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My new no-PMO reward system (Thoughts on this?)

Discussion in 'Rebooting - Porn Addiction Recovery' started by OntoANewLife, Feb 20, 2019.

  1. OntoANewLife

    OntoANewLife Fapstronaut

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    First off let me just say that I've been attempting no PMO for 8 months now, and my longest streak to date has been 51 days. Since then it seems like I haven't really been able to keep a streak past 3 weeks, so I've devised a new "reward system" where during the first week of my streak, I have what I call "level one" goals. This covers areas such as physical fitness, mental health, nutrition, etc. I refer to these as level one goals to ensure I'm making this process gradual, and I'm not trying to change too much at once. (I.e. my physical fitness goal for this week was to take a 20-30 minute walk every day).

    These level one goals are for days 1-6. I've kept true to them every day this week, and tomorrow will be day 7, or what I call my "reward" day. Here's the kicker. My reward for this process is smoking marijuana. Not by myself, in a social situation. Every 7th day I'm going to hang out with friend(s) and do something eventful, while smoking weed beforehand. The reason I'm not smoking alone is because I know how marijuana can affect libido and produce an aphrodisiac effect, trust me I've experienced it.

    Something marijuana also does for me is put me in a clear headspace. It allows me to think about things from a clear and honest point of view. I want to take that smoking time too as a chance to evaluate how the week went, what parts of my process I think I can tweak, and I'm also going to construct some "level two" goals for the upcoming week, and so on and so forth. On top of that as well, I do become sociable when I'm high. I'm not introverted, and I can carry conversation well, so I also look forward to that side of things.

    All in all, I think this system I set in place will be effective, and if I feel like smoking once per week is hindering my reboot, I can always stop. I went 3 months without smoking during this process prior, but I think smoking every now and then will help me better tackle this addiction.

    Thoughts?
     
    Pyara31 and soulrebel like this.
  2. celomezaque

    celomezaque New Fapstronaut

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    I liked your strategy.
    I'm on my 4th night today (nights alone are my problem).
    A reward system can make difference.
     
  3. soulrebel

    soulrebel Fapstronaut

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    Hey, i think it sounds good to be honest it is worth a try. We are different so the same things won't work for all of us. But if it works for you more power to you. Let us know how it goes though. Best of luck to you bro
     
  4. 4DCreator

    4DCreator Fapstronaut

    I know some "nice" people they smoke marihuana for years and they can't even speak properly. Good luck with your healthy reward.
     
  5. satellite07

    satellite07 Fapstronaut

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    I heard that marihuana can screw up your memory!
     
    FX-05 likes this.
  6. IR254

    IR254 Fapstronaut

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    I never smoked marijuana before, but I'm also not against it. I think you must have a close look on your overall health and on how it affects you mentally & physically. If you feel good, then there is nothing wrong with it I think. Maybe you shouldn't reward yourself as often as once a week. Maybe once every two weeks or once a month would be better. But since I have no first-hand experience with marijuana, I'm probably not the best person to make recommandations.

    Do what works for you. If you're doing good this way, then do it. If not, then don't.
     
  7. ImpureHuman

    ImpureHuman Fapstronaut

    Do what best for you. It's better not to plan everything in the beginning, Just add a new task with each passing weeks and make that to a habit.
    To your attention: please don't go to marijuana addiction stage and beyond. Please do NoFap for your better health and clear mind, not for a reward.
     
  8. bobross

    bobross Fapstronaut

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    I'd say the less stuff that messes with your brain chemistry, the better. Withdrawal already makes it a mess, beyond what it is from PMO. Just my two cents.
     
  9. safa61947

    safa61947 Fapstronaut

    Marijuana is a neuro depressant, and it gives you the impression that you're thinking clearer, it hinders your studies. Smoking pot interferes with the same brain parts that porn addiction, the dopamine reward system, and marijuana is addictive, so, you're basically trading an addiction for another.

    Besides, rewarding you every week smoking pot is way too much.

    This guy gets it.

    I smoked pot in the past, and the social part of it is what I miss the most. My former smoke partners are up to no good now. Basically failed in life.

