What does relapsing mean to you, an analogy

Hi guys,

I've been on nofap long enough to have experienced a fair amount of relapses. I know the devastating feelings that go with it, but I still believe in here a lot of people take relapses in a way that is too radical.

I was thinking about this today, and trying to find a way to put it in words, and I believe I've found an analogy that works fairly well, without diminishing the relevance of relapses in the nofap journey.

Imagine you're rock climbing, on a solid vertical wall.. the mountain top is freedom from addiction.

You go up, slowly or fast doesn't matter, everyone's journey is different. But as you go up you drive nails in the rock, and attach your security rope to the last nail.

You leave a nail behind and climb to the next crack in the rock, where the next nail will go. This is when you might fall, but you won't hit the bottom and die... the last nail will stop your fall, you'll only go as far as the last stretch of rope that you have not secured to the wall yet.

A fall might hurt, you might get scratches and bruises, it might take some time to drive away the fear and start climbing again, but a fall won't undo all the progress you've made or kill you.

A lot of people here take more the "free climber" approach, where a single slip, will inevitably undo all of the progress... and the higher the climb.. the harder the fall. I don't belive that way of thinking is realistic and positive in any way.

I am not free at all, and I have never climbed that high so to speak... but I' m a different, and hopefully better, person from when I have started my journey.

I hope this has some value for fellow fapstronauts, especially in moments after relapsing.

Over and out.