How do I know that I have fully recovered and my brain has recovered from porn addiction?

First let me say the following is all my opinions. I'm not an expert in addiction or psychology but have formed my opinions based on some research and experience.

I don't know that you ever fully recover from an addiction. In the beginning you'll be fighting urges and the desire to continue the addiction and watch porn but if you resist that temptation, the need to fuel the addiction will fade away. I think that you know your brain is recovering when you feel the desire to watch porn fading away and you think less about it. And it may happen without you even realizing it. For example in the beginning of a NoFap streak I know that I am still thinking about porn and have to actively try to avoid it. Many times I find myself sitting at the computer and getting ready to look a video up to watch and have to remind myself not to do it. I have to actively remind myself to avoid porn when starting a new streak. But after a while, maybe 7 days or 2 weeks or whatever timeframe, I'm thinking less about porn, and have fewer moments where I sit at the computer. It becomes something I think less about and I think that is a sign of my brain and body recovering from the addiction. But in the back of my mind I still have to be aware of the triggers or things I would do that might lead to a relapse. But at that point in time I should have the tools to know and avoid those triggers.

I also don't think when you are trying to quit porn and doing NoFap, that at some point whether it's 30, 60, or 90 days or whatever timeline that you magically wake up one morning and are a different person. You have to take steps to improve your life and implement the changes you want in your life. Just quitting porn may lead to some improvement but also make other changes in your life. Ever wanted to join a sports team? Do that. Ever wanted to study a new subject? Go take a class. Want to lose weight? Join a gym. When starting NoFap you're actively trying to improve your life, so why not apply some effort to changing the other aspects of your life you don't like? For me, when I get on good streaks, I notice the changes are subtle and sometimes I don't even know they are happening. For example, when I am on a good streak, I notice I become more outgoing and social. Maybe that starts to happen around day 7 but by day 30 or 60 now it's just part of who I am. Would the change seem drastic? No because it happened over time. But if analyze my life before and after starting NoFap I would notice the change. I also keep a journal so I can go back and read things and notice the changes that happened over time.

 

I've been in recovery for about 6 years now and in my opinion, I agree with @I_Am_Strong_54 in that there is no "cure" for this, or any other addiction. There is always more work to be done. To me, it's like a Christian man saying that he's "arrived" and can't do anything to be more holy. That's a load of crap.

 

I can only speak for myself, so for me, the anwer is no. I do not believe there will ever be a time, at least in this life, where I will no longer be tempted to watch porn or look at attractive women lustfully. With time and a lot of hard work, it will get easier to not lust, but no, I don't ever see that desire be taken from be completely. There is no cure, no end, and no solution. Only fighting it.

 

The urge to watch porn definitely has lessened for me on this journey. I’m on day 153 and it 100% isn’t even a thought or a desire to watch anymore when it use to be very frequently! It’s definitely the brain rebalancing and pruning those synapses out that were created from the high dopamine stimulus that porn is and why it’s so damaging for us.

 

completely agree. The urge to want to get with attractive women will always be there and it should be! Means you’re a healthy red blooded man! The problem is putting that urge to watching porn! Put it out in the real world to get with actual women! That’s how I look at it and why porn screws us all up because our brain thinks we’re getting actual women but in reality they’re on a screen :/

 

I don't think I'd like to get into a therapy session here. All I'm saying is that for me personally, death is the only permanent escape from addiction, regardless of whether that addiction is alcohol, drugs, lust, food, or whatever. Also, in my opinion, if someone believes in themself and figures out what they want, that does almost nothing to work against an addiction. This is not something that can be defeated by simply going to a self-improvement seminar or watching a couple videos. This is a disease, and it is hard-wired into our brains, usually because of some former trauma or experience, and it NEEDS to be fought with professional help. Kirk Franklin once said that he was into porn all the time, and when I say all the time, I mean when he had 5 minutes off stage during a concert, he went and looked at porn as much as he could during that little break. He said awhile after that time that he no longer has any desire to look at porn because of the work he has done to fight that addiction. Well I've been in recovery for 6 years now and I've never seen or heard of anyone finally "arriving" and being "cured" of their addiction to lust/porn/sex. I've been to big city meetings and workshops about sex addiction and heard a LOT of people speak about this addiction and it has never happened to anyone I've met or heard about. If Kirk Franklin insists that he's been cured, well I can't tell anyone what Kirk's inner thoughts are obviously, but again, I've never seen anyone or heard about anyone being cured, but I've seen a lot of people leave their accountability groups saying they don't need to go anymore and they go back to their addiction.

 

So, when I say that there is no cure, I absolutely do not mean that there is no way to be porn free, or that there is no way for us to find joy in life. I just mean that the desire to lust will always be there, at least to some extent. The longer we fight this addiction and the more effort we out into it, the more that desire will fade, it just won't go away completely until we die. And obviously, that's just my opinion.

 

this is so right. I have to agree with you on this. That's because the basics of our problem lies in our very own nature as humans. If there wasn't any internet P, we'd all bond with a female we like and do what natures requires of us. But p*rn comes in and hacks that system. The subconscious brain think it's seeing real women and watching their pleasures feed the dopamine reward even more. Our brains truly think the pixels are real in some way ...

 

We’re never going to be “cured” but the bad symptoms can be put in remission

 

I am day 141 without any PMO and since October 2023 with no PMO binges

I am still in PAWS and in flatline.

It all depends how old you are and how long you were in the grips of the active addiction.

It is not uncommon for people to flatline for 2 years

 

the only point i can share is the mind going to be recover as soon you see any kind of violence, sensual images or videos and you feel like i dont want to see this is disgusting. that is the main point where you are going back to your originar self or inocent self or however you want to call it

 

Agreed. The biggest damage of PMO is our mind and thats where the biggest healing comes from