That's an awesome piece of information right there. It's really what we should all embrace so that we can have that choice and always maintain that choice. You doing great brother and I am so proud of you. Thank you for the inspiration
I agree that the addiction is covering up the main issues. I have been emoinally shut down for my addult life i was trained that the only emotion that i was allowed was happiness. all my other uncofortable emotions were to be shut away. By doing this however i ended with anxiety only i did not realize what i was feeling. i feel that if i had not been working on this inwould not have been able to admitt my problem. i also believe that be working on these underlying issues it will only help to move me forward in my pm frre journey. Thank you for the post.
Great post, and this rings true a lot for me, pretty much the whole time, im in my head screaming NO but i still carry on with it!
Sure! The compulsion cannot be fought by willpower in those first 60 days or so. You have to rearrange your physical environment and activity so as to make it much more difficult to pmo. Be with people, be busy outside or inside doing tasks like painting walls--tasks that make it much more difficult to peek at pictures, etc. TKe walks, go to the cinema, cut your grass or rake the rocks, whatever. Anything that keeps your mind busy and your eyes and hands away from danger. Being with other people is the number one best way because it's much less likely that you'll be obsessing with the "need" to fap. Sometimes you might need to take it an hour at a time and just make it to the next activity to keep your mind off it.
Yes. As weird as it might sound, feeling an urge becomes enjoyable when you are capable of, in the moment, noticing it, observing it and letting it be without any response. When you are consciously doing that, you will feel good about it, about yourself and about you understanding what is happening. This has been a true experience for many days during my ongoing streak. Only during the toughest 3 or so days, I could not enjoy anything and not responding was extremely hard. Do you have a partner? A very important insight, nicely formulated.
An addittion from my own experience. The reality (at least for me) is that urging thoughts might creep into your head when you're hanging out with "hot" people. I was a weekend off with friends and there happened to be some attractive girls. I found myself getting a bit aroused by a couple of them. Also I didn't approach a nice girl who'm I did notice sending out some "signal". Felt kind of stupid about it after. Probably unconsciouly these things caused me to have a very difficult day following the weekend, back home alone. Not saying you should avoid girls, even "hot" ones or something. But being warned about this, probably helps.
Might not be a bad thing for now, during your streak. Btw, don't let my post give you the impression that I'm in the middle of hot girls every weekend. This weekend was rather exceptional and they were friends from my friends. I just wish I had a way with hot girls. I'm a pretty good talker, but until now, I always stupidly turn into myself with my sexual intrests and thoughts. Whereas cool and confident guys make their sexual interest open and clear by saying something or being touchy, I kind of keep it all in my head. Anyway, getting a bit off-topic here, my excuses.
UPDATE MAY 2019 Okay, if anybody stumbles on this thread I wanted to give an update. I want you to know that all the benefits became just a normal part of my life. On the day I write this, I am 1.5 years into my nofap streak. I haven't counted days in a long time because the new me isn't really keeping track of the old me anymore. I just want guys to know that it can be done if you set your mind to it and don't give up when you fail. I relapsed more times than most of you but there came a day when I said "No more!"That was the first day of mynew life. You can do this!
Thank you for sharing! By now I have experienced some of the benefits of nofap, really want to get rid of PMO and becomes free.
That's the way to think! You must keep telling yourself that you don't want to go back to the old you. That helps me every time I'm tempted.
By far the best sucess post I have read so fat. Okfirst off thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. And I agree with your points bout us being addicted to the dopamine hit our brain wants I have been their done that . I'm only 24 days in and I can say it's already been one hell of a ride my sex life with my GF is better and my confidence is growing every day. The only thing I struggle with is procrastination I have many important things to do but I just can seem to get to them...no worries I'll work on that. But on to your other point about the power of choice. It's one of the nest benifits no one talks about cuz most men and woman on nofap just want the brain fog and urges to go away...but the urges never go anywhere its completely normal to be horny...the TRUE power is making the choice to NOT PMO and sit and enjoy your sexual e ery insted of expelling it. Thanks again for this amazing post my friend DM me sometime we can share ideas.