How to handle stress on low dopamine level

I've been struggling with PMO for years. However, it was only last year that I became more serious and began to research various approaches to it - healing childhood wounds to prevent relapses, building self-esteem, various anti-stress methods (cold showers, meditation, workout, reading, listening to music, positive self-talk). However, sometimes a huge wave of an urge incapacitates me. My job constantly deliver me new sources of stress but at the same time I've been feeling stuck in it. But I don't want to talk about my job, which has to stay.

Some people advocate dopamine detox - abstaining from sugar or caffeine, no PMO, no p-subs, no music, no alcohol. So what is left? How can you lift your mood if you live a monk-like style? Of course, nothing can beat the effectiveness of PMO as a destruction and the "off" button for suffering.

It's easy to be smart when you are on a rising tide of streak. But life can come at you any time with a series of unexpected setbacks and then what? Workout can help me relieve initial phase of stress. But the bad feeling returns. I might take a nap. Of course, tackling the problem would be the approach but what if the problem is too complicated to be dealt with quickly or cannot be solved at all. You can try to accept it but if it is something you cannot accept (bad marriage, bulling, war).

For the time being healthy sources of dopamine don't give me any power to move on. Does it change when you are on a 90-day streak? Then why so many people relapse around day 90 or even later???

 

Exercise is OK. But I go along with you about games. They can kill my free time and bring nothing in return, like PMO.