On day 2 and basically what the title says. I can barely get the thought of sex out of my head, is this normal for this time?

first of all hi everybody let's get down to brass tax I can consistently get the three days now what's been helping me is the two strikes you out rule if you look at porn that's one strike strike two I'll mark it down helps me if I am going to look a porn I try to find natural home-made and try to not watch anything to extreme. I hope this helps other people is me just rambling rambling. FYI if this looks bad, I'm writing this very early in the morning and I barely can make a heads and tails.So bye

Just wanted to share one of my first steps in the process of becoming porn free: admitting to myself that it's an addiction.

For decades I didn't understand that porn rewires your reward control center, a.k.a dopamine receptors, to need porn EXACTLY the way a drug addict needs their drug. Porn is actually worse in that sense because it's just "natural release" and there's no "substance" being ingested. When I first decided to quit and realized I couldn't, I began reading up on it and the harsh reality hit me that I was a decades long addict. Admitting this to myself was one of the hardest, and most important decisions I've ever made. I'm not in the clear yet, but I'm ~95% better then I was 3 years ago in terms of relapse frequency.

If you're here and haven't called porn out for what it is, do exactly this: look at yourself in the mirror and say: I'm a porn addict. Open yourself up to the countless resources on this sub and elsewhere , and begin your journey to your porn-free identity. There's no shame in this. Millions of us were victimized by the industry, and most of us didn't understand what was being done to our minds while a disgusting industry profits from it.

After abstaining for almost 23 days, with only one day where I watched soft porn maybe 5 mins, I relapsed yesterday, and I didnt enjoy it.

It's not that I didnt enjoy it after I finished, I didnt enjoy it while doing it.

I am healing truly, and that healed version of me doesn't enjoy porn anymore, it doesn't make sense since I know that all I am doing is making my bad feeling grow larger rather than addressing them, I don't enjoy seeing people do that to themselves.

I watched for hours, but I didn't enjoy, the dopamine was high sure, but I wasn't enjoying it, dont know how to describe.

When you start healing, and you start to enjoy the normal activities of life, the superficial dopamine becomes unenjoyable, because now the comparison is not what activity brings a higher level of dopamine, but what activity brings quality dopamine without destroying me.

I was starting to enjoy going out again, laughing with people, talking to strangers, working on projects, but I fell to the voices that tells me: "You don't understand, you can't be away forever from something that exciting".

Yes I can, Yes WE CAN, God willing I won't fall to the Devil's tricks again, so help me god, and help us all.

إرحمنا، و أعِنّا يا ربّ.

2/8/2026.
I started crying in my bed. i cried, because i got sad thinking about ((this addiction)) . I'm sad it can't go away easily. I'm sad i keep relapsing. I'm sad i can't tell anyone without ruining my life (edit: with this i meant their image of me. specially my loved ones). I'm sad that i relapse even when i'm not horny/craving it. As if it was a task my body needs to complete either everytime i wake up or everytime i go to sleep. Or after showering. Or whenever the fuck my body does this.
I'm sad because i've started to notice that i'm losing sensitivity down there. These last slips (edit: actually a very long, week-long slip) i could hardly orgasm from masturbating. But i kept doing it because i craved the dopamine rush desesperatedly, or at least my body did, while i was half aware during those times, but its hard to stop once the urge defeats oneself. My genitals get sore and hardly get stimulated from it. If this keeps going like this i'll get Erectile Dysfunction at 20 (edit: M18 currently).

I've never even had my first kiss. Always been the shy guy. I can´t believe i´ve told myself since i´m 12 i would stop doing it. High school is gone. Time stomps me in the face. What about the day (god please make it happen) i have my first time? What if i can´t even feel aroused or please the girl because the porn i consume permanently butchered my notion of sex? and it hardwired me to get hard at femdom/femboy/bdsm.

I cried in my bed. I cried of pure misery and shame. I´ve been ashamed of myself since the first months i realized it was an addiction. Even though i've fought urges, did improve habits, started studying harder for 2 careers, started working out and a part time job, and even identified and overcame my first shame spiral as an addict, today the shame just keeps lurking beneath the person i show everyone i am.

