No porn for 2 weeks

[whatevs]

Let's do this. I'm lonely, bored, desperate. What can go wrong if I get rid of a reliable coping mechanism?

I'll track the results here.

You think watching porn is irrelevant? At the very least it makes me feel bad about myself. I find it unethical in many cases, and as someone that think spirituality is real I don't think becoming hooked to recorded sex acts is particularly enlightening/helpful.

 

[Lebensunwertes]

Pornography is one of the many dopamine drugs which we have easy access to. I don't think abstaining from pornography or masturbation is going to clear your mind, strengthen your will and give you ability to see through walls like some lunatics claim, however I think it's simply a matter of controlling these things like you would control nicotine or alcohol consumption.

 

[whatevs]

I contend that being able to control your impulses should help in strengthening your will, it's only logical.

 

[Tortured_empath]

No porn forever. That is the goal for me. Seems impossible. Really a limiting addiction.

 

[whatevs]

No porn forever. That is the goal for me. Seems impossible. Really a limiting addiction.

Gotta start somewhere. Forever isn't realistic for now. I don't feel it as limiting, I just think it's worsening my mental state and I need to get rid of everything that harms me in the battle for meaning and contentment.

 

[Tortured_empath]

Gotta start somewhere. Forever isn't realistic for now. I don't feel it as limiting, I just think it's worsening my mental state and I need to get rid of everything that harms me in the battle for meaning and contentment.

Godspeed man. I can't do forever rn either. A healthy relationship to one's vices is the goal. But if I could, I would get rid of it from my life completely. Hopefully someday.

 

[Istanbulite]

Porn is for the weak minded. Make it ever.

edit: and watch this

 

[Cathy Ames]

Let's do this. I'm lonely, bored, desperate. What can go wrong if I get rid of a reliable coping mechanism?

I'll track the results here.

You think watching porn is irrelevant? At the very least it makes me feel bad about myself. I find it unethical in many cases, and as someone that think spirituality is real I don't think becoming hooked to recorded sex acts is particularly enlightening/helpful.

What is your actual plan [as in, "change your environment" and etc.]?

 

[whatevs]

What is your actual plan [as in, "change your environment" and etc.]?

I have no plan lol. Trying to at least get rid of things I know are affecting me negatively should help.

I'm taking CBD oil too. We'll see, it seems like another failure. I bought flowers too.

 

[Cathy Ames]

There is a lot of stuff available about giving up addictions/bad habits that is applicable to this (in my opinion). If you take some of those measures, it will make things easier on you and make it more likely for you to succeed than it will be if you simply try to gut it out by applying your willpower. I would guess that you already know this, but if you are talking about online stuff, there are browser extensions, apps, and similar measures you can use to temporarily block your access.

 

[CemetryGates]

Same for me mate,
Look at it this way with one evening porn session and a bunch of tabs open we can see more naked women than our ancestors did in lifetimes, stuff like that can't be helpful dopamine wise. I just wish there was a way I could reset my brain or go back to the point where I never saw porn.

Porn is for the weak minded. Make it ever.

edit: and watch this

Agree,
See also 'Your brain on porn' by Gary Wilson.

 

[whatevs]

Same for me mate,
Look at it this way with one evening porn session and a bunch of tabs open we can see more naked women than our ancestors did in lifetimes, stuff like that can't be helpful dopamine wise. I just wish there was a way I could reset my brain or go back to the point where I never saw porn.
Same for me mate,
Look at it this way with one evening porn session and a bunch of tabs open we can see more naked women than our ancestors did in lifetimes, stuff like that can't be helpful dopamine wise. I just wish there was a way I could reset my brain or go back to the point where I never saw porn

In my case porn damaged me much more than the average. I am anorgasmic thanks to porn and my erections are weaker (that´s recoverable though, as I have experienced a few times). This is because I injured my pelvic muscles with jelquing and such when I was 20. I found the ads for the penile enlargament exercises on a porn website, and like anyone else didn´t find them believable. However, I found a big ass forum with hundreds of active members making threads about the exercise routines and their gains. It started looking legit so I did the exercises for some weeks recklessly.

As a result I ended up enduring 2 years of pelvic pain and suicidal thoughts, and nowadays I have just some pain sometimes, no morning wood and no pleasure with ejaculation. Basically ruined my life if we are being honest but there´s always been sexless people that made it through, all these monks and what not, right?

There is a lot of stuff available about giving up addictions/bad habits that is applicable to this (in my opinion). If you take some of those measures, it will make things easier on you and make it more likely for you to succeed than it will be if you simply try to gut it out by applying your willpower. I would guess that you already know this, but if you are talking about online stuff, there are browser extensions, apps, and similar measures you can use to temporarily block your access.

Not my first rodeo, and I am not even addicted to porn, it ´s just something I have become used to appease my pain. I can do it cold turkey. Can´ t be arsed to try to block the stuff and use apps.

