Just starting out--would really appreciate any help

Hey guys,

I'm 19 years old, and have been struggling with (what I now know is) PIED for a pretty long time. After stumbling across the TED talk video and this website about 2 weeks ago, I have read extensively about PIED, and have started to reboot (I've been PMO free for 16 days now). To my surprise, it hasn't been all that difficult so far. However, I am going back to college in about a month, and would really realy love to make some progress on this by then. I really am willing to do whatever it takes to heal myself as soon as possible. So, I'm really not worried about relapsing at all because I honestly dont feel like I'm 'addicted' to porn at all, and I am way too determined to make the most of the approaching school year (and to redeem myself with a certain girl). Anyway, I was hoping someone could offer me some advice as to how I can progress as quickly as possible. Of course I have cut out P completely, but do you guys think I should completely refrain from O until school starts? Again, I'd really appreciate any help or advice, and am willing to do whatever it takes to recover.

Thanks a lot

You should refrain from O and even Masturbation if you can. It is all wired into porn abuse. Give your body time to reset and you'll be good to go. I just posted once before you and look what happened to me. I was resolved not to watch porn, and channel surfing on tv changed everything. I have been out of this once before man, and let me tell you when you are cured you will be crushing diamonds. Two years later after a bad breakup I relapsed for a few months and here I am again.

One way to think about the whole recovery process, that helped for me, is to ask yourself what drove you to look at so much porn in the first place. Is it because you're bored, lonely, depressed,...?Whatever it is, you need to figure out what that problem is and work on it. In the meantime, pick up some healthy activities and hobbies that will preoccupy your time so that you won't be looking at porn and you can take a break from masturbating. You can work out, read, cook healthy food, shop, keep busy with your job, socialize, pick up an instrument. I personally made a list of goals and ambitions and it helped distract me quite a bit.

Also...I would recommend taking cold showers everyday, doing anaerobic exercise (sprinting and lifting weights) and fasting. These will help up-regulate D2 receptors in the brain and "re-sensitize" you.

Thanks for the responses. I will definitely try lifting and cold showers, thanks man. Sorry to hear about your relapse, best of luck bro

welcome, Malibu

I can only ad little to what the guys above said. Only this much: it is not to difficult at first but in the long run it is getting harder because it is habitual. We easily can abstain from pretty much anything for a certain time as long as our Brain is still convinced that it can happen again sometime. Eg. try telling yourself that you will never ever touch alcohol again. Same goes with porn.

This makes the 90 days challenge very difficult around days 20 - 40 (in my case even at day 10).
It is therefore very helpful to isolate your triggers by understanding them and take away every leverage you can - porn blockers, Domain changers, parental control apps etc. Substitution with other activities is tremendously helpful. And if you have someone you can fight this with together it gets even smoother.

I am sure that you will see first results like morning wood or spontaneous erections after the first 4 weeks.

good luck and keep up the streak!

Hey man, I definitely subscribe to the no orgasm route for rebooting. While it's possible to reboot while including orgasms form masturbation or a partner, most people these days find that it slows or completely stalls your progress. Best to avoid them!

Ways to help/potential speed your reboot up: actively pursue recovery. Try running/lifting, meditating, working hard on schoolwork, socializing as much possible. Simply live your life the way you were meant to before this shitty addiction crept into it! All these things help a ton.