Quitting Porn Challenge

[LfcCharlie4]

Been pondering this for a long time & reading 'Your Brain On Porn' & 'The Multi Orgasmic Man' has made me decide to finally actually make an effort of it, and see how it effects me personally as it has helped so many men quitting this addiction. 

If you aren't interested in quitting no need to read on, I'm not looking to debate about it, I recommend to anyone interested to read YBOP, but if you want to carry on watching, go ahead! 

Anyways, this thread is for others alike who are quitting Porn to stay on track and take the challenge and then share results. It isn't necessarily 'NoFap' as 'Self-Pleasuring' via methods discussed in Multi Orgasmic Man & without P or Ejaculation is very different. 

Anyone who's in, comment below, and we can just update how it goes. 

Anyone who has quit already, what have your results been? It seems it varies based on how much use, if you were seriously addicted, other factors- eating, sleep etc. 

[fridjonk]

@LfcCharlie4 Been on the Nofap for a little while now but decided to abandon that road and just make it a lifestyle more so, rather than counting days which will eventually lead to a relapse. Counting days makes it seem like there's an end goal when there really isn't one. 

There's probably massive benefit as well to lower all forms of dopamine chasing, such as YouTube and other forms of miniature pleasure as well, you spoke of a dopamine detox before if I remember correctly. 

I do notice whenever I reach passed 10 days, I become frustrated and irritated a lot quicker than normal, and I'm an extremely calm person most would say. Maybe that's just in the starting phase, I usually relapse after like 15 days to let all the pent up pressure out. I will try to go further tho, to see what 30+ days are like, but without emphasis on counting days. Noporn definitely seems to be easier, and maybe more beneficial than no PMO. 

Quitting caffeine has been the biggest benefit for me out of all these addictions, Nofap comes at a close second, but there are some negatives. 

 

[Rolo]

im at a stage where relapse is a heavy porn binge, but over time i have been able to get involved and understand my sexuality in my imagination. I think open mindedness and understanding and body awareness is key to sexuality integration. 

[Applegarden]

Hmm, ok, i don't watch porn but i masturbate ocassionally, but since i have been taking leo's LP course the interest to jerk off is drastically reducing whatsoever. I guess i am in.

[LfcCharlie4]

@fridjonk Yeah man, gotta be real careful not to let these things overtake our life. In regards to the Detox, aside from the actual 24-48 Hr detox, what I've found to be best is- 

No phone when working

Only download Social Media to use, then delete to avoid mindless use

Allow yourself time to enjoy things- Games, TV, Movies etc, and fully indulge without any 'guilt' e.g. when should be doing work / exercising etc. 

YBOP really woke me up, Porn is fucked. 

Agree regarding lifestyle, just becomes normal & replaced by 'healthier' habits. Plus gives you more energy towards your relationship / finding a relationship, if you desire one that is. 

[Javfly33]

Great challenge, I should add myself to it but I must confess I have tried to quit several times and I have come to the conclusion that if I don´t have a gf or active sexual life is like an "impossible" (this exageration, of course) to not watch porn.

Like my mind kind of says "Im gong to get sexual stimulation, if you don´t give it to me in reality, i´ll get it on porn".

What do you think? I think you just can´t quit the mind something and don´t give it anything in return.

[GroovyGuru]

I've been really struggling with this lately but throughout the last 5 years I've had many off and on phases with porn. The most I've gone was in my first year of college and I did not masturbate or watch porn for 3 straight months as a sort of experiment. Can't even imagine going that long now but it was definitely interesting.

One of the cool things was that after a while, it really did feel like my brain was re-set. An entire week would go by and the thought of porn and jerking off wouldn't even cross my mind. So that was pretty nice. Also, this may sound untrue or like I'm bullshitting, but I seriously swear to God that at no point in my life did I receive more attention from girls than those 3 months. And I basically never receive much attention from girls so I was in absolute shock. I would just be walking down the hall at university and there were so many girls I remember who would look at me and smile. I really can't explain it, but I did feel more confident and just had this swagger in my step that girls noticed I think.

