It takes 35.6 weeks of abstinence to cure your brain

NCK · Apr 29, 2020

Fenix Rising said: ↑

I finally found some reliable science study how long does it take to regrowth your grey matter volume to base line or above after being addicted for long time.

It takes 35.6 weeks of abstinence on average (range 26.4–44.9, sd 6.2). With 26.4 weeks in the best case scenario on 44.9 weeks in the worst cases.

Study was done on alcohol, cocaine and heroin groups but according to authors almost the same brain's grey matter changes where observed with people who have compulsive behavior addictions (sex, porn, gambling, overeating disorders)

So we have a timeline guys 250 days on average (185-314 days). We should be aiming for 314 just to be sure.

The very, very good news is that the study shows that we can grow grey matter volume way above baseline (giving us even more self control than control group) if we continue with abstention past these dates.

Weeks of abstinence.
Table 2) were observed to show positive correlations with weeks of abstinence, that is grey matter volume in these regions increased with abstinence. These included left insula, left and right cingulate gyri, the left cuneus, left and right superior frontal gyri, left culmen of the cerebellum, and the right middle temporal gyrus. As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, in each of these regions, those CD users with shorter periods of abstinence show less GM than controls. Those who were abstinent longer show greater GM volumes than controls. The cross-over point from relatively smaller to relatively greater volumes was quite consistent across all regions, averaging 35.6 weeks of abstinence (range 26.4–44.9, sd 6.2). Three regions (see Table 2) were observed to display negative correlations with length of abstinence. These included regions in bilateral cuneus and one in the left precuneus. In these regions, on average 24.2 weeks of abstinence (range 18.5–27.6, sd 5.0) passed before the level of GM equaled that of controls and then declined further with increased periods of abstinence.

Here's URL to full study:
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0059645

It makes you wonder where 90 days reboot timeline came from. Probably from habit forming timeline (66 day +-14 days) trials but applying habit breaking/forming timeline to addicted brain is complete bullshit.
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Thanks for sharing this. It's great to know that our brains can recover from all the harm.

Newbiezzz · May 3, 2020

ZenAF said: ↑

Thanks for posting. I have to differentiate a bit though. The study is focused on grey matter volume. But just because you've regrown the grey matter doesn't necessarily mean that you've cured yourself of your addiction.
But it's a nice encouragement to know we can mend the damage that we've done.
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Yeah you would be cured. Because humans are not some spiritual beings, we are biological forms and everything you think,believe,like,dislike,hate,love is the neurological interactions between nerves. Believe in science, not your ego.

stayHard · May 3, 2020

@Fenix Rising thanks for this post
Could you let me know that I am on day 28 still sometimes is going great but what behaviour I developed thourgh porn looking at girls women as only a object of sex I goes away , the problems is when I see some girl I imagine myself for a sex chance with her that is really distrubing for me , however in these days I am controlling my urges it's fine but my brains reacts as same way as it is before when I using porn and masturbation.
Always thinking about my fantasies desires with a women for a sex but still I vargin never had a sex i know what behaviour I cultivated I my brain is only through porn , but is comming as before that is really akward
I just want that my brain to be heal properly for my upcoming days I want be to get cure from all this shit what I had done thousands of loss I had did for my brain but could be all gets noraml.

Fallacious D · May 3, 2020

I would be careful about taking a single study as gospel. You could run into the ecological fallacy where you assume that because something is true for the average person in the population, then it must be true for every individual in that population. However, any research is good research, so I'm glad we are starting to get some facts on our side.

Deleted Account · Aug 9, 2021

Thank you for sharing this wonderful scentific report. Now I believe that 90 days of rebooting is not enough for an addicted brain. My previous streak was 95 days and yeah... it wasn't enough to break this addiction.

I need at least 314 days to recover based on this post's information.

365 days huh! Go beyond.

Targaryenn · Sep 8, 2021

314 days is not so much, so let's go to do this!

