I've reached the stage using porn isn't negatively effecting me much or at all. Need some advice?

Stay vigilant then. Some people recover in different situations faster. You have a high enough consciousness to look at life and see the extreme optimism in this particular situation. You've left your old self far behind. Just don't forget what led you here in the first place, though. Porn isn't worthy of having a place in your life.

 

Good for you, man. It sounds like things are going very well for you. Just tread cautiously. Always remember that rewiring doesn't only go one way, you could just as easily rewire yourself back into porn, and that's the last thing you want to do. That's why most of us just kick porn out of our lives for good. Porn doesn't really do anything good, so why go through the hassle of keeping it around? Just don't fall into a trap of thinking that you're healed, and fall right back into porn! That's all too common.

Stay strong!

 

What were your diagnoses please?

 

It may be relative progress from your initial state, but needing it even for a day every so often means, at least in my opinion, you haven’t kicked the addiction. I am not saying this to demoralize you, I hope you succeed fully, but I am saying it from my own personal experience. For a while I couldn’t get to my original 90 day goal and I was starting to rationalize similar behavior. Then I pushed through to 90 days and it was transformative. Really quitting is really never needing it. My more recent challenge is dealing with sexual thoughts of real women and learning to harness that and not let that push me towards massage parlors etc. But now I can truly say P has no hold over me, but it took 120 days of being 100% clean. I still have challenges to meet- want one year free of PM and O if at all it happens only with a real serious partner. Speaking from this perspective I would encourage you to kick P completely, otherwise it will find its way back into your life. There’s nothing good about for P someone on the path of self growth. Best

 

I agree 100%.

 

The lack of interest means there is progress but the mind is not completely free of the habit. In other words, if the circumstances are right, the frequency could increase again. You must slay the beast while you have weakened it and have it in a corner. The addictive mind is extremely devious and will find all kinds of rationalizations to not do this.

Identifying triggers is important. PMO is at its core an unhealthy coping mechanism. Hangovers from alcohol are an example of the circumstances I mentioned earlier.

You are doing well to identify the issues. A regular (daily) time for self reflection or meditation can help enormously.

You can ask yourself why you drink and why to the point of feeling hungover? If you dig deep you will find that somewhere the rational mind has lost control and given in to impulse. Alcohol use is also a coping mechanism.

Address the underlying causes and find healthy coping mechanisms- exercise, healthy social interactions, meaningful hobbies, nutritious food, adequate sleep, time outdoors in nature- and the crutches such as alcohol and PMO will no longer be necessary. Learning to deal with the ebb and flow of emotions without external crutches is part of becoming an adult human being but many of us are still here in training because we misused these crutches. Good luck! You will be successful if you persevere.

 

Those are very difficult to overcome, so making the progress you have is fantastic. It seems that reducing the reliance on PMO has resulted in an improvement in your mental health.

I think you need to continue working on your addiction. It hasn't gone and you want to make sure that you bury it man.