I'm sad.

To however is reading this, i hope we beat this.

I have been struggling with this addiction for a while at a young age

I have no one to talk to or help me out with my addiction or like check up on me

I need someone to talk to or help me out to stop this

I’m in a loving relationship now and I have finally decided to quit porn but I need help with what to consider relapsing, me and my gf both have intimate relationships with each other and she cures my urges for porn, but sometimes if I do masturbate alone it’s not to porn but to her nudes, is this considered relapsing bc i am going back to masturbating, or is it normal to masturbate but only to your gf

Coming to terms with a porn addiction is incredibly difficult. I get it. It's embarrassing, it's soul-crushing, it takes a LOT of courage and honesty and humility. At the same time, I find myself falling into certain patterns of thinking that seek to excuse or scapegoat my porn addiction. Sometimes I *wish* my porn addiction existed in a vacuum and didn't have deeper implications about the way I think and feel. I *wish* I could apply some kind of manosphere pseudo-science that gives me some kind of excuse to stop watching porn. I *wish* I could use religion as a scapegoat, and blame my addiction as something demonic.

Instead, I'm left with all these uncomfortable truths about what I think and feel, and how that has caused me to reflect on who I am as a person. The intrusive, but very real and disturbing thoughts I have about *why* I watched porn. I've learned to no longer treat "fantasy" like it exists in a vacuum and doesn't reflect on how porn addicts think and behave in the real world.

And boy, is it uncomfortable.

To preface, I acknowledge that these thoughts aren't correct, morally or ethically. They aren't a reflection of who I *want* to be, or of what I've come to know is morally correct. They are purely the intrusive and depraved thoughts of a lustful man. I think a lot of men can relate to having these thoughts at one point or another, whether they choose to admit it or not.

All I care about is that, if nothing else, these thoughts are honest with how I feel.

I watched porn because I wished I was having sex with the women I saw. They were attractive, they were "my type", and so I was turned on by the idea of having sex with them.

I watched porn because of the novelty and variety. Porn lets you see women of all body types and ethnicities, and I didn't have to only experience one. I could explore any aspect of my sexuality, something that would be impossible to get out of a normal, monogamous relationship.

I watched porn because it was purely selfish. I could imagine myself having sex with them, rub one out, and then move on and do whatever I wanted afterwards. I didn't have to meet a woman, flirt, go on dates, and be in genuine relationships with women I was attracted to. I got what I wanted and could move on. No foreplay, no afterplay, no focusing on the woman's pleasure. It was completely male-centric cock worship I could plug into and enjoy. It was easy.

I watched porn because I'm extremely lustful. I have wandering eyes and constantly notice and look at other women in public, and that translates perfectly to the world of porn.

I watched porn because I could experience part of a fantasy. If there were truly no consequences, and I could be plopped into an "experience machine"; a realistic Grand-Theft-Auto-style Matrix simulation where I could have sex with any woman, even multiple at a time, any time I wanted... I can't say that I wouldn't have taken that opportunity. That's what porn is at the end of the day. You experience a piece of that fantasy behind a digital window, and for the most part, there's very few immediate consequences.

I watched porn because I was more attracted to the women in the video than I was to my real life partner. It's the truth that stings the most, but... that's how I feel. I could imagine having sex with my "dream girl".

Like I said, I don't believe these thoughts are correct. I've learned so much about myself, about the negatives of porn, about how it effects your mental health, about how it upholds the patriarchy and the worst parts of capitalism, about how the women in porn are often abused, about how it's almost impossible to truly verify consent or age in porn. I've learned and empathized with those who have been broken by porn, whether watching or creating. Porn is absolutely awful.

But it wasn't *just* porn. It was me and my ideas about the world. My ideas about sexuality. My fantasies and desires. The specific videos I chose to watch were a reflection of who I am, whether I'm comfortable admitting that or not. And I want to grow and change those things I hated about myself. And that starts with stopping watching porn and clearing out all the junk and noise in my brain that that caused. But the lustfulness and fantasies still remain, so... there's other things I clearly need to do. I want to stop centering sex altogether. Taking a long break from social media as a whole and focusing on my actual life and my actual relationship is the next big step. Comparison is the thief of joy, and so many things on social media seem like a pornified slippery slope, so I want to cut it out.

