Sounds like your saying everyone in here is hopeless. I don't like to think of porn as a addiction, more of a bad habit. Drug and alcohol addiction can kill you, a habit of using too much porn won't kill you but will waste a lot of time and might give some problems like ED and DE.
Glad I read this post.. I’ve experimented with limited porn or soft core porn or whatever you want to call it.. escalates like a mofo in no time.. and deep down you know it will when you start.. your on Porn site and only one click away from your real drug of choice.. and off you go again.. why tempt fate?
I completely agree with you, whether its soft core, swim suit ads, youtube yoga videos, etc--its all basically the same and usually does escalate. One problem is turn on your tv or computer and your pretty much guarenteed to run into some kind of trigger. When I used nofap hard mode my cravings and libido became so high that a lingerie ad in the corner of my screen or a youtube yoga video or a woman on tv in a bikini sent me into a binge and ended up watching porn anyways. Using moderate porn and masturbation has really helped keep those extreme cravings down. When used porn for 1 to 3 hours daily it wasn't that much fun. Now once or twice a week its so much better. Daily porn use=no erection without death grip, porn once a week=instant erection and energy rush (I love it!). Erections have become a pretty good guide to tell me when I'm using too much porn and having too many orgasms. As soon as lack of arousal toward certain things begin, I know I need to back off porn and masturbation. I high libido feeling, feels so good, that, thats usually is all I need to keep from binging. I don't use drugs but maybe the temptation to use porn is as strong as using drugs. Drugs will kill you, porn won't. If you binge on porn one day, don't beat yourself up, its not the end of the world, reset and get back on track. If you believe you have no control over your choices YOU make (then who does), well then, you probably don't.
Watching porn (screen based activity) masturbation with hand (pretending its a vagina) Watching baseball (screen based activity) swinging a bat (pretending a ball is coming at you) Neither one is the real thing.
From a neurological point of view, it is not going to work. Tell to an alcoholic, what about alcohol just on occasions... the problem is the target of the question. Your brain records your life history trajectory, similar to the rings when you cut a tree. If you reactivate these sensitized pathways, one will systematically lead to the next. The problem at the neurological level is that with time you have altered your epigenetics through a transcription factor protein called DeltaFosB. As a biology reminder, a transcription factor is a protein that is going to alter make modifications in the genes of your neuronal cells. Genes are the same, true, but epigenetic changes means your genes are going to play a new song, so to speak, if you imagine your genome as a piano with many keys. Keys are the same, music is not. That is the result of DeltaFosB. A pornified brain indeed is a thing even at the molecular level. Thus you are replaying the song if you come back. And the song has a very simple lyrics, remember and repeat pmoing and binge on this. In experiments with animals, either sugar or salt, we know DeltaFosB always means the same, they binge. So do not reprogram your epigenetics, you cannot talk about moderation because for your brain it is like addind more water to a full bucket, it does not just empty itself. Or adding more wood to a fire. It is true that after months of abstaining, DeltaFosB remits, but, its legacy is still inscribed in your brain cells
Your brain on porn is a great book and gave me some great ideas. I've listened to the audio version at least 5 or 6 times. However, experiment on what works for you and when you find whats works for you, that is the ultimate truth. Other peoples suggestions, advice, opinions, etc (Gary Wilson or Noah Church charging $150 for 50 mins), really don't matter because you personally know what works--you know the truth, not what worked for others.
Man I’m glad that works for you but it’s not my experience. I think the relationship between masturbation and porn is just too hardwired.. I’ve tried watching soft porn and sooner or later (usually sooner) it escalates. The thing is if I see a yoga ad or whatever potential trigger AND I’m watching porn regularly it is a trigger and completely different reaction than to if I have successfully completed say 3 weeks in monk mode.. I see women differently.. it may just be me but when I’m on Porn women are just straight out sex objects.. when I’m off it I wouldn’t see the yoga ad the same.. It would be way less likely to trigger me.. actually it wouldn’t trigger me.. the person wouldn’t be a sex object but just some good looking female human doing yoga.. I wouldn’t build it up. A real woman may arouse me by flirting or teasing me but otherwise I don’t see sex objects all over the place.. the mental theatre closes down... it takes a while though.. Also consider differences like age and potential levels of individual addiction.. for a young guy with a crazy high libido.. moderate use may be good I don’t really know.. personally I think if you need to masturbate once per week use your imagination.. I don’t think any corporately controlled product with addictive potential is ever going to have anyone’s best interests at heart. Bloody good point about erections too, I think your right.. I must admit to thinking like you that once a week seems ideal to balance a full erection with watching porn.. BUT.. for me it escalated every time I tried it and I just think there is a part of me that wants to leave Porn alone completely and just deal with what the real world has to offer... and to be honest I don’t really get an erection easy for porn.. but after a week off the gear and I’ll wake up with wood..and genuine interactions.. no problem.. (Yet I still go back to porn and flog a dead horse... like I said levels of addiction.. it’s weird shit!) Cheers✌️
Thing is anyone can go and swing a bat and lots of bats are the same. It sucks watching porn and thinking you wish you were that guy whereas in reality many of us don't get to have sex with women like that. Think of a starving person watching someone dine at a 5 star restaurant its torture.
I watch Porn in "moderation": I almost never watch Porn videos because for me they are not interesting, I only watch super models pictures, and it's always the same 2 super models. and I read erotic stories when I relapse. that's how I relapse. And it still feel awful. so I don't think there is moderation. the goal is 0.
I just relapsed to porn today and I actually thought this afterwards "what if I watch porn once a week just?" then I thought wait if I'm a heroin junkie would it seem like a good idea to "just do heroin once a week"
If you can't quit cold turkey, maybe baby steps would be easier. Just pmo once a week? Idk, but for me it didn't work out very well. I wish doing it in moderation.