Hi, this is a bit of an introduction to me as I join this community. I am Sam, and I have been suffering from a porn addiction since I was around fourteen / fifteen. I kept going back to porn and masturbation, it made me feel so great, but afterwards I felt awful and I fell into a reclusive depression. I decided to join university, to meet real people and just get out in a new environment. There I met my beautiful girlfriend who I have been with ever since, at first I thought that being with her would help me get out of watching porn and self-masturbation but I kept finding myself going back, sometimes I didn't even know why, sometimes I didn't even enjoy the experience of watching porn and masturbating and I was wondering why I was even doing it. Recently I started a journey where I would not self-masturbate for as long as I can, I don't want to set an unrealistic goal, like one year... I started with a day, and I have passed that, now I am doing one week, then one month, then 6 months, then one year. I think it will be better if I am gradual, taking things step by step. So, I am on day three without masturbation or watching porn. It has been the hardest day so far I think, I was surfing through YouTube and there are click bait thumbnails with beautiful women, wearing quite revealing clothing and I am trying to block that out. I will keep this thread updated, if you have any support or advice I would really appreciate it.
Hi Sam & welcome! I recommend you read through The Glossary^. Pay special attention to the chaser effect which explains why the first few days after you cum can be difficult and the risk of a slip ups is high. Another tricky day can be the seventh (after you cum), when your testosterone levels are at their peak. You are wise to set incremental goals - that is tried and tested. It sounds like you need to clear your YouTube History. I say that because I do not get any of the thumbnails you describe.
Oh, OK Sam. I have never seen that. Well see how you go. If they are enough to trigger urges you cannot control, you will have to consider your YouTube use. Some that are vulnerable to such things have stopped using it for a temporary period (i.e. a few months) so they can flex their self-control muscles. These things are a matter of personal choice and judgment.
In YouTube if you run the cursor over a video suggestion (the screenshot or title) then some dots will appear to the right of the video's title, like this ⁝ . Click the dots, and "Not interested" will appear, then click that. Basically, do that with any video that is triggering in any way. Keep doing it and YouTube will get much safer. You have to be signed in to YouTube to do this. But you don't have to keep signing in, just don't sign out and don't open YouTube in a private window.
