was SUPPOSED to be happen. Supposition aside, I am now 24 days off of vaping (I consumed over 24mg of nicotine a day... that was a tough withdrawal) and 20 days on NoFap. I'll be frank: I honestly believe the accounts of benefits from NoFap scared me into wanting to try it, as in I for the first time actually felt I was doing something wrong fapping when I read a lot of accounts saying life was better without them... or at least I thought. Starting NoFap made a self-conscious guy (Me) even more self-conscious... but in this short time, instead of wanting to escape myself, I'm embracing myself. Instead of wanting to prove myself, I want to improve (goal orient) myself. It's tough when I'm alone, bored or procrastinating. Yet, I now stay aware of what I need to do, instead of completely forgetting about it, and I always come back to it. Now, for the perceived benefits within 20 days! My Energy levels are up! I'm cooking food, cleaning more, complaining less. I did this before, but less frequently. Exercising is becoming EASIER: I box twice a week, go to the gym once and run another day or two every week, that was already a given. Yet now, it seems as though my mindset while exercising is slightly more focused, more in control. Eye contact, eye contact, eye contact. I wasn't bad at it by any stretch, I just thought about it too much. I'd have to consciously say 'okay look away now' or' oh shit should I look away now' etc, etc. I worry about that less now. Has anything really changed there? Perhaps not, but my perception definitely has! This is an odd one... my peripheral vision seems to be better! I chalk this down to being more conscious, 'in the moment'. Anxiety seems to have decreased, just a little. People interact with me now, not I them 24/7. That's the Jist of it One observation I have made, though, is that if I dwell on 'urges' for too long when they do come about, they become harder to resist. When I DO resist, it is true that it makes it easier next time (at least for me), but the following day I find myself more impulsive in other areas of my life. This lines up with the theory of self-control having a measurable amount, which can be depleted (research papers, if this interests you) What do you all think? I'd love to know!
