After trying and failing repeatedly for 2.5 years, I FINALLY made it to 27 days today. This is the first time I’ve been clean for this long, meaning no viewing porn, no edging, no porn substitutes or whatever, unlike most of my other streaks. I was SEVERELY AND EXTREMELY addicted. I’ve been in flatline since day 1 but it hasn’t been unbearable. No more mood swings, no depressive episodes. But I’m not feeling any benefits, at least not the ones I’ve felt on other streaks. I still have social anxiety, I’m still clumsy, and a whole host of other things. before people come in to say nofap won’t fix these by itself, it DID before. On previous streaks these things did go away and I felt amazing (until I relapsed). Do I just have to wait a bit longer before these pop up? I’m not curious about what benefits I’ll have. I know that. I want insight as to if they’ll show up sooner or later. Right now I feel angry, bored, irritated, cynical, and self conscious. Still better than depressed and hopeless but I’d rather start feeling these benefits.
Maybe it could be that you aren't doing anything else that's benefiting your life other then Nofap? Quitting junk food, exercising, etc. might help you feel better once you start to get into it. It also could be that the positive effects haven't showed up yet. The real effects don't really show up until your FAR into a streak (from what i've been told)
27 days is not that long of a streak, i had a 47 day streak and didnt felt much too... you need at least 90
A key point in addiction recovery is that instead of running, we have to learn how to feel whatever is in the present and accept it. That is when the benefits comes. When you stop longing for something else than you feel right now.
Congratulations on your 27 days. If you are a heavy user it’s going to take some time for the brain to change. I haven’t been a heavy user in a long time and it normally takes me 6-8 weeks to stabilize when I stop altogether. Be patient and find some other thing to do that bring you joy.
The moment you start getting hard boner for "no reason" just by knowing/seeing that there are pretty girls around you, be it auditorium or shop center, you`ll feel that you are healing.
Like other people are saying, 27 days is not very long, thats smack dab in the middle of the typical flatline (which I guarantee will be longer if your addiction is/was severe as you describe), remember that you are not doing this for X amount of weeks, you are doing this for the rest of your life. Think less about it being a 'streak' in the amount of days, as that implies it will end like a streak of free throws. Think not of how many days its been since youve masturbated, think of it as this is this number day of my new lifestyle, so I am on like about day 210, so its not the 210 days for THIS streak or whatever, its 210 days since I got on the path I will never leave until the day I die. Keep going, you are in the flatline. research the flatline, then research it again. Once you make it past that you will not only get all the benefits, but it will become easy to continue your lifestyle and not even think about relapsing.
I don't know much about quitting porn and masturbation but I know a lot about addiction and if this is the same then dude it's a lifetime struggle: chances are that every day I/you will have to reaffirm a choice and a commitment. Strength.
The most noticeable change for me seems to be that the brainfog is clearing and i have more energy. It started to clear after a month and every week after that it clears a bit more. It feels like i still have months to go before i feel like i should thought. Libido is 0. Its dead. It makes it easier to continue but also a bit sad.
Hm I had some longer streaks and many attempts... Being in a longer streak has benefits,for sure. But the real benefit for me is the change in my mindset that doing nofap brought to me. It is that is not at all a loss if you don't feel forced to get as many orgasms as possible.