Is there a benefit to not PMO'ing after watching porn?

I went on 13 day streaks, 17 days streaks, etc. in the past where I would also get into a habit of edging. What happened was the same as you described. I felt as if I should just go through the cycle rather than edge for hours.

But that is particularly why I failed. I gave up. I said “it would be more damaging to keep edging.” And I was right, but the answer wasn’t to end my streak. It was to do the hard thing, and put down the phone, and get a grip on myself and to stop edging.

Even last night, I got to the point after edging where my mind beckoned me to O. “You’ve already gone this far. It’s not natural. Go and O.”

But I didn’t, and instead, sat on my porch, looked off into the distance, and really though about the struggle, and what I needed to do, which was the right thing, not the easy thing. As of today, I can still say that I’m going strong. Day 39 of retention, and I feel great.

 

That is ideally better of course. Mentally preparing yourself before might be good thing as well. I've done this at times, having days I am very tested and choosing to MO rather than struggle and eventually PMO. It seemed to work in the moment, but in the long run it never seemed to helped me with sobriety


I am just trying to outline my thought process for when you catch yourself "out in the mire". It can happen quickly sometimes out of habit, other times the addict brain slowly draws with a siren call and you don't course correct, and then eventually you slip...

It's those moments that I am talking to. too often I have a lot of potential of my day hijacked by my addict tendencies. I suppose even then one could walk away from the computer to MO, which would be slightly better, more intentioned.

I've done that a number of times as well. Well, usually I'd just go back to something productive or to bed. If in that scenario where you are already hours in, perhaps that is better, but the bulk of the damage is already done. That prolonged dopamine experience is what makes it a compulsive addiction. Not that the O makes it any better. I am just trying to point out an argument to try and get yourself out early before it turns into a binge. It seems, for me at least, putting too much value on not 'O'ing leaves me in the trap. My addict mind doesn't have a good track record of getting out of the sewage before an O, so to me it seems better just give that up and get out. I think it's a way to contain the damage. As it stands, I am convinced edging is far more detrimental to the brain than something that you break away from in 5 minutes.

 

It is extremely hard to do but if you can do it, it would be preferable. Be prepared for an intense withdrawal and chaser effect though. That's my opinion haha

 

Either you want to quit or you don't want to quit. There's no middle ground compromise of edging, peeking, or orgasming IMO. If you want to quit, the entirety of PMO has to go. You don't sound like you want to quit, you want to find a way to enjoy one and not the other, but I don't believe you will, as one will always lead to the other. As a former addict who wasted double digit years staying in the middleground, it will send you back to relapsing Everytime. Either you quit all 3 or deep down your not serious about quitting at all.