Is intermittent porn use more damaging than daily use?

I personally don't think it is more damaging. But I am now starting to believe that intermittent porn use is more exciting and thrilling than daily use.

Let me just give another example with an alcoholic or a heavy drinker. I have experienced this many times before. So someone who has issues with alcohol, who is drinking every day or nearly everyday. But the thing is when you are drinking like this on a daily basis you aren't all that thrilled or excited by the alcohol. I guess you are doing it because the alcohol has more of a grip of you. But then if someone like this stops drinking alcohol completely for a few weeks, a month, a few months. What ends up happening is the thought of drinking becomes very exciting. Much more exciting than when you are drinking on a daily basis.

But I mean are you really telling me that someone who is heavily drinking everyday that this is better than someone who doesn't drink alcohol at all, and then once every few weeks or months they drink and get a bit drunk?

Are you really telling me its better to drink alcohol and get drunk nearly every day as apposed to drinking and getting drunk once every few weeks or months?

I think it's obvious that it's going to be far more damaging to drink heavily every day or every other day as apposed to drinking every once in a while.

So how is porn use any different? I believe chronically PMOing every day or every other day is clearly much worse than doing it every once in a while.

Although like I mentioned from my own experience what I have realised is doing it every once in a while really seems to make it much more exciting to me. I actually get much more excited at the anticipation leading up to when I am going to get porn and artificial sexual stimulation. Usually after I have got it I get bored of it quite quickly.

Basically because of the way I have restricted myself, getting rid or devices, and then having my laptop blocked up beyond belief, porn and artificial sexual stimulation is seriously forbidden fruit to me, that is locked away behind a gate that I can't get passed the majority of the time. But then from time to time I plan in advance about getting this porn and artificial sexual stimulation, needing to wait for a week until I can access it, and then when I can get it I only have it for 2-3 hours before it is completely blocked again.

I do believe it is overall better that most days I am not on any porn or artificial sexual stimulation. Maybe between 1-2 days of the months for a few hours each time ending up on it. Then the rest of the month being completely clean from it.

But I do admit the way I seem to be doing it does seem to make it much more exciting. It's quite sad but it's almost as if it gives me something to look forward to. But then the anticipation leading up to getting it is actually more exciting than when I actually do get it.

 

Remember if you are not getting streaks that are consistently longer than a month before you end up back on porn then you are intermittently using porn also.

Based on this research, scientists have concluded that everyday consumption of say cocaine, alcohol, cigarettes, or junk food is not necessary to generate addiction-related brain changes. Intermittent bingeing can do the same thing as continuous use, and in some cases do more.

A couple of words in there. It CAN do the same thing as continuous use, and in SOME cases do more.

It can do the same thing means it has the potential to do the same thing. It doesn't mean it always does the same thing. In some cases means it sometimes happens, not it always happens.

It's not written it ALWAYS does the same thing as continuous use, and in MOST cases does more.

This is also only covering addiction. There is other harms of alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, junk food, and heavy PMO use apart from addiction. The physical and mental health harms.

I no longer get withdrawal symptoms. I went through severe withdrawal on and off that lasted easily over a year, probably longer, and sometimes it was severe. I was a very heavy chronic PMO user for nearly a decade. I'm talking having heavy multiple hour long edging and binging sessions on it, and this going on most days for about a decade, and even the days I wasn't binging on it I was still using it to some extent. I doubt there would of been much days over the course of a decade that I wasn't using it to some extent, and most of the time it was edging and binging.

I can tell you from first hand experience what I feel worse with. Occasionally ending up on porn and artificial sexual stimulation now and again, so maybe on average once or twice a month vs chronically edging and binging on it near enough every single day for about a decade. Look there's no contest in the difference with how I feel now compared to how I used to feel. I used to have such bad mental health problems for so many years that I felt like I needed to check in to a mental ward, and I mainly put this down to the way I was chronically edging and binging on PMO for about a decade. It took me nearly two years to improve my mental health, and the only thing I really changed was my usage of PMO.

I admit that I do feel like the porn and artificial sexual stimulation does somewhat have a hold of me, as I do want to go back to it from time to time. But basically no more binging, and feeling much better mentally. PIED has significantly improved to the point a lot of the time I question wither or not I even have PIED anymore.

Also if what you believe is true, then this literally means any guy that has a slip and ends up back on porn and artificial sexual stimulation if they aren't getting streaks longer than a month is doing the same or more damage than someone who is continuously using it.

I certainly don't believe that. The same way I don't believe someone who drinks a bottle of vodka once a month is doing the same or more damage than someone who drinks a bottle of vodka every day. Drinking a bottle of vodka every day is clearly doing much more damage. Smoking 40 cigarettes every day is doing much more damage than smoking a few cigarettes once a month. Eating junk food every day is doing much more damage than eating junk food once a month. PMOing every day is doing much more damage than PMOing once a month.

 

I didn't say that I wasn't addicted. I admit I still have issues with it, and I do struggle to stop it altogether.

What I said was my behaviour on it is no where near as bad as what it used to be and I feel way better for this.

