Can you defeat it? Yes you can!

Day 2:

Been an addict for as long as I can remember. I'm 25 now and I'm tired of living this kind of life. I want to turn things around.

Awesome man! You can do it. Great thread title. Just keep moving forward and tracking your progress, life will get so much better when you beat this.

Welcome! We're all fighting this addiction and working toward recovery. Being on this forum has really helped me to turn things around. Dive right in and make some connections! We're in this one together!

Quitforeverthenwin said:

Awesome man! You can do it. Great thread title. Just keep moving forward and tracking your progress, life will get so much better when you beat this.

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Thank you Quitforeverthenwin for the support

BlueHeronFan said:

Welcome! We're all fighting this addiction and working toward recovery. Being on this forum has really helped me to turn things around. Dive right in and make some connections! We're in this one together!

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Thanks BlueHeronFan. Knowing that you've crossed 204 days is inspiring. Keep it up!

Day 3:

Did not have good sleep yesterday after hearing about some problems with my family back home. Kept getting the urge to masturbate around dawn.
Fortunately, I was strong enough to fight it off. Gotta keep going. 

Definitely, sorry to hear about the bad news back home, but you still got to keep going. One day at a time. Get through today and then worry about tomorrow.

Keep it up!

SLOWLYBUTSURELY said:

Day 3:

Did not have good sleep yesterday after hearing about some problems with my family back home. Kept getting the urge to masturbate around dawn.
Fortunately, I was strong enough to fight it off. Gotta keep going.

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This bad feeling is the main reason you used porn in past. I am not saying all time you only relapsed because of bad feeling. It may be other reason also. But please use other ways to feel better. Try some music , meditation, exercise.

Day 4:

Another day to the list. Tbh, didn't have too much trouble getting through the day. But I did have a boner for no apparent reason in the middle of the day. It stuck with me for a while. The room I was working in was a bit cold but besides that there was nothing unusual about my work environment. Maybe it's a process I have to get through. I don't know.

And thank you BlueHeronFan and Do or die. Knowing there are people who are aware of my progress is very motivating.

Day 5:

It was very challenging to get through the day. Cravings started around noon and I was unable to shake it off for the rest of the day. It was almost like a switch was turned on in my dick and I had no way to turn it off. My brain kept redirecting my attention to it. But I kept telling myself that if I go back to watching porn, I'm only delaying my recovery.

Luckily, there was a call from a friend that drew my attention away. From then on, it was more manageable. Had sexual dreams at night. But again, I did not give in.

I need to try to focus my thoughts away. If I keep paying attention to them, it seems like I'm giving them more power.

Anyway happy to complete day 5. Onwards and upwards!

The first battle to win is the battle for your thoughts. It takes a lot of work, but it's also a lot easier to stop a relapse when you're just thinking about it than when you're in the middle of doing it. Sometimes a good distraction like a phone call from a friend is just what you need to get through a day.

Keep on going, one day at a time!

Day 6:

Day began badly and led to buildup of anxiety. But work kept me engaged. After lunch, I found a quiet place to work and everything went well. Good second half of the day.

However, the interesting part was my sleep. I kept dreaming about so many sexual scenarios. In one, I was parked at a gas station and the girl working there popped her head in through my window and kissed me. Then I asked her for her number and we started going out. This was just one of several stories my mind conjured up.

I'm happy that a week is almost done. Need to keep going strong.

BlueHeronFan said:

The first battle to win is the battle for your thoughts. It takes a lot of work, but it's also a lot easier to stop a relapse when you're just thinking about it than when you're in the middle of doing it. Sometimes a good distraction like a phone call from a friend is just what you need to get through a day.

Keep on going, one day at a time!

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Been there done that. Trying to talk myself out of watching porn when I'm in the middle of doing it is impossible. I don't want to go back there.

Dreams are definitely a weird thing to deal with during recovery. If they catch me in the wrong mood they can make it a lot harder to keep the urges at a safe distance. But they're also not something you can control, really, so just let them go past you and keep up the good work!

Day 7:

Good day today. I think I'm getting better at ignoring the voices inside the head. That or the voices are losing their power. Either way, I'm glad I've reached a week.

The weekend is going to be challenging though. I won't be able to get out of my house on Saturday, so I need to focus on working and avoid every other distraction. But I've come this far. I am not going to turn back now.

Hey man, first of all YOU HAVE MADE THE BEST DECISION EVER!