Being home basically all day every day since this whole COVID thing makes it much harder. Plus I just got a job where I'll be working virtually from home so I really couldn't imagine going anywhere close to 3 months again. 

[Thestarguitarist14]

1 hour ago, Javfly33 said:

Great challenge, I should add myself to it but I must confess I have tried to quit several times and I have come to the conclusion that if I don´t have a gf or active sexual life is like an "impossible" (this exageration, of course) to not watch porn.

Like my mind kind of says "Im gong to get sexual stimulation, if you don´t give it to me in reality, i´ll get it on porn".

What do you think? I think you just can´t quit the mind something and don´t give it anything in return.

I came to this conclusion last night.  I did not jerk off for months, was seeing a woman who self sabotaged the connection, I walked away.  How my bod is saying “what?  No sex?  Not going to happen.” Now I am working on showing my body whose boss.  It’s a challenge for sure.

 

I have been watching these shamanic tapping videos and they are helping:

 

Edited October 1, 2020 by Thestarguitarist14

[fridjonk]

3 hours ago, Javfly33 said:

What do you think? I think you just can´t quit the mind something and don´t give it anything in return.

That's just the mind's way of tricking you out of doing something difficult. 

Exercising and meditating should be enough to give your mind get som endorphins so you feel better. 

Edited October 1, 2020 by fridjonk

[LfcCharlie4]

I'll be honest, I was checking the Porn blockers on my Computer & Phone, and ended up realizing the Tor part on my Brave browser wasn't blocked, and the whole 'one more time' rationalization kicked in, it ended up being twice, as well. So, I know how hard it can be, and am far from perfect. That has been removed now, and I think a blocker is going to be really helpful during those times. 

But, as YBOP says, you have to REPLACE this time with something else, like any bad habit/ addiction, it must be replaced or it'll be left feeling empty & you'll focus on it and end up doing it, so it's time to replace the habit boys with something else!

[Javfly33]

36 minutes ago, fridjonk said:

That's just the mind's way of tricking you out of doing something difficult. 

Exercising and meditating should be enough to give your mind get som endorphins so you feel better. 

I tried exercising a lot. It definitely helped a LOT. There were times (like 90% of times) where I would feel bored, depressed or anxious and going out and doing a long run would just make me feel very good and make watching porn unappealing.

Yet there were times where no matter what I do the anticipation of euphoria that my brain would produce would be just unbearable. To test myself I actually went up to 14 days resisting urges of watching porn. There were times where the promise of euphoria would be so high that it made me think if porn is really a drug. Like, I haven't done crack or cocaine or meth or anything like that, but the urges I experienced on those 14 days would be so strong it felt like a teaser of what a meth addict experiences.

I don't know..maybe at 30 day mark a switch happens on the brain, and you no longer have to fight those urges. But it's definitely a challenge knowing that you are just a SECONDS apart from that world.

And you have to have faith that you actually will reach that point. In my conclusion I'll just work on my social and sexual life and I'm sure quitting porn would be a more realistic choice by that time for me then.

[LfcCharlie4]

@Javfly33 takes months to reboot your brain, listen to 

Your Brain On Porn as an audio book, you’re story is similar to 100,000s of young men, this is why I’m having to block it!

[Applegarden]

 

22 minutes ago, LfcCharlie4 said:

@Javfly33 takes months to reboot your brain, listen to 

Your Brain On Porn as an audio book, you’re story is similar to 100,000s of young men, this is why I’m having to block it!

I think it still has to do with vision/future. If you have something to strive for to enrich the other people around you, the carnal pleasures will drop, even tho i know you are self-help junkie and have improved your diet and possibly many more things. Goes back to gradual or instant gradification.

[Thestarguitarist14]

Here is a monk talking about porn addiction: 

 

[Javfly33]

I just think also it boils down to pure chemistry in the brain.