In truth more guys probably use porn and artificial sexual stimulation to some extent these days compared to those who don't use it at all, who never use it. Believe it or not but there is some guys who use it now and again and it doesn't affect their life all that much, or even at all. They're still in a sexual relationship with a woman, they still have a job, they still engage in many other healthy activities. But very occasionally they end up on porn and artificial sexual stimulation.

I don't really believe you can say you're an addict if you can't stop it forever. Is every single person in the world an addict who drinks alcohol? Some occasionally might have a few glasses of wine with their dinner and it's not so much a problem for them, it doesn't negatively affect their life. But imagine you said to them stop drinking forever, never put alcohol in your mouth again or you are clearly an addict. It's not actually true.

The same goes for porn. Yes there is many addicts on porn, myself included probably. But there is many guys who's behaviour on it for the most part has not been addict behaviour. Some guys have mainly always used it in a way where they have ended up on it for 5-10 minutes now and again, and it hasn't affected their life negatively in anyway. You can't say to someone like that if you can't stop using it altogether forever then you're clearly an addict. The same way you can't say to someone who drinks moderately very occasionally if you can't stop drinking forever then you're clearly an addict.

A lot of people use addictive substances occasionally who are not actually addicts.

The way you speak is if anyone uses an addictive substance in anyway then they're an addict. It's not actually true.

 

The thing is anyone who doesn't get a streak longer than a month away from porn and artificial sexual stimulation is intermittently using porn. So I see you have 68 days clean and that is great, well done. But if any guy has a slip and uses porn for 5 minutes after say a 3 weeks streak for example, they have actually intermittently used porn.

How many guys fall in to that category?

 

I agree I probably should stop occasionally planning to go on porn and artificial sexual stimulation. I think it's because after a few weeks or month of literally not seeing anything like that I get to a point I really want to see it. I somewhat forget how bad it is. But even recently when I have ended up on it it's not seemed as bad for some reason. It's not felt as damaging as it used to.

It's also because of the way my blockers work. Planning it in advance is the only way I can ever get it.

It probably is quite bad on my part. As when a lot of guys have a slip, they probably end up doing it in the moment, in a moment of weakness. Where as when I am doing it, I am literally planning to do it a week in advance, and letting it count down until I can get it.

 

I think what is happening with me is I am not using it compulsively anymore, or no where near as compulsively as I used to because of the system I have in place. Getting rid of devices and having many different configurations on my laptop. These days when I allow porn and artificial sexual stimulation I only allow it between 1-3 hours, and then I need to wait 7 days until I can get it, and then after these 1-3 hours it automatically blocks again. Then if I wanted it again I would need to wait another 7 days. But I usually go much longer than that. Usually between 2-4 weeks. Even when I get it for 1-3 hours I don't even binge on it anywhere near like the way I used to. I am usually done much quicker and I am not on it for the entire 1-3 hours. Like I said I don't enjoy it anywhere near as much as I used to.

So actually when I am ending up on it these days I am using it much more moderately, and it is not resulting in me returning to my old edging and binging behaviour.

But if I wasn't as restricted and didn't have this system in place then yes I do believe it would eventually result in me returning to my old very destructive behaviour.

I suppose it's kind of similar to an alcoholic who is maybe living in some type of rehab facility, and once or twice a month a close relative is able to take them out, and once or twice a month this close relative allows them to drink maybe a 4 pack of beer, but that's it at most. I would say the system I have in place for porn and artificial sexual stimulation is somewhat similar to that. With that system the alcoholic is actually drinking very moderately now and again, and isn't returning to their old destructive binging behavior to the point it is destroying their life. With the system I have in place I am not returning to my old destructive edging and binging behaviour.

I guess this is kind of what is happening..

Overall still not the best system though because the alcoholic is still getting a taste of the alcohol from time to time, keeping the addiction alive, even though it isn't really negatively affecting them so much for the time being. Then with the system I have in place I am still getting a taste of the porn and artificial sexual stimulation from time to time, keeping the addiction alive, even though it isn't really negatively affecting me all that much for the time being.

I guess I somewhat see it like that.

But clearly the biggest risk for an addict trying to use moderately is the fact that they will likely end up returning to their old destructive binging behaviour. But as I said that is not what is happening with me.

The only reason I really plan on returning to porn and artificial sexual stimulation for short periods of time now and again these days is because I don't really have much else going on in my life at the moment, and that is more due to the covid restrictions. There is literally hardly much to do day in day out. The weather is also terrible outside and everywhere is closed, and I am in somewhat of a lockdown. It's sad but allowing the porn for short periods of time now and again gives me something to look forward to.

I would honestly say this is the main reason I am ending up on it these days. Because there is hardly anything else to do or to really look forward to.

 

That is basically never happening with me now. Those long edging and binging sessions.

Lets face it what do we all think after we have relapsed once, after we have ejaculated? We realise how much of a mistake it was and think to ourselves I'm not doing that again. But the thing is later on we are hit with the chaer effect, which actually causes us to PMO more.

What I have found recently is after one relapse after I have ejaculated my better thinking kicks in, and I block the porn and artificial sexual stimulation again, and then if I want to allow porn and artificial sexual stimulation again then I need to wait at least 7 days until I can get it again. But like I said I usually go much much longer than 7 days.

So actually these days I am now in a situation I am pretty much never ending up in a PMO binge, and lets face it we all know that is the most damaging thing.