Made the connection between PMO and ED at age 24. Time to work on eliminating it.

Hello all,

I am a 24 year old dealing with PMO problem 10-12 years in the making. Recent occurrences of PIED and subsequent attempts to resolve with the assistance of licensed healthcare professionals without any progress have led me to this site and others where I have seen countless stories of young people like myself describing strikingly similar experiences.

Like many, the habit started with magazines and progressed over time with the technology to VHS, Cable/HBO, DVD, downloaded, then on to HSIP. Looking back, It is now obvious that this habit has had a profound effect on not only my ability to perform in real situations, but my desire and ability to make connections necessary to get to that point. The PMO seems to have occupied a space generally reserved for real connections and experiences, making an existence with both nearly impossible; or at least in my experience. The fact that I have had very few lasting relationships as a young adult is something I would have rationalized in the past as an instance of me being "picky" or waiting for the "right one", but it seems obvious there is/was more to it.

I had experienced ED on many occasions, but never made the connection to PMO until recently. Though embarrassed everytime it occurred, my rationalization was that is was simply performance anxiety due to limited experience. The end result is a number of relationships that soured or never developed the way they should have. This was the status quo for most if high school and all of college. As a college graduate and working professional, things seemed to be going well with the exception of a sex life. (or remotely normal one at least)

About a year and a half ago, I started spending time with a girl who had/has everything I was looking for in a partner. Wasn't long before we ended up in bed where I was unable to perform. At the time, I though it was just anxiety that would dissipate over time, but it did not. There was opportunity to communicate thing better, but this was an issue that needed to be resolved or there wouldn't be much of a relationship beyond that. In Early 2013, I took a trip to a doctors office to let them know what I was experiencing and seek a solution. PMO or PIED never came up during this or any of the 2 subsequent visits. Some blood samples were taken to ensure hormone levels were normal. Tests went well, and I was diagnosed with performance anxiety. I was given a prescription for the anxiety and sent home. As this relationship was not going well, opportunities to implement suggestions regarding relaxing etc. didn't come often, but when they did; there was still no improvement. At that point, I had done some research and do recall coming across sites like this, YBOP, etc., but had written off the possibility of the PMO being the problem since a licensed professional made no mention of it as even a remote possibility.

After making no progress and things progressing to the point of no longer being in a relationship, it seemed evident that those few articles and accounts by people facing similar circumstances read months ago would lead me in the right direction. Those accounts and their similarity to what I have experienced were all it took for me make the connection between the ED and PMO.

Now, trying to salvage a relationship and secure some degree of normalcy in my relationships and sex life; I have given up PMO in its entirety. No PMO for 30+ days, MO'ed about once a week during that timeframe. Looking to cut MO completely, but if the alternative is relapse, I'll live with it.