ZenTechAli

I'm just now making this connection. I wanted to post this interaction with gpt for reference. Quite the vicious little cycle. Hopefully the awareness of it will be useful.

Q: In treating depression, when it begins to lift, can increased energy be experienced?

A: Yes, as depression begins to lift, it’s common for people to experience increased energy. This is often one of the first changes noticed as treatment starts to take effect. In many cases, mood and energy levels don’t improve at the same rate—energy might increase before mood fully stabilizes. This shift can help individuals feel more motivated and able to engage in activities they previously found difficult, like exercise or soci

I know I've been edging close to that point of no return. Almost gave in this morning. Just want to put this out there to stay ahead of the tricky bastard.

I know I've been edging close to that point of no return. Almost gave in this morning. Just want to put this out there to stay ahead of the tricky bastard.

Over the past few years I've done a couple rounds of nofap. Last time, finishing about 3 months ago, I went over 100 days. In between rounds, it's a combo of up and down until I descend too far and feel the need to reset. Actually, long before finding r/nofap, this was an established pattern.

Last night I binged on porn, and then had sex with my SO. Today I'm generally feeling like a piece of shit. Not that I wasn't feeling that before, but it's a more present awareness. I don't really believe that I can completely cleanse my self of that feeling, but I can at least face them honestly (though still secretly and anonymously).

The struggle is real. I love you all.

I'm one of the older guys around here. I've got decades of history with these issues, so in some ways, 90 days seems a relatively small thing (it did take me 2 tries over the course of 2 years to get it done, though). But it is something I will celebrate for myself, and will try to continue to cultivate like a seedling.

P and PMO for me is basically about escape and not dealing with life and pressures. I sometimes use other things for this, like sports blogs, electronics sites, etc., but PMO, like a drug, messes up life in a much more extensive manner. So while I experienced the usual nofap difficulties, I think the harder part has been facing the things I don't want to deal with. I've remo

I got asked in a pm about 12-step groups, so I thought I'd share the info here. Please feel free to post of your experiences with these or other groups.

There are different organizations and within each org different meetings can have different feels to them, so feel free to shop around. Check out the websites for meeting info. Some meetings may have age minimums, some may be restricted by gender. Most, if not all, should be free (though a no-obligation basket may be passed). There shouldn't be an obligation to speak or share if you don't want to. Quotes below are taken from the websites, but check them out for more info.

The sex related ones I'm aware of:

[SLAA](http://www.slaafws.org

At least some of us who have this issue get disconnected from life and reality. (Is that an understatement?) We may not have a good sense of what it is to cope and deal with day-to-day life. It is good that we share and that we find familiarity in the stories of others going through the same thing.

I think that it's also helpful to look at stories of overcoming beyond nofap. This is not to minimize our experience here but to expand our feelings for the human experience beyond us. People (including us) go through some shit in life, and I think it's amazing to more fully realize that. To that end, I thought that I'd share this thread from the askreddit subreddit: [What experience made you gro

How much is ok? How much are you doing now and what is your goal?

This is probably somewhat subjective, but 3x a day we can probably agree is too much, non? Once a day seems too much to me. Once a week seems like a reasonable short term goal to get things under control. I can vaguely imagine once a month or less frequently as some sort of 'expert' levels...not everyone gets to or wants to play in the major leagues :-)

There is also a question of "how". With or without fantasy about a specific person? Light grip, I would think is best.

Any thoughts, specific or general, on this?

One recommendation to nofapprs is to exercise. Here is a good "getting started" guide from the fitness subreddit which actually has links to other subreddits. Some people like lifting, others running, and other do only bodyweight exercise. This and more is here:

http://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/wiki/getting_started

I encourage you to share what works for you in the comments.

I just had a thought. One of the difficulties in nofap is that you can only do one day at a time. You see, I get paid to write software, which is basically figuring things out, solving problems, fixing bugs, and then being done with that particular thing forever (hopefully). I apply my mind (alone or in collaboration) to a problem until I figure it out and then I'm done with it and that represents a majority of the waking hours of my life.

Getting over porn addiction doesn't work that way. I have the understanding and knowledge on how it's been harmful and how to proceed to get better. But I gotta do that shit today...and then again tomorrow...and then again the day after.

About a year ago, I started NoFap and lasted a good 60 days. Then I failed and spent the next 8 months in my usual cycles. There were some really rough ups and downs in that period.

Right now, life is pretty ok, but I still fap 2-5 times a week and PMO'd a couple times this week. I had a nice interaction with a cashier tonite which reminded me of the good times of nofap, so I decided to reset my badge and go at it again. I've been exercising these last 5 months and just started running, so hopefully that will help me get through the first 2 weeks, which were an ass-kicking last time.

Let's do this.

I was having an little back and forth with an struggling brother here and one of the sex related subreddits he spent time on came up. And it was right up my alley. I looked at one set of lingerie images for less than an minute and got off my computer before I went deeper for the "good stuff." But all day I knew that a part of me was plotting to go back to it...to give in to a full relapse.

Reading some of the posts here tonight has kept me from that tonight. Without this place I would have already been done, so thank you all for being here. I think I can make it past this now, but I'm reminded I'm not free of this yet.

Just for today, I will not fap.

Still get urges, and I've sometimes thought, "A couple months ago, I would've just squeezed out a quickie." But the thought is easier to manage and part of the desire just isn't there. I'll see someone and want to engage in a long private fantasy...but my dick is like "Whatever." So there's little point in going on. My dick just doesn't seem as much fun to hang out with. Except that, in bed and for realz, he's all in, so to speak. I've got no issues being strong solid with better stamina. Things are good.

I found out that I missed an application deadline today, not because I was late but because it was delivered late by interoffice mail. Wasn't really a big deal, but it freaking pissed me off. Went into pretty deep victimization feelings. Couldn't concentrate on work, and the thought even crossed my mind "screw nofap! I can go end this right now". Somehow the conscious act of self-sabotage was calling me and was appealing.

Just for today, I will not fap.

Here I am 30 days in. I am what many around nofap would consider an old fart, though when you get here, you realize mid-40's really isn't so old. I have been through many cycles of binging on porn over the decades, and also various ways of acting out in real life. At one point, ending about 4 years ago, I was porn free for 5 years! But definately not masturbation free. In recent years, I've indulged much, suffered much, and hated myself much. Then I found nofap and yourbrainonporn.com.

• