NoFap week 3 and watching kissing scenes

It’s understandable to crave romance.

When I was deepest in my addiction, I would spend enormous amounts of time and energy on online dating sites, looking for romance.

but then not finding it led me to PMO for hours every night. Each day I would start out wanting romance, but end with porn and masturbation.

Will watching kissing scenes and wanting romance, but not getting it, lead to porn? Chances are, it won’t lead to actual romance. Maybe try giving up the kissing scenes for awhile??

 

Yea, I'm going to have to agree with TenPercent on this one. You need to define Pornography and erotica. Looking at definitions, pornography is anything erotic and arousing. You, simply want to arouse your taste for love and romance, and though it may not lead to PMO, it's like you are only sitting at the doorstep! You weaken your defenses. And now, this is all coming from a guy's perspective, but an addiction is an addiction whether male or female.

You are at the stage where you're looking for counterfeit versions of what you've lost. An alcoholic addiction quitting at week three might find himself chewing 8 packs of gum a day because the gum has Alchohol Sugar (a real thing!) of 1%, and he craves it! Will he get drunk? no. Will this lead to him getting back into alcohol? very highly possible. and no, 8 packs of gum a day is not impossible, stop doubting my hypothetical.

A recovering (insert drug) addict may find himself 3-4 weeks in and find anything in his house that has 0.9% of the drug he needs, and he'll go crazy over that stuff. This isn't uncommon and actually leads to more harm than good. Now back to your example, watching kissing scenes. Lots of Porn scenes use kissing scenes. You start with youtube, then who knows? 5 clicks later ( that's all it takes) and you're on the local porn site getting deep into kissing and porn, and boom you are back into what you've gained so well.


TL;DR, Best to stay away. Just don't play with snake's tails.

 

I think it's very counter productive and if I did that I would consider that edging. Can't relate a 100% if you say thats not arousing for you to watch.

 

All you can do is notice these desires, not act on them and feel uncomfortable. It’s the process of withdrawal. It will get better over time. That big empty space inside you, that you filled with porn and romantic fantasies, will fill in … eventually … with healthier things like friendships, activities and peace.

 

It is counterproductive to watch the kissing scenes as you are fulfilling a craving close to porn. It sounds like you are withdrawing and seeking out "lesser" forms of stuff. This happened to me as well. If we don't act on the cravings we teach ourselves that we don't need whatever they promise, and they reduce.

Your desire for romance is a healthy one. Time to start seeking that in a healthy way.