Suggestions for coping with withdrawal symptoms

Change your routine, and change your life. The porn addiction is a habit born out of routine. Thoughts of using usually result from putting yourself into the scenarios that you’ve used to use. This can be as a simple as getting away from the computer, or rearranging a room. My addiction was so powerful and controlling for me that I was either browsing P in public, or I would objectify or scan for sexual objects at every opportunity. It takes a mindfulness of this behavior and constant correction in order to overcome it. You have to stay diligent and strong and avoid temptation. If you find new triggers or urges, take the time to reflect on them and find a way to short circuit the behavior or thoughts.

Unfortunately, there is no quick fix, or relief from the symptoms. Sure you can put up porn blockers or turn on restrictions for your browser or OS, but this doesn’t actually change your behavior. Your brain needs time to rewire, and I would caution against using anything that promises fast results, as you are working on correcting a chemical imbalance in your brain, getting it back to a normal healthy level of dopamine, adding more chemicals to this doesn’t allow your mind the chance recover in the appropriate manner.

What really happens in the addiction is allowing your impulsive lower brain to take control. These are those instincts and drive that says you need to something. Your intelligence and capability of thought and conscious decision making has been impaired by allowing your lower brain to control and make decisions. You now have to let your conscience rule again, and correct those lower impulses, make intelligent decisions, and bury that lower mammalian part of your brain, until it can actually do some good in your life by rewarding you for chasing your passions rather than looking for P.

 

You have to replace an addiction with something else. You can not quit an addiction hoping it will be better because it is out of your life. And that "something else" to replace your addiction could be a passion (positive of course) that you like to do. Second of all, being alone by yourself is not going to help. I paid $125/hr for counseling to hear those things so you owe me an ice cream cone. = )

 

Just think of it as the price you are paying for years of bad behavior.

 

It’s supposed to hurt.

 

Whenever I get the beginning of a sexual thought I physically shake my head in a "no not today" fashion... Generally only do it when on my own (since when I'm with other people I'm too occupied to be thinking about those thoughts) but it's actually working quite well.