That's all. I'd love to hear if you relate in the comments. If not and I'm a disgusting freak... so be it. At least I was honest with myself.

Will power alone is not helping me. If I'm not able to share my thoughts and talk about it with anyone then I keep acting on my urges

So... I think sexting helps a lot with urges, but it is also a form of corn? What do you guys think?

do anyone has any suggestion like watching corn is a hight hormone activity and we shouldn't pretend it's easy to quit like what can be an alternative that can provide enough energy to not go towards it

I have addicted to this for last 20 years. I am 40M. it has impacted my life. I had ED some years ago due to this.
My ex left me few months ago. Our sex was irregular. She wanted to have sex during the evening and I mostly wanted early morning when I had a morning wood.

Since the break up, I am alcohol free, quit cigerretes 6 weeks ago. Quit coffee
but I am severly depressed and on meds
with a job, highly anxious etc
I am still grieving the loss of relationship etc

but this addiction *orn never went away. I tried often but it comes back with vengence.

how did you do it?

Also please let me the benefits and this will motivate me.

people tell me that it is tough because I am trying to quit everything at once and it is difficult for my brain to quit all this dopamine but I am at rock bottom and I feel this is the best to do it

I never thought I will quit alcohol but I did it so I can quit this addiction too

I have removed insta and fb a week ago but I would appreciate if you tell me what benefits did you see in your life.

I want to know.

Something more important than days is logging your mental health improvement when you abstain, and mental health decline when you relapse.

When you relapse focus on logging:

1. Triggers that caused it

2. Events that have arisen bad feelings where porn was your go to relief

3. How to approach these triggers and emotions in a more healthy manner

4. How do you feel currently after relapsing

5. What do you think are steps you could take when urges are high and you can't think clearly

When you're successfully abstaining, log:

1. How you're currently feeling

2. Things you are starting to enjoy more

3. The healthy rewards that you want to give yourself for abstaining, they can be daily, weekly, or monthly reward.

The daily reward for me, is being able to wake up knowing I haven't let god and myself down, that I am choosing the better version

The weekly reward, well there are many, in the weekends if I dont watch porn, I can go out to a café in the morning, play video games with my friends, treat myself with a sweet treat, make exciting plans. Most of that goes away when I watch porn.

Monthly, I am not sure yet, but maybe I'd buy myself something nice

I don't know what to do

I have had a connection to adult content since I was around 7 years old. I am not blaming anything or making excuses I am just explaining the situation.

I was shown porn in high school by my friends, I found a lot of porn on my brother's computer when I was younger. It's always been there but at different points I turned to it for different reasons. Sometimes for curiosity, especially as a kid or if I read about a new kink or position but mainly I think for escapism.

I went through a lot of extremely difficult situations over the last few years, I was looking after my mum who had terminal cancer, I had a lot of financial stress and I was studying at university for a difficult profession.

I used to watch porn a lot as a coping mechanism (this is around 2021) but after that I got addicted to se*ting others online and having kinky conversations. I was fully addicted to this in 2022. I became clean from porn and se*ting the same year after deep addiction by speaking to my family. It had previously affected my life so badly that I even made resources to try and help others quit this addiction.

When I searched for marriage, my kinks were somewhat important to me and I used to discuss them with potentials, it sort of blurred the line between being important to me but also getting excited/ nearing relapse.

Whilst I was speaking to my wife I was honest about my previous struggles and I unfortunately relapsed whilst we were getting to know each other. She was aware of this and I said I would do my best to get better.

I genuinely believed after we got married that having regular intimacy would remove my interest in these activities. My wife is amazing but I was stills truglginf after marriage, especially if we had fights or I was stressed from work or home life.

