So yesterday I made it a goal to stop once and for all. I can’t let things like this stop me from recovering. I can to conclusions that things happen and I can’t let that stop my reboot. But earlier today, I started to feel better after starting my reboot. I was on a random thing online (didn’t see any images or anything) but I saw something that brought up an arousing memory. I thought of relapsing, but then I didn’t but I almost gave in. The memory aroused me. my question is, even if I got aroused, as long as I don’t pmo and I try to stay away from arousal I’ll be fine, right? it kinda made my head foggy.
You can't control those reactions so there's no sense worrying about it. You CAN control whether you keep thinking about it, or decide to switch gears somehow so you can focus on that. Those memories do stop carrying a sexual charge, and before they stop for good you can bet they would come and go, maybe you have kind of a long streak and then it catches you off guard at a certain point. From what I can tell the memory won't completely go away, it's more like it has a different meaning and it doesn't arouse anymore. Even if it keeps happening, you can imagine if you keep changing your mind when it pops up then you know you can do that and you'll be confident in responding that way.
I think this is a perfect example of the saying "aim for the moon and you will hit the stars" Arousal truly is the silent killer of a reboot, simply because its effects are silent and very gradual. I think the example you gave above is not going to kill your reboot. The problem is complacency. To truly reboot you need to stave off any thoughts of arousal, because the reality is arousal is the doorstep of relapse. Today you might have been successful in avoiding the urge to relapse, but tomorrow you might not be. You said it yourself, "I almost gave in". Instead of aiming not to PMO, aim not to get aroused.
This is so common during a reboot. Porn has dialogue that in any other context is innocent and if you hear it somewhere else, it brings back the memory of the whole thing. The only advice I can give is to distract yourself when it does come and keep fighting until it's gone
