I'm recently new to nofap but I have been trying to quit porn since December 2016 with my longest streak being 26 days and my average being 15 days. One question I have as I look to finally begin a successful streak is should I go with no porn or no PMO? I understand that no PMO makes sense in the short term, but I feel like once I am fully recovered and am having sex, it'd be natural and acceptable to jerk off to the memories as it's not artificial pixels. So I wouldn't want to count masturbation and orgasm as they are things I'd eventually do again. What do you guys think?
IMO, quitting addiction is a matter of learning, trials and errors. What actually worked for me is going gard mode all the way no M or P.
Thanks I do agree that hard mode will work best for now. But in the future when you are cured, do you plan to ever use masturbation without porn?
Hey @Dsmith29 , There is so much support on this forum, the profiles and the various groups. It works if you work it. I don't offer advise. I offer only my ESH (experience, strength and hope). Work it? Oh yeah. There's work to be done, that's what's worked for me. Two things I've found necessary. 1. I had to Learn the NoFap Program. 2. Getting involved with the community on here was vital to help my recovery. Learn the NoFap Program The resources listed on the "New Users: List of Rebooting Resources" helped me find my way around the reasons behind the program and the terms used. They are: Download the free Getting Started guide. Set up a PMO-Counter Badge. More info here! Basic introduction to the science of porn addiction! Basic information about rebooting and how our challenges can help you recover from PMO. This is the most important page to read. If you only can read one page, read this one. About NoFap. Watch this video - it is an epic intro resource if you want to get particular details about porn addiction and how it changes how your brain works. This is a good light-weight video about porn addiction. Read through the journal sections and see what other rebooters have experienced. It is good to know what to expect, otherwise the "chaser effect", "the surge", or the "flatline" might throw you off. If you come across vocabulary that you can't understand, check out our rebooting glossary of terms. GET ACCOUNTABLE FOR YOUR HABITS! Sign up for a peer accountability partner. Otherwise if you want more professional-hosted solutions, check out NoFap Premium or Reboot Camp. If you can afford to invest in yourself, these are great options. You can find this same list on the top of the forum you posted this message on at - the "New to NoFap" forum. Get Involved with the Community The community has been my lifeline. I've found journals I love, people who are very supportive and a place where I could get to work helping in a small way others. I'm nobody important around here. Just a normal user with no magic powers. But, I can: Read Journals, and comment when I have ESH Find people I admire and stay in touch via their profiles Pick a forum and make sure evvery post gets and answer. I can't answer them all, but that's good - different opinions make for a better group. Post in my journal (I could be better at it - but I do milestone posts at least) To make a journal go to the section listed by age and start one. Keep all your journal posts in one thread. But, for random thoughts, you can create a new thread. Looking forward to seeing you around on the forums, - L PS - Think of pmo like a wolf. Stay near the center of the group with the winners and the wolf has a more difficult time finding you. But, stray near the edges of the community and the wolf can pick you off.
For me NoFap is 1/2 program & 1/2fellowship. Click on these people and post a "hello" on their profiles: @2525 @weddingnails @PatrickR @Beamer @Arohamystic @MLMVSS @Rising Sun !! @Ready to be healthy @icandoit @Brahmacharin @Struggle Bug @tet2vd @Satchi @BigDawg913 @zakes @LilD @kropo82 @DavidGibson @SteelshoT @Jewels @reystronaut Take a look at who they are exchanging messages. You will find more profiles. - L
One of the ways I got involved with the fellowship was by reading some really great journals. I've included journals from all age groups, spiritual members, religious members, secular members, male and female. You should find journals that help. If not, look around, there are hundreds of others from which to choose. When I say "it works if you work it", reading journals is part of that work. Once you open a journal, click "Watch Thread" in the upper right of the page to get alerts when new posts are made. Here are just a few: @2525 Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/150280/ --- @Visor Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/144228/ --- @Dragonnlife Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/136148 --- @weddingnails Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/143418/ --- @Struggle Bug Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/141911/ --- @BigDawg913 Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/145872/ --- @Sunshadow Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/75108/ --- @kropo82 Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/78164/ --- @tet2vd Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/144513 --- @Protagoras Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/109842/ --- @Tomoya Okazaki Journals at: https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/143534/ --- There are many more, and you can discover them on your own. But, these are great places to start. This is a work in progress. So, if a journal has changed or is no longer active, look around there are some amazing journals on here. - L
I think it is a personal decision. I always suggest doing no PMO first and then when porn is no longer an issue in your life, it could be okay to introduce a healthy approach to M. That's just my opinion. All the best for your journey.
I agree 100%. porn warped my brain into thinking that only perfect images and vids were worth getting excited over. And really, if my brain can get these "perfect" images, why shouldn't it? Then, when real sex presents itself, PIED. So, the obvious answer for me was to get rid of porn. Hopefully forever, but right now it's one day at a time. I didn't pmo today and I don't plan on pmo tomorrow. I started with a few 24 hours in a row (120 days) of hard reboot mode - no pmo - then switched to a sex-positive mode. You can read about that on my journal page 4 post 62. My new "mode" is "Sex Positive Mode" and it does include healthy "m". But, the definition of "healthy m" is important. Read my journal post. - L