So, I just started to take the NoFap thing seriously. I've been struggling with this since I was 12 but from the ages of 18-24 I went for 4 years without fapping. (I spent some time in a monastery). Then after that it's been sporadic. I could go up to 3 months and not masturbate, then 2 weeks, then one week, then 1 month. I'm all over the place. I am Catholic so my religion views masturbation or any use of the sexual faculties outside of marriage as a sin. I wanted to consult something that happened to me because frankly it's causing me to freak out. On Saturday I made out with my girlfriend (also a sin in my religion) and then when I came home I binged on fapping (4 times). The next day I went to confession. Then 2 days later my girlfriend and I ended up making out again. I again went home and binged on fapping- 3 times. What freaked me out was that during the first two times I was extremely limp and the third time I couldn't even sustain an erection. I totally freaked and realized that I need to stop this otherwise I could develop ED and have problems when I'm married. Googling this is what brought me to this site. I did also notice that the second time making out, prior to this binge, I was hardly aroused. Now it's been 5 days since I fapped and I am getting concerned because I no longer have morning wood. Also previously with my girlfriend I would get aroused extremely easy, like just by holding hands etc. I would get aroused just seeing a picture of her facebook. Now it's like I have no libido. I also have pain in one testicle and pain over the genital area. This has never happened to me. I just mention the religious aspect to give you an idea of where I am coming from. I was thinking perhaps the limpness was related to overmasturbation combined with the fear that I had committed a sin with my girlfriend and then by myself. My girlfriend will be away for 2 months so I think this would be a good time to focus on not fapping and also work on improving my life. Is this normal? Do I really have ED or am I just freaking out for nothing?
According to this link, it's not necessarily ED but maybe 'sexual exhaustion':http://yourbrainonporn.com/porn-induced-ed-start-here. To add, do you watch porn? Because that might also aid to your situation. Also, I think going at it 3 times in a single day is more than what your wood can handle, so you can expect it to go limp for the next few days. Heck, even edging stops you from getting morning wood. Also, as a Catholic, I don't think you should worry about getting aroused at the moment, but staying chaste! Boner's gonna work itself out, but do what you can to stay away from whatever's tempting you... Tell your girlfriend to lay low on the mouth-to-mouth stuff? Besides, it'll save you the trouble of going to confession every time you do the thing, lolz
Your 4 year period without fapping really highlights that we must stay diligent in this challenge throughout our lives. I believe you are dealing with a combination of multiple variables involving mental struggles and physical struggles. Breathe, relax, and think about the situation. If it is a sin to make-out does your girlfriend know? If she does you might ask her why she does so. If you are enforcing the issue then you have to decide for yourself what is most important to you.
Thanks for the response and I like the St. Josemaria Escriva quote. I love the book "The Way". Yes, I did have a conversation with my gf and we both agree that making out is not something that we want to do before marriage. We messed up though. Now she will be out of town for 2-3 months so it should be easier. True, my main concern is not getting aroused. I do want to stay chaste. The concern in the back of my mind is that I may have caused permanent damage. Historically I have always had a strong libido and now I'm just concerned with it's disappearance. I think this is the girl I will get engaged to within the next year if things go well and I don't want any problems with M or P or ED going into the marriage. I don't watch porn on a regular basis. My main problem is M. I would say though that average every 2 months I will watch some porn though- either still pictures or more "normal" porn videos. Usually my urge to M comes first and then I turn on the porn and not the other way around.
Hi ght5, I appreciate your honesty. with my girlfriend we do not have sex. and it is because of religion. to me, If she becomes the one to marry then I dont' want to have sex with her before marriage. to me it is a trust thing. God has really helped me focus on other things besides PMO. just my opinion. sin is sin, no matter what sin it is. in the past I would jump into bed with the girl, and keep using porn...I thought all the porn would help my stamina, but I would have ED issues instead. and then the relationships always failed. this time I am trying to put God first before sex.
I once heard an explanation that the Ten Commandments are not WHY those particular things (lying, adultery, dishonoring parents) are wrong, but HOW they are wrong. I think that applies here. It's really helped me to read non-religious sources about why P and M are scientifically bad. For years, I used to just approach it like God is just a killjoy and I have to follow these rules to just avoid going to hell. Now I know that God has our best interest in mind and wants us to be happy in marriage and a sexual relationship is part of that.
I'm lucky in that high speed internet did not come out until I graduated high school and then I spent some time in a monastery so I was kind of isolated from the internet. The stuff we had access to in high school was still pics on a 3.5 inch diskette, magazines, and VHS. It was a lot harder to get on regular basis. I can't imagine the problems that this current generation of high schoolers will have when they are my age. I couldn't imagine being a teenager and having 24 hour access to porn on a smart phone. What's scary is that the younger you are the more habits become ingrained in your mind.
I doubt it's full-blown ED, if anything you've been beating at it more than you should, or well at least more than your manhood can handle. I'm sure it'll be back in no time as long as you're making progress not to entertain your flinger. Oh man, yes, somebody who gets it!!
Thanks for the encouragement. I really am not a heavy porn user, so I hope this recovery will be quicker. I mean in the past year I have masturbated like once a week/once every two weeks and sometimes binge masturbated (3 times in a night), but only 20 percent of the time have I looked at porn. I think I may have prostitis that was induced by the overmasturbation. I've been taking saw palmetto and drinking a lot of cranberry juice for those symptoms. I'm going to give myself two weeks and then if it's not better I'm going to go to a doctor. Hoping that I won't have to do that, because it's embarrasing enough going to confession about this, I really don't want to tell a doctor. I did some exercise today on EA Sports Wii Fit, that seemed to help with depressing thoughts about possibly having ED. Also I have been taking fish oil and eating healthy. But still, no erections no morning wood for 8 days now. There has been the temptation to "test the equipment out" and make sure it still works, but I know this would be detrimental and a sin, plus I have these physical symptoms that I need to take care of- wood or not. How I wish someone would have told me the negative effects of masturbation (other than just "it's a sin") 10 years ago! It seems everyone knows drugs, cigarettes, and drinking are bad for health, but when it comes to masturbation you are just told "it's a sin", without much explanation of how it even hurts on the natural level.
