Haven't watched porn in a month however...

Did you read Rebooting Baics in the forum?

• No masturbation. At all
• No Lookingg at porn substitutes like ESCORT sites
• Yes jerking off can set you back

 

Actually those are hard mode basics. A lot of the members here tend to go from Pmo to No P, then eventually No PMO.

To the OP, to answer your questions
1) Looking at Escorts or hiring escorts is pretty much the same as PMO, in all respects except you are paying for a live version of it.
I tends to be just as addicting, is a drain on your finances, and is still something you are doing in isolation from society, one that you would likely not be proud to disclose to your friends and family, and it'll probably leave you in that same depressed, lonely place post-climax cuz the escort is all business, she'll objectify herself for your money (which she might just be doing out of desperation too), and she'll objectify you and provide for a shallow substitute to what a real relationship is.

I personally had the same problem , except I did end up "hiring" them, I put that in quote because thankfully I didn't do anything with them, didn't even go to a room or whatever (except once but still managed to say no and get out), just put a hole in my wallet.

2) Yes masturbation for me is as problematic as P, Even only MOing gave me the same anxiety, migraine, depressed disconnect, and unrealness as PMO, or Edging to P.
So for me, only hard mode makes me "normal" over time.

 

Hello. Well, I agree with Demon here, masturbation sets your counter back because is one of the acts one should avoid, not forgetting escorts, of course. Precisely all is a "combo" because is very difficult someone could watch porn and not fall into masturbation sooner or later, one thing takes to the other, and then go back to porn again in this time consuming brain-smashing disease. Maybe the escorts thing is one of the justifications one builds when dealing with this addiction:
"I can watch porn and no harm" False;
"I can masturbate and since it is no porn involved, no harm" False;
"I can pay an escort and that is not porn" False, is all related.


Difficult to cope with this? Sure, ask me about it (I have been deeply involved in escorts hiring; casual dating and sex, etc), but believe me, the effort pays by itself (I was clean for over a year but an excess of self-confidence dragged me back to the basement again. Here I am in the fight once more).

That is my opinion.

 

...Well, let me tell you what I think of this: (from my perspective, being married for over 28 years now).

I am quite active sexually speaking from a very early age; once married and after many years, due to certain factors my wife and I began to drift apart in sex matters (we are still together and love each other --otherwise you can not bear the other person and vice-versa--. Then I thought I could have both lives: a married man, husband and father, and escort hiring, porn, sexual dating etc...The problem is I preferred these to my wife and that worsened everything. Masturbation did not help my marriage; then if you are married I recommend to stick to your wife; if you are not, well, that may change things a little.... if contention at 100% is something you could not achieve, then holding as much as possible could help to control the instinct (I personally think is very difficult to be "clean" forever, but refraining from an uncontrolled habit/addiction is a victory by itself).

 

Yes, the better of your actions is not to hire any escort... good for both. Keep on that. I would say you rebooted, yes, but try hard to be better each time. Congrats!