 

[Al Cappella]

Done. Was never addicted, but don't feel good about the exploitation angle. Good idea!

 

[lofticries]

It's times like these I'm glad I'm very picky on what turns me on. I have very specific tastes and kinks.

 

[Cathy Ames]

Not my first rodeo, and I am not even addicted to porn, it ´s just something I have become used to appease my pain. I can do it cold turkey. Can´ t be arsed to try to block the stuff and use apps.

Apologies. I didn't mean to imply that I thought you were addicted. I use these same methods when working on bad habits, albeit with varying effectiveness because I tend to either lose interest or become distracted by some kind of crisis. The mild social support/"peer pressure" of posting this here should be helpful, and I bet this will help you flex and strengthen your self-discipline "muscle" as I see that you mentioned above.

I look forward to reading the future post where you report your success. I'm sorta hoping you can do it in the form of either a "the friends we made along the way" post or a "was inside you all along" post.

All kidding aside, I'll follow up on your progress. This is the type of thing that will motivate me if I see you do well.

 

[Hurt]

My depression took over and I am not interested in sex/porn anymore. In this state of mind I find it irrelevant.

 

[whatevs]

My depression took over and I am not interested in sex/porn anymore. In this state of mind I find it irrelevant.

My depression/sleep problems have never been strong enough to completely destroy my libido, but I have felt its negative effects to some extent.

My biggest problem with depression or unrefreshing sleep is how it takes away my sense of humour, which is the most effective way of coping with life and disarming possible enemies in social settings. Being serious or humourless makes socialization quite gruelling.

 

[Cathy Ames]

My biggest problem with depression or unrefreshing sleep is how it takes away my sense of humour, which is the most effective way of coping with life

God, yes.

and disarming possible enemies in social settings. Being serious or humourless makes socialization quite grueling

And just "regular" life without socialization is GRUELING. Everything is freaking grueling when the only reason you ever laugh is out of something like a sense of bitterness about some IRL demonstration of irony. I think the sense of humor is a crucial part of the "resilience" that is supposed to be so important.

 

[whatevs]

God, yes.

And just "regular" life without socialization is GRUELING. Everything is freaking grueling when the only reason you ever laugh is out of something like a sense of bitterness about some IRL demonstration of irony. I think the sense of humor is a crucial part of the "resilience" that is supposed to be so important.

Hmmm I'd take bitter laughing over not laughing at all though.

 

[Cathy Ames]

Hmmm I'd take bitter laughing over not laughing at all though.

Good point. [I wouldn't casually accept that statement coming from a NORMIE, though. LOL.]

 

[whatevs]

Good point. [I wouldn't casually accept that statement coming from a NORMIE, though. LOL.]

Glad I'm not of these disgusting normies that have adapted to society and aren't resentful or suicidal.

It's clear that I'm a wonderful, special person that has never considered if the people that have rejected me were right.

 

[Nolan96]

Do I still count as metaphysically porn-free if I jerk off every day but all the pornographic images are conjured in my head and not viewed on PornHub?

 

[whatevs]

Do I still count as metaphysically porn-free if I jerk off every day but all the pornographic images are conjured in my head and not viewed on PornHub?

Yes, but you're probably wanking to porn you consumed in the past.

It's times like these I'm glad I'm very picky on what turns me on. I have very specific tastes and kinks.

I´m trying to not let my mind add to this a sinister undertone.

 

[Cathy Ames]

Glad I'm not of these disgusting normies that have adapted to society and aren't resentful or suicidal.

It's clear that I'm a wonderful, special person that has never considered if the people that have rejected me were right.

IDK why they can't understand that all of my suffering makes me excruciatingly and extremely special. I am joking when I say that, but really it does annoy (and possibly anger) me that the entirety of any actual and real problem I have gets ascribed to my outlook and dismissed. Someone can describe their upcoming homelessness (which is upsetting, right?), and it is not okay to be upset. You have to finish the story with, "but at least I have a place to live for now, I know some people don't."

I just meant to say that coming from you and based on what you said above, I did take a moment to be grateful. Coming from most (not all) of the people I know IRL, I'd be thinking, "Fuck you."

 

[Angi]

You have to finish the story with, "but at least I have a place to live for now, I know some people don't."

This is the Hierarchy of Shittiness at work. It says, someone has it worse than you, so you may not suffer or complain. (There is always someone who has it worse in some way.) Also, you must resent the people who have it worse than you for invalidating your suffering. Name it for the people who throw it at you, there is a chance they will be so flustered they leave you alone with it!

I just meant to say that coming from you and based on what you said above, I did take a moment to be grateful. Coming from most (not all) of the people I know IRL, I'd be thinking, "Fuck you."

Every once in a while someone asks why SS is so comforting, or why people here are so much more interesting. I think you have a lead right there!