My blueprint on quitting porn (Hope it works!)

A sound plan! Best of luck and progress in the upcoming days and months!

 

Awesome!!! You can do it.

 

Sounds great. Just like you, I also like to write down some rules and putting them to a place that I can see everyday. There were times that I even stood in front of that piece of paper and read it out loud (thus making a commitment) every morning. Keep going!

 

Good ideas! Like you, I made some pretty strict rules for myself, including severely downgrading my phone. You mentioned installing blockers on your laptop and blocking Google. Curious what software or apps you're using?

Also, bonus points for using word usage "multitudinous" and "enervation". High five!

 

Planning any major change in your life is smart. For months, I've been planning on setting up internet restrictions that best suite me. I set up MM Guardian (content filtering browser) on my phone. I wrote down a long, numerical password, logged in and then threw away the password. So my phone is set to block porn. I haven't viewed any porn for a month. That's good, but it could be better. As an addict, I found an excuse/workaround/cop out and my behavior is still unhealthy. Too late into my plan, I realized I could just jack off to images and videos of sexy models. So the porn filter isn't enough and I am now planning more filtering so I don't access the sexy models on instagram and youtube. Im geting a new phone and restricting apps like youtube and instagram. It sucks to have to sacrifice those apps, but it will be worth it, in the long run. It's been a pain in the ass in some ways, because MM guardian blocks websites which I could use, for example, Craigslist. Also, whenever a friend of mine, sends a text or facebook message directing me to a link, the MM guardian browser disables the link. Exercising willpower is the noble and macho thing to do and it's really good for me and healthy. At the decade long addiction i'm in, I cant afford to trust my willpower and am betting on these filters to help. Kind of like a newly sober alcoholic cannot be around alcohol for a few months and eventually can get comfortable, over time, being around it. I'm cautious to rely on willpower alone, this early in my sobriety. After I set up more appropriate filters, I can go from relapse, to reset. uggh. Not ideal but that's where I'm at. I might even do these push ups and cold showers, eventually.

 

Relying on willpower IS futile, because half of your will still wants porn, that's why you relapse. Relying on blockers is just as futile, believe me. All you're telling yourself by installing this stuff is that you don't trust yourself. It's fighting symptoms instead of curing the disease. It may give you a feeling of security at times, but as soon as the monster comes out to play, hungry for porn, it will do anything to try and find loopholes. And it will find them, because there are plenty.
You need to change what porn means to you. As long as it's this amazing thing that you're not supposed to have because it's bad, you'll relapse. You have to become fed up with what porn offers, you have to get to the point where you can look at porn and you don't want to jerk off to it because it's not even remotely worth it.
But if you're installing blockers you're telling yourself "I love porn, it really turns me on, so I better not look at it or I won't be able to stop myself!" It's just a matter of time before you relapse again. We hunt relentlessly for the things we truly want, remember that. If a part of you still really wants porn, you'll get it.

 

I have to disagree. Blockers are extremely helpful, especially within the first year. Seems to me you're saying willpower is futile, blockers are futile, but essentially rewiring your brain and relationship with porn is what works. I would just have to ask you how do you plan on getting to that point? Seems to me it would just be willpower for a long time. In my opinion, you need everything. Blockers, willpower, community, accountability, new healthy hobbies, change of diet, etc. And you'll eventually get to the point to where you don't view it the same anymore. Took my brother a year of doing all of that and staying clean to start to view porn differently. Saying we can do it with willpower alone is the very thing that got us here to begin with, that is an inflated ego. Thinking we always have control.