Have any of you guys figured out how to do this? Say I go down the stupid path of watching a bit of porn, but then I realize it's not a good idea. There have been times I realize that very quickly and stop and it's fine. Other times it takes awhile but I still want to stop. The problem is at that point I've gotten myself quite pent up, at which point stopping causes physical pain and tension, and that pretty much leads to some kind of mental anguish and worse, the possibility that this pent up state will come out in some sort of inappropriate reaction to a difficult social situation or other kind of rough day matter. I'd like to just avoid PMO altogether, but in those short bursts of imperfection, I don't want to go all the way to PMO hell and then come back here.
you describe something very well I think we all experience. And all addicts generally, actually. It's why the first slot machine, the first bottle of beer, the first hit on that pipe are *never* enough...you feel it's "helping you" manage some social situation or life problem, it's "calming your nerves" or its just the physical drive of the addiction... Stopping once you start is DAMN hard. I think 99.9% of recovery is all about making sure you dont open that browser tab, that wallet in the casino, that bottle of booze, etc. Trying to focus on recovery after that point, I think is really hard if not impossible. There are lots of things you can do now - watching nofap videos online, getting an accountability partner, calling a friend or loved one before and after using the computer, doing a digital detox, reading books, exploring nature, journaling, etc..