    If you still insist on this idea of rewarding yourself with pot, make it once every 2 or 3 months, so it won't affect other parts of your life.
     
    Pyara31 and 4DCreator like this.
  10. OntoANewLife

    OntoANewLife Fapstronaut

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    I’m not going to debate all these different aspects of marijuana with you, but as someone who used to smoke it daily, I can tell you this.
    -It’s not in any way, shape or form addictive, as I gave up the stuff for three months during various PMO streaks. Those who do it occasionally exhibit no withdrawal, cravings, or increased tolerance. Worst that can happen is you can grow dependent on it, which is way different than an addiction.

    Also, I feel like when 7/10 of you guys on this forum hear the words “dopamine” and “release” put together you avoid it like it’s the plague. The #1 goal of all of this is to leave the porn behind, and rewire those neural pathways which have grown so prominent over time, not to not release any dopamine whatsoever.
     
  11. bobross

    bobross Fapstronaut

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    We're addicts, which means our dopamine levels are out of whack. The reason we (should) artificial dopamine sources is because it slows down the recovery, by quite a significant margin, and for a recovering addict, it's highly likely that instead of recovery, these sources will replace the original addiction. Any study in the field shows you this.
     
  12. OntoANewLife

    OntoANewLife Fapstronaut

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    Link to any of them? One that specifically details and explains the consequences of artifical dopamine sources and how it affects reboot?
     
  13. bobross

    bobross Fapstronaut

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  14. celomezaque

    celomezaque New Fapstronaut

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    Which worse: Marijuana or fap hahhahah
    Of course fap.
    If you are like me that in all 2018 smoked a big joint and go into that transgendered person hipnosys thats make you like transgirls inconsistently, thats a big problem hahaha
    But i'm fixing it
    Otherwise marijuana is not a problem.
    It's like alcohol, you can use in your home or you can use on work and other stuffs, you decide whats better
     
  15. Pyara31

    Pyara31 Fapstronaut

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    I agree with this gentleman above. You see, you said marijuana is in no way addictive as you went 3 months without it but then still came back to it right? The #1 thing on nofap here is different for different people but what I think most people want to give up are their bad habits and form new ones, not replace them with other temptations(in your case marijuana) no matter how much you think it won't effect you, it already has past by that moment, you will always keep coming back to it. Stuff like these interfere with the natural dopamine levels and give you fake high. Again I won't debate or anything like that as I have no experience whatsoever with myself but have read and seen about it in real life. However I loved your concept of "Level one" and successive progression, just that reward on day 7 is a little too much in my opinion too.
     
  16. OntoANewLife

    OntoANewLife Fapstronaut

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    Okay so that article talks about how people have a tendency to trade one addiction for another, and never discusses how transferring this addiction from one point to another will affect recovery from the initial condition.

    If I was planning on smoking every day and using it as some kind of new compulsive behavior to cope with the everyday struggles of withdrawal, then you might have a point using this source material. But the fact of the matter is it’s meant to serve as a once a week reward for another 6 days of implementing healthy routines and habits to help me leave the porn behind. Not to mention during those 6 days I’m still going through the bulk of withdrawal, which I think is another point you’re missing here.
     
  17. bobross

    bobross Fapstronaut

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    You trade an addiction for another, so you're still an addict, I'd say that can be seen as a negative impact on recovery, with the somewhat reasonable assumption that recovery qualifies as 'not being addicted anymore'.
    So, a reward, to look forward to, that alters brain chemistry, to give you something to look forward to every week until that sweet moment of release when you can have it? In the context of a brain with a messed up reward system...
     
  18. ImpureHuman

    ImpureHuman Fapstronaut

    Ahh. another debate,
    conflicting sentences to me.
     
  19. OntoANewLife

    OntoANewLife Fapstronaut

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    They would be if they were literal, but that first sentence was an “if” statement, a hypothetical.
     
  20. bobross

    bobross Fapstronaut

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    So, you agree that the whole idea is rather...well, crap? :p
     

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