Hello! So I'm not sure if this fits into this category but I wanted to talk about it. So I just recently ALMOST relapsed to porn, I learned my lesson and blocked it off. However, do you guys have any tricks to stop yourself when you ALMOST relapse? Thank you!
I haven't use cold showers as escape behaviours, but they surely take your mind away from what your current thoughts, so it might works. EDIT: safety behaviours, not escape behaviours
The following can help: 1) watch motivational posts and videos 2) do sport, workout 3) leave the room immediately and go to talk with someone What I do is laying on the bed and I use an app called NF Companion which has 'Help!' section. I press on it; it plays relaxing music. Then I close my eyes and imagine that I enter my mind and see the urges passing by. I recognise them but I don't follow them. I see them passing through me and then leaving my brain. I keep doing that until the urge is gone. It usually takes 5 min
Thought is the main driver for action... unless the action is a habit. If it's a thought that prompts you, then running from it will solve it. Like others suggested, cold showers, stepping away from the phone/PC, exercising, making coffee etc. This basically diverts your brains attention. If it's a habit that's triggering the action, then you first need to change the cue which starts the habit loop in the first place. The habit loop works like this: Cue > Action > Reward > Cue > Action > Reward > Cue > Action > Reward The difference between a thought and a habit, is that the habit is automatic and takes much more effort to stop. PM was my habit for years (ACTION) and being bored in from of PC late at night was the CUE. As such, I had to stop the CUE from occurring (boredom, late night (past 10pm) and PC): 1. Cure for boredom: Playing games, learning something new, studying, exploring a hobby. 2. Cure for late night: Set automatic shutdown on PC for 21:30 3. Cure for PC: Step away from it The result is that because the cue isn't present anymore, the habit of PM fell away. TLR Habits are changed by removing/changing the cue that triggers the action. Diverting thoughts is a good way of stopping an action, IF the action is NOT a habit already.
