Anthonyyyy said:
Today marks 107 days since i last masturbated, and probably 5 months since I've looked at any kind of porn.
ABout a month in, i experienced a MASSIVE panic attack that sent me to the E.R, because i felt like i couldn't breathe. Ever since that moment over 2.5 months ago I've been suffering from UNBELIEVEABLE amounts of anxiety, most of the time about NOTHING IN PARTICULAR. I had to quit my job, i can't work. Even leaving my house to run everyday errands leaves is extremely difficult.
I;ve had this anxious feeling in my chest and horse 24/7, it never really goes away. Will it ever go away? I mean bats the point of doing this if it's so crippling i can't even live my life? Im feeling hopeless.
Any words of encouragement are appreciated.
Oh man dude. Me and you sound identical. I really hope you read this because your 5 month story was
exactly like my five month story. During the first 6 months I had nearly 10 panic attacks and tons of generalized anxiety. Anxiety about everything and nothing at the same time. It was crazy. I honestly didn't even know what a panic attack was, and went to the doctor because I thought I had asthma. I would classify myself a "worrier" for all my life, but I never experienced anxiety like that before, and I'm SURE it's not coincidence that it coincided with quitting porn.
I can totally and completely relate, man, The biggest thing you need to know is:
anxiety due to pornography addiction and quitting pornography at this stage in your reboot is totally and completely normal.I wish someone would have told me that because I literally thought it was impossible to feeling anxiety nine months removed from quitting an addiction. Your anxiety has everything to do with your pornography addiction, and removing pornography from your life and staying clean
will definitely greatly improve it, if not make this form of anxiety you are experiencing completely vanish.
I'm approximately 1 year and 9 months pornography free, and my crippling anxiety is completely gone. I haven't had a panic attack in nearly 9 months, and my general anxiety is at an all time low.
Here's the big thing! I experienced anxiety and panic attacks for the first 12-13 months of my reboot,
and that entire time was pornography free! Generally, my panic attacks and anxiety were in tide with the orgasms that I had with my girlfriend, so I began to abstain from even those orgasms. Long no orgasm streaks will be the best way to recover faster, friend.
The ways I coped with my anxiety during those first 13 months was lifting weights and running. The lifting weights was great, but long distance running was the thing that
really helped deter anxiety. 60 minutes on a treadmill will almost always take the anxiety right out of your bones for that day.
I also tried to be mindful of the anxiety - understanding where it came from, how it has only been present in this portion of my life (the post pornography portion) and how, realistically, this anxiety will pass and eventually disappear as the healing process continues.
Truly hope you read this! I completely understanding where you're coming from on this man. I had the exact same issues.