Spartan1998 · Sep 11, 2021

Nice post thank you

iwillnevergiveup · Sep 15, 2021

Yeah it true, I relapsed at day 160 4 months ago, that's hurt. Around day 140, I thought my brain was heal so I learned coding and painfully relapsed 3 weeks later. I still cannot explain how study lead me to relapse.

Selfdiscovery · Sep 19, 2021

Fenix Rising said: ↑

It's crazy that modern science has confirmed what ancient "yogies" have already known for thousands of years.
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That's what the reality is,never doubted !
Yogis has told to do "Ashwini Mudra" some 5000 years ago,but recently some guy has name it as "Kegel Exercise" and said it's he who discovered this.Thats not fair.

We must believe what ancient scriptures says and it's well proven.Now every now and then it's getting authenticity of so called modern science ,the science & technology which has really messed the balance of this planet.

You got it perfect @Fenix Rising. And whatever work you have done here at Nofap is really amazing.Thabks for this thread and many others started by you.

FrequencyLimbos · Sep 20, 2021

Fenix Rising said: ↑

I finally found some reliable science study how long does it take to regrowth your grey matter volume to base line or above after being addicted for long time.

It takes 35.6 weeks of abstinence on average (range 26.4–44.9, sd 6.2). With 26.4 weeks in the best case scenario on 44.9 weeks in the worst cases.

Study was done on alcohol, cocaine and heroin groups but according to authors almost the same brain's grey matter changes where observed with people who have compulsive behavior addictions (sex, porn, gambling, overeating disorders)

So we have a timeline guys 250 days on average (185-314 days). We should be aiming for 314 just to be sure.

The very, very good news is that the study shows that we can grow grey matter volume way above baseline (giving us even more self control than control group) if we continue with abstention past these dates.

Weeks of abstinence.
Table 2) were observed to show positive correlations with weeks of abstinence, that is grey matter volume in these regions increased with abstinence. These included left insula, left and right cingulate gyri, the left cuneus, left and right superior frontal gyri, left culmen of the cerebellum, and the right middle temporal gyrus. As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, in each of these regions, those CD users with shorter periods of abstinence show less GM than controls. Those who were abstinent longer show greater GM volumes than controls. The cross-over point from relatively smaller to relatively greater volumes was quite consistent across all regions, averaging 35.6 weeks of abstinence (range 26.4–44.9, sd 6.2). Three regions (see Table 2) were observed to display negative correlations with length of abstinence. These included regions in bilateral cuneus and one in the left precuneus. In these regions, on average 24.2 weeks of abstinence (range 18.5–27.6, sd 5.0) passed before the level of GM equaled that of controls and then declined further with increased periods of abstinence.

Here's URL to full study:
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0059645

It makes you wonder where 90 days reboot timeline came from. Probably from habit forming timeline (66 day +-14 days) trials but applying habit breaking/forming timeline to addicted brain is complete bullshit.
Click to expand...

my brain hurts just trying to understand this.

FrequencyLimbos · Sep 20, 2021

Fenix Rising said: ↑

That's very true unfortunately. From what I've read there is scientific debate if addiction neuropathway once deeply enrooted in brain can be ever completely erased and most of the evidence suggest neuroplacticity can do only so much, if you've been long term addict. Meaning that you can abandon your neurological pathway (look at it as a highway if in long use) through abstention and develop new neuropath (alternate behavior) absent of compulsive behavior, which too will grow from narrow path to highway over the years if alternative behavior is repeated consistently, BUT still your old highway although weakened and abandoned will still stay fully funcional. If you chose to repeat PMO behavior years later, you're in grave danger of reopening it in an instant. That's why we'll have to stay vigillant for the rest of our lives. It's the same reason as to why long term alcoholic can't become social drinker or drug addict recreational user. That's not 100 % true, as some people are exceptions to this findings, but these are extremely rare cases.
Click to expand...

nice to know through no fault of my own, being an innocent 10 y/o i now have a shittier, harder life with this brain tumour of an addiction.

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