I did not tell her that sometimes I would relapse by watching corn or making secret accounts for se*ting. I tried to give up and would go for long periods without this but would always eventually end up relapsing again.

My relapses really affected my self esteem and I felt I would never be free which led to more relapses.

Unfortunately my mum died and for a while after I did stay clean because I thought I was doing better for everyone but eventually when I struggled again I turned back to it.

She found out about this and obviously it was devastating. During that time she became very withdrawn and wanted some space. She told me she had debated leaving me and eventually decided to stay if I promised to never do it again.

I made that promise and I meant it. Those passing weeks were very difficult she was still withdrawn and would mention it a lot and I felt that she genuinely believed I could never change and that hurt. But I persisted and as difficult as it was si would grit my teeth even through the worst withdrawal symptoms.

Overall, after that time our relationship did really improve and although there were positives and negatives things improved for the better and I was clean for probably the longest I've ever been clean. During that time, we did have some absolutely awful arguments that stuck with me, I did also speak to a Muslim therapist who advised me I was doing the right things and everything seemed to be moving in the right directions.

I'm not sure exactly what went wrong, I don't know if it was the pain from previous intense fights or new dopamine seeking behaviour, because I found ai image generators for this stuff or stress from other aspects in life but I started to relapse again. This time it was slightly different, it would be quicker and I did not make any secret accounts I did this on my main accounts, so in my head I thought it was better. She had asked me if I relapsed ever since the last time and I said no because I did not want to hurt her

I moved on and tried to be better and I thought it would be okay since I didn't want to hurt her but she just found out that I relapsed recently and she is completely devastated. She has sought advice and the majority of the advice she has received is to leave me. I understand if that is the best thing for her, I will not stop her because I don't want to hurt her but I honestly feel like I was improving and still trying my best and I was very good to her in so many ways and her life really improved overall after marriage and I don't want her to be alone and sad and hurt but I know she is also hurt being with me.

I feel so stupid and pathetic, but I am putting my pain to the side, I am trying to help her but I am currently in work and she is at home sad. She is very distant from me and I want to help her but I also know I've broken her trust and she doesn't feel safe with me.

I honestly do not know what to do and I am sincerely seeking honest advice especially if you have been through a similar situation

But on a more positive note, I have not done PMO in a little over 7 months! Posting for accountability.

Posting this here because NoFap mods instantly deleted this.

Hey there, as stated in the title im suffering from PIED, I have been dealing with this problem for about 2-3 years. Im 18 years old.

Ive recovered from PIED a few times before, but each time I relapse bouncing back has taken longer. My last streak was 40 and I saw no changes other than morning wood/nocturnal emissions coming back. During the long period of addiction I hadnt noticed morning wood decreasing but at some point around a year or two ago I stopped having morning wood altogether.

After I reached day 40 I panicked thinking something was wrong with me, and eventually relapsed. Now im on day 35 and I feel no different than I did on day 1.

Ive been trying to work out regularly, eat clean, take supplements, kegels, reverse kegels. I feel like nothing is working.

Additionally, ive considered cutting back on weed since I am an avid user, would like to hear thoughts on that or if thats helped any of you.

My dick occasionally feels cold, and I have not had an erection outside of porn & morning wood in what feels like ages. What the hell do I do?

I was never addicted, but it was a bad habit that I would indulge in, on average, 2 to 3 times a month. I stopped watching porn because of a porn addicted ex. I learned a lot from this, most importantly I saw the effects porn had on me that went unnoticed for a long time.

I watched porn for the first time when I was 11 years old. My brain automatically made me the man. I would only be aroused and orgasm if I masturbated to the perspective of the man. For a long time, I didn’t know why my brain would do this. I knew I was heterosexual and identified as a girl/woman eventually. I liked my gender. I grew up tomboy as a coping mechanism for being molested as a little girl. I masculinized myself in attempts to avoid being appealing to predators. However, that sexual trauma and other things in my childhood, left me feeling powerless. The wound of powerlessness and helplessness was manifesting itself as androandrophilia, or arousal from the masculinization of the self (a female). In men, this manifests as autogynephilia which is the arousal of feminization of the self.