If you have to wait 3 months for the brain to stop having urges, then doing noporn why having at seconds away the possibility of watching porn it just seems unrealistic in the most optimistic sense.

That's why addicts go to rehab, literally so they can't access the drug while the they have urges. Because if you have urges and you can get the drug in minutes then its just not possible Lol.

@LfcCharlie4 I have tried porn blockers but I always find a way Lol .

By no means I'm playing the victim thing of course thought. I do plan to quit porn soon I just think I need to do some action in the social life / gf and then I will go strong on quitting porn. 

 

[LfcCharlie4]

@Javfly33 yeah I agree you gotta replace it bro. 
 

@Applegarden Of course, habit replacement is very key, and having other things to focus on. to me, Porn is basically the junk food of sexuality, not sure if that’s a good analogy or not.

[Javfly33]

8 minutes ago, LfcCharlie4 said:

@Javfly33 yeah I agree you gotta replace it bro. 
 

@Applegarden Of course, habit replacement is very key, and having other things to focus on. to me, Porn is basically the junk food of sexuality, not sure if that’s a good analogy or not.

It's a perfect analogy imo ! ?

[fridjonk]

2 hours ago, Javfly33 said:

I tried exercising a lot. It definitely helped a LOT. There were times (like 90% of times) where I would feel bored, depressed or anxious and going out and doing a long run would just make me feel very good and make watching porn unappealing.

I'm the opposite brother ?. 

I've been doing 5 am runs and I feel extreme urges after my runs. Probably due to feeling so good that when even the most miniature erotic imagery pops up in my mind, I'm like a meth addict looking for a hit like you mentioned. Sometimes I manage to control it, but after like 15 days the urges are so insanely strong that it feels like it's impossible not to act on them. But I know I can do better, this is all my responsibility. 

2 hours ago, Javfly33 said:

I don't know..maybe at 30 day mark a switch happens on the brain, and you no longer have to fight those urges.

From what I've read, those urges still follow all the way to day 1000 for some. You just become a master of not acting on them, so it would be wise to start practising letting them bypass. The key I believe is to not try to get rid of them nor think on them. You've got to let the urges pass like clouds, similar to meditation. 

2 hours ago, Javfly33 said:

I'll just work on my social and sexual life and I'm sure quitting porn would be a more realistic choice by that time for me then.

Nofap seems to be one of the best if not the best way to up your social challenges. I've noticed that massively myself. 

 

1 hour ago, Javfly33 said:

I do plan to quit porn soon I just think I need to do some action in the social life / gf and then I will go strong on quitting porn. 

"The problem with waiting until tomorrow—to do anything—is that when it finally arrives, it is called today."

1 hour ago, LfcCharlie4 said:

Your Brain On Porn as an audio book, you’re story is similar to 100,000s of young men, this is why I’m having to block it!

@LfcCharlie4 I always just unblock it if the urge is strong enough, I'm like a man on a mission, lol. 

I honestly think it doesn't help at all since if you're being blocked from it, you're still acting on the urge. So it's just a matter of time before you unblock it and cave it, instead of mastering the art of urge control. 

 

Edited October 1, 2020 by fridjonk

[LfcCharlie4]

@fridjonk I agree, it’s a very short term solution, it just adds a few seconds to those impulses you know? 
 

so, when you are going to act, you create more “space,” I hope to eventually get to a point where I don’t need blockers, I’m defo not there yet. 
 

If I’m honest, most people don’t realise how addicted they are.

[fridjonk]

7 minutes ago, LfcCharlie4 said:

it just adds a few seconds to those impulses you know?

I can see how that would be helpful. 

8 minutes ago, LfcCharlie4 said:

If I’m honest, most people don’t realise how addicted they are.

100% agree. If one can't quit porn for 30 days, then their certainly addicted.  

This is a great thread where we can come and report if we're having some massive urges, to load it off here may help.