Are you just starting with this? Did you have a serious addiction with social anxiety, depression, ED, etc? Then it is most likely that you have a lot of other problems next to porn. Strengthen the bond with your parents/familiy, find close friends that you can trust, etc. That connection is important. Also do some excercise, work on your health etc. Work a job that you can enjoy. Or a study.

Getting close with people you can trust is really important, will make you feel good. Also you could tell them about your addiction and that you're stopping (it's a serious addiction).

I personally have removed internet from my personal life (I'm at work now). Don't have internet at home, no internet on my phone either so almost no means of watching porn. This has been of huge help to me. Please consider this if you are serious about quitting.

The next step however is not just 'not watching porn' or 'not fapping', but is actually something bigger. Don't be a pervert. Don't stare at women body parts. Don't have creepy fetishes. If you like a girl, make a small talk. That talk can arouse you but just enjoy the talk, don't focus on sex. Don't dwell on sexual fantasies, cut them out. It's about finding fullfillment in other things than porn and fapping.

Watching porn and fapping is a consequence. It is the consequence of your mind being a pervert. You have to be able to control your thoughts. That's why many people here advise to do meditation, because it trains you to control your mind. That is really helpful, I'd say you almost can't get around it.

Because during meditation, you can basically tell your mind to shut up. You are the one controlling your thoughts. That means you will also be able to control sexual thoughts.

You will also notice, if you are succesfully not being a pervert/creep, that you will gain LOTS of energy that has previously gone to fapping. You need some sort of outlet, physical excercise and maybe some other sort of old/new hobby.

Hope this helps, keep us updated!

GeenViespeukMeer

Day 8:

The day went pretty well. Friday evenings are usually hard because everyone around me seems to be having a good time while I
struggle. But I decided to ignore those thoughts and instead went out and played soccer. Made some new friends there and I had a good time. For some reason, its really easy for me to make friends in a sporting scenario but I have a difficult time in other situations. I got hurt at the end of the game and probably have to sit out the next week but I'm not gonna let that overpower all the positives.

In the evening, I went out to a bar with a couple of friends. One of them brought his girlfriend along. This guy is who I aspire to be. He makes relationships look so easy. I've never seen him downbeat and everyone seems to love him. I know that's what my life is gonna be like once I overcome my addictions and lead the life I want to.

My urges still haven't completely died down but I don't think they have the same power over me that they once had. I feel more in control.

Onto day 9.

SLOWLYBUTSURELY said:

Day 8:

The day went pretty well. Friday evenings are usually hard because everyone around me seems to be having a good time while I
struggle.

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Congrats on 8 days! I know the feeling of thinking you're the only one struggling: I feel that way all the time. But if there's anything I've learned in my time on this forum, it's that we aren't the only ones. Most people, honestly, are probably home struggling with something (addiction, loneliness, homework, etc.) on a Friday night. Or maybe they're out but still struggling.

The difference is that you're actively working on healing. So don't measure your progress in comparison with other people. Your recovery journey is yours and yours alone (and you're probably doing better than you think)

Keep it up!

Day 9:

Quiet day. Got some assignments out of the way. Spent some time watching a movie. I feel like watching videos of any kind is a trigger for me. I'm gonna try to stop watching them for a while. But it's difficult to keep myself occupied when I don't have much else to do. I've got to figure something out. Or maybe I just need to get used to the feeling of not having anything to do.

Onto day 10.

SLOWLYBUTSURELY said:

Day 9:

Quiet day. Got some assignments out of the way. Spent some time watching a movie. I feel like watching videos of any kind is a trigger for me. I'm gonna try to stop watching them for a while. But it's difficult to keep myself occupied when I don't have much else to do. I've got to figure something out. Or maybe I just need to get used to the feeling of not having anything to do.

Onto day 10.

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I'm just starting out today! Amazing job on 10 days. It is my absolute dream to be able to go 10 days. I don't think I have since I have relapsed a year ago. Thanks for your story so far

SLOWLYBUTSURELY said:

Day 9:

Quiet day. Got some assignments out of the way. Spent some time watching a movie. I feel like watching videos of any kind is a trigger for me. I'm gonna try to stop watching them for a while. But it's difficult to keep myself occupied when I don't have much else to do. I've got to figure something out. Or maybe I just need to get used to the feeling of not having anything to do.

Onto day 10.

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The quiet days are some of my favorite, honestly. Sometimes boredom can be triggering (porn offers an easy way out into something more "exciting"), but learning to live at a slower pace and to embrace the quiet moments can be a big step in recovery.

Keep it up!