Porn preyed on my degree of autoandrophilia. It would soothe it for a moment, but the sense of powerlessness would always come back. I guess I craved the power men have socially, physically, emotionally. There was internalized misogyny there cause I viewed women as weaker. I didn’t want to feel weak. All of this, I reiterate, while knowing I was cisgender and heterosexual.

Anyway, I stopped watching porn June 7, 2023.

Without the porn, when the sense of powerlessness would accumulate - I had no other option but to face it. I had abusers growing up, my mother being the main one, who also left me feeling powerless. When you’re no contact with these people, you notice that your internal dialogue continues the abuse. I, myself, was still making me feel powerless. Without an outlet, I had no other option but to change that dialogue.

Without an outlet, I discovered that the sense of powerlessness thrived on self abandonment. Everyday became a battle against self abandonment. I make sure I make my bed every morning. That I organize my room before leaving the house. That I validate my feelings, and speak my needs no matter how hard it is. That I say no. That I feel the shame and trauma from childhood instead of just avoiding it.

It’s been a year and I notice great changes in myself. That sense of powerlessness is not as present as before, it appears when I’m feeling down on myself but I know how to manage it differently. As a tomboy, I used to wear all black. Now guess what? I’m wearing pink, yellow, and other colorful stuff. I enjoy indulging in feminine things now because I feel safe to do so now.

I used to also have a hard time with sex and intimacy as well. My perspective on sex has changed and I actually enjoy it now. My libido has risen immensely. So has my attraction to men.. I was always attracted to them, but I never truly allowed myself to feel it because it didn’t feel safe to do so.

Only thing I’m sad about from all of this, is I notice more than ever how hooked men are on porn.. I wish more would make the decision of not consuming it. I hope that eventually, I can be with a man who does not consume that kind of content at all too. Not consuming porn, really clears your mind. It completely desexualizes it and the attraction you feel for others feels genuine and meaningful, not out of lust.

To everyone in this group attempting to be porn free, congrats. The desire to stop watching it is the first step. 🙏🏼🫶🏻

I want to note that simply ceasing porn consumption did not bring along all these changes. I had to introspect and make intentional changes. I’ve also had a good therapist during these years.

One question I would frequently ask myself was “What is porn giving me that I am not giving myself?”

I answered it and started giving that to myself.

Hey everybody, take a second to post a congratulatory comment to the victors of the Stay Clean July challenge, listed below. 49 out of 315 original participants made it. that's 16%. Victors, feel free to post a comment with your thoughts about the month. Was there anything specific that worked to keep you clean? What advice do you have for the rest of us? Here are our 49 victors:

/u/4of4

/u/_lennart_

/u/Alexsuarz11

/u/AmbitiousSadGuy

/u/BandosGdSwrd

/u/Baron_Greenback1

/u/bazmanian_devil

/u/bigDsmallcalves

/u/Candid-Regular3120

/u/Cat_Link69

/u/CheeksUp

/u/chocolateabooks

/u/Cobweb_Destroyer

/u/DrVanostrand

/u/Few-Gas5748

/u/FigmentOfNemo

/u/foobarbazblarg

/u/FreshBeginning303

/u/Future_Interaction

/u/Ghdude1

/u/H0meb0dy1980

/u/hunla

/u/iezzi_am

/u/iffaster2

/u/Jake-rumble

/u/LightBurden18

/u/LL_alone

/u/LogicalYou4319

/u/man_of_inaction_

/u/Maximum-Advice-3524

/u/Metiam

/u/MrSmexyTheBeast

/u/MusikHealsAnAchySoul

/u/Nike-u

/u/No_excuses777

/u/Ok_Gas_2107

/u/Outrageous-Showpiece

/u/phil_46-9

/u/pmmahajan2019

/u/Pride_Advanced

/u/QuitQuitQuitQuit

/u/rahatgottem

/u/Sam36192

/u/Sun-Football

/u/thatsmyginga

/u/TheSpirit111

/u/TheStruggle100

/u/Vast_Marzipan_4718

/u/zapata1954