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Quiting smoking and quiting masturbation, which one is harder?

Discussion in 'Self Improvement' started by shyvanna70, Jun 12, 2021.

  1. shyvanna70

    shyvanna70 New Fapstronaut

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    I am not a smoker, but I do know that smokers always struggle on quiting smoking. I just want to ask based on your understading which one is harder? I also want to quit masterbation forever and also want to feeling how smokers are fighting on quiting smoking. Please do not suggest me to start smoking. I am now 24. Thank you.
     
  2. As an addictive personality ive had my share of addictions: smoking tobacco (15 years old), weed (15-23) multiple types of drugs (15-21) gaming (6-23), porn (12) and social media/ entertainment (6-23).

    Ive succesfully quit all drugs, gaming and entertainment binging.

    Tobacco and porn are the only ones that are so hard simply because of the following caracteristics: no major direct impact on your state of mind (you can still function well while using), does not require a lot of time, its always accessible.

    Once you get busy in life its easy to quit the time consuming addictions or those that have a major impact on your cognitive abilities. Its hard to quit those who are not time consuming and in addition are a stress reliever.

    I quit all others cold turkey by limiting acces (not buying drugs or weed, removing computer from my room) and filling the time gained with usefull activities. While porn is always accessible on the phone which you carry and in my case my partner smokes so theres always cigarettes lying around...

    Personally i would rate porn on the slightly harder side because it involves a basic human need to procreate.
     
    Fight_Back likes this.
  3. Depends how long one quits :)
    As Mark Twain said, quitting smoking is easy, I have done it a 100 times....

    Seriously as someone who did quit smoking - I would say that once you get past a certain threshold - usually 6 months quitting becomes easier.

    The diff. with masturbation is that desire can build up over time... I have gone close to 1/2 a year as my record -but not past that. I think longer term you would need circumstances set up to be favorable to it - either a partner to healthily channel sexual energy with, or a deep commitment to chastity for spiritual reasons.
     
    Fight_Back likes this.
  4. I have been struggling with smoking exactly since I have been struggling with PMO. Absolutely zero question about it for me: smoking is extremely, insanely harder.
     
  5. Have you read Allen Carr's Easy Way to Quit Smoking?
    His book about alcohol helped me quit.
     
  6. I read it twice. I hate his tone. Does nothing to me. It sounds so patronising and know it all
     
  7. Ok, I assume it didn't help at all. For alcohol, I found his book along with Annie Grace's which has a similar method helped me drop alcohol - I had to read them and retry several times and do her 30 day workbook but once it sank in , giving up alcohol was easy - I wish I had known about that method when I quit smoking years ago- smoking I just white knuckled for six months. Hardest thing I ever did.
     
  8. I want to apologise for the brutal tone of my previous message - I am actually grateful that you even suggested something you found helpful :) But yeah, unfortunately, nothing is working for me, not even hypnosis. I have my second appointment on Monday but I don't believe in it.
     
    ivanhoe likes this.
  9. no worries, I know how frustrating it can be... I tried to quit both alcohol and cigarettes for years, still struggling with F/PMO stuff.

    Hypnosis worked for me years ago with IBS - just an mp3 program I bought -but since then it's worked for nothing else - so that can be very personal and people get wide-ranging results...

    I guess best thing is to just keep trying things and see what sticks- I wish I had learned, years ago at the root of all of this (for me at least) was anxiety - once I focused on that and some changes in core beliefs -I think that is what finally made the alcohol quit click.

    Have you read or heard of the book the Body Keeps Score? It's not realated to addictions exactly - but what I like about it is it covers a wide range of 'therapies' people have used - really opened up my mind to solutions.

    I have also had a lot of success with Unwinding Anxiety the author Dr. Brewer also has an habit addiction program that might be worth looking into.

    For Carr and Grace, I actually was really surprised how effective they were for me because I am pretty skeptical and it almost seemed like 'pseudo science' ('we're reprogramming your subconscious as you read this') - on the other hand as a follow up, I read Jason Vale's 'Kick the Drink' which has equal popularity and it did nothing for me - so as you say could be a matter of tone.

    Good luck!
     
  10. Kung_fu_panda_

    Kung_fu_panda_ Fapstronaut

    I think both are similarly hard to quit.... Smoking vs masterbation .... match tied....
     
  11. cresyhorse

    cresyhorse Fapstronaut

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    porn and masturbation is definitely harder to quit.
     
    D_rax likes this.
  12. Definitely masturbation. For cigarettes, just don't buy anymore, get the nicotine stickers and that's it. Masturbation and porn, it's fucking everywhere and the urges are so hard to control.
     

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