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It takes 35.6 weeks of abstinence to cure your brain

Discussion in 'Rebooting - Porn Addiction Recovery' started by Fenix Rising, May 24, 2019.

  1. Sarah Walker I remember you.. Good work!

    Yes you're spot on mate. The symptoms let alone from porn are unbelievable at the worst its lingering ones for me. The way I see it my nervous system was on fire for years. My anxiety wasnt true anxiety in the sense of being anxious for any legitimate reason it was more of me what felt like running on adrenaline for years after binge PMO relapses.

    It was health and general anxiety ramped up to a high volume and a little bit of social anxiety. It is gradually getting better as time progresses, I dont have racing thoughts anymore or constant worrying so it tells me something went right. To me it's like a residual effect that's exactly how it feels like coming out of this anxiety induced state for years.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 26, 2019
  2. llortaton

    llortaton Fapstronaut

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    Okay, Tao-Tao.

    Have a nice day! :p :p :p :p :p

    Edit: HAVE A NICE LIFE!
     
    vxlccm likes this.
  3. You, too, my friend!
     
  4. 1dayattatime

    1dayattatime Fapstronaut

    I started recovering 12/23/2016. That was my first sobriety date. I lasted 8 months hard mode. First relapse lasted 3 months. After that it was like a springboard into recovery i felt a change. Lasted aonther couple months then i relpased again. I had a good 8 month streak again in 2018, relapsed starting at the end of november ending January 4th 2019. I can tell you for certain my brain cleared the most this year after two years of recovery. No more fantasy, not as much ogling. Standing on firmer ground. It takes time to change neural pathways. But it is time well invested.
     
  5. ImpureHuman

    ImpureHuman Fapstronaut

    Thanks for this. So it take time.. means patience and perseverance.. ok..
     
  6. BigOne79

    BigOne79 Fapstronaut

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    Question for your Fenix, I noticed in a previous post on this thread you mentioned that you are starting to behave in a way on getting into a relationship but not totally there yet. I believe I have the same issue going on. I am almost to eight months and it is still hard for me to pursue a relationship or maybe I just don't like anyone that I am meeting right now. You think that need for a relationship comes back in time...??
     
  7. Fenix Rising

    Fenix Rising Fapstronaut

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    I honestly hope so. As things stand now, I don't have the need to pursue a relationship. I'm too depressed and anxious to be good company. Sure, I'm freaking out that all of my friends are married, have children and great jobs, but hey no regret, shame and guilty feelings about the past right. All we have is here and now. Past is past, future is uncertain, so all we can do is try our best, no matter how small it seems.
     
  8. Does it matter how long it takes if you give it up for good? Just do it and the healing will happen. If it happens sooner than you are a lucky one. Once an addict always an addict so its never over.
     
    AspiringVitality and llortaton like this.
  9. llortaton

    llortaton Fapstronaut

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    I disagree. If that were true, then wouldn't "Once sober, always sober." be true also? :p
     
  10. Everyonelies

    Everyonelies Fapstronaut

    I'm not sure I saw a reply... Someone brought up sex during recovery.

    Wondering this myself.

    Assuming it's healthy and in a relationship, maybe it helpful and not harmful during recovery /reboot?

    I hope...? Dear God if it's not helpful...
     
  11. I like your avatar name bruh.
     
    Deleted Account likes this.
  12. arkad1

    arkad1 Fapstronaut

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    That's interesting. After a year, some solid streaks, 3 times watched porn, 12 times masturbation, i feel my brain is handicapped right now, but there might be many other causes.
     
  13. Everyonelies

    Everyonelies Fapstronaut

    Thanks

    It's a..failing of us humans. We lie, deceive, bend the rules, pretend, omit, mislead, blur the lines. Mostly obviously to others but ourselves too. For our well being, for theirs, for the greater good, for selfishness, for self preservation, for protection.

    Just depends on what it is or what the agenda is.

    Maybe it'd be easier to live honestly if others weren't as easily offended, or maybe if they just understood, or if we were brave and bold, or even brutal and heartless for that matter.

    To be clear I'm not advocating or condoning dishonesty... Pity we're not a honest species. But we are all flawed, damaged and broken. Some more so, some less so. A fortunate bunch of us are addicts to porn. An addiction rarely acknowledged as being as damaging and harmful as it is. No question, somebody says they are a meth addict, the gravity sets in. You say you are a porn addict... Eh, just stop if it's a problem, right? Wrong. We've been deceived ourselves. Though we've done different things of different severities, we are the same. We're human.
     
    Deleted Account likes this.
  14. Dude you're lucky to find nofap in early stage of your addiction. Also with your age, you'll be having no problem once you improve yourself with nofap and other things.
     
    Optimum Fortitude likes this.
  15. No. Once you taint a clear glass of water with black dye, the dye will always be a part of it no matter how clean you get. Addiction is forever. If you go 10 years clean of no PMO and then a friend shows you an image of a naked girl, your addiction can spur back up and you find yourself in an even worse position. An addict to alcohol never goes back because he knows if he does we will turn back into his old self. He is always an alcoholic no matter how many years he has gone without it. Now this does not mean you won't be stronger but given the right circumstance, ie you are alone, your girlfriend just broke up with you, you are tired etc... now I feel like fapping. Game over.
     
  16. GlenHood

    GlenHood Fapstronaut

    1000+ days abstinent from alcohol and drugs. Yesterday I was unusually anxious and irritated with stuff; the thought just popped up: “F this S, I need a fix!”. This thought was all I needed to realize: no matter how long I stay clean, potentially there will always be a breaking point that brings me back to using.

    For me personally, this is the definition of addiction. I may be clean as long as I choose not to use, but if I take it for granted, I will relapse and it will not be pretty.
     
  17. @llortaton

    Thank you Glenhood for this. I agree 100%
     
    GlenHood likes this.
  18. I think we also need to factor in the reality that a 14-year-old may not yet be an addict, as they simply have not had time for it to turn into that. It may just be an unhealthy coping mechanism at this point for a young man, and let us hope it does not go beyond that!
     
  19. Yes, was not aware he was 14. Thank goodness! To be 14 again haha
     
    Tao Jones likes this.
  20. Fenix Rising

    Fenix Rising Fapstronaut

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    I'd like to comment on this topic from a proper time distance. I can confirm that reboot period between 6 and 10 months seems to be the sweet spot for recovery. From my personal observation, I needed around half a year of abstinence to get a taste of what normality feels like and things improved further down the road until hitting 10 months mark. Cravings to view P and M were completely gone by then and improvements became much more subtle after that. I still see some improvements regarding metal stability, but I don't know if I should contribute that to abstention past 10 months mark or to lifestyle changes I managed to more or less successfully incorporate into my daily life (exercise, meditation, more balanced eating habits etc.). If I would relapse now the reason would not be cravings for PMO anymore, as I think I've managed to put addiction dragon to sleep by now, but because of some unexpected very stressful event. I had such trial recently when I experienced culmination of multiple unfortunate events again (death in a family, loss of a job and vision loss on one eye). The sense of hopelessness at one point in time was so great, that I craved to numb these negative emotions by PMOing. Luckily I got through it by exercise, meditation and thinking about what stoics like Epictetus, Seneca & Marcus Aurelius would think and do in such circumstances, but I realized that I will have to always stay extra cautious not to relapse in times when life hits me hard. I guess this is a curse most if not all long term recovered addicts have to accept and learn to live with.
     
    Last edited: Feb 5, 2020

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