Does it count as relapse, if you masturbate without porn?

Hey there, FP.

That's your decision really based on your goals. Some people want to give up porn, some people want to give up masturbation too.

What do you want?

This site's view, is:

"NoFap is not an anti-masturbation website. A clear majority of NoFap’s users and administrators alike agree that there’s nothing inherently wrong with masturbation. A small number of users may believe otherwise, perhaps due to their moral principles, but find NoFap’s broad-minded approach works better for them than the moralistic focus of “chastity” websites that dot the Internet. NoFap does not encourage lifelong abstinence from masturbation or sexual behavior. Rather, we encourage our users to abstain for a period of time for the duration of their reboots—typically around ninety days. While some abstain for longer periods of time—even for life—most of our users then return to masturbation having freed themselves of the need to use pornography. Our users choose what is healthiest for them and best serves their goals."

I started out allowing myself to masturbate but it's so tied up with porn that it just makes things incredibly difficult - the "chaser effect" of craving more orgasms and possibly porn - so I've knocked it on the head for now. I'm in a relationship so I do have the possibility of sexual activity though.

Check out Your Brain on Porn for fuller information on what it might do to your brain chemistry and so on.

Life'll be a hell of a lot easier if you cut it out is my advice.

 

Masturbating to orgasm will result in a surge of dopamine in your brain. As your dopamine-fuelled reward circuitry has been overstimulated in your brain already, this will set you back. That is why many will reset their counter, even if porn is not involved. The quickest way to reboot is to go hard mode - see The Glossary ^.

 

I agree with DonB - it's entirely based on your goals, but generally you should try to abstain from masturbation during the reboot phase. I too have a hard time not watching porn when I masturbate, and often just fantasizing becomes "not enough" and I reach for my laptop.

Furthermore, I'm of the opinion that fantasizing can be as bad as porn during masturbation. You're effectively creating your own, ideal porn, and while it lacks the visual and aural stimulation of actual porn it still creates a false "perfect vision" that the brain then treats as a reference point for its expectations. And because masturbation is difficult without fantasizing, it's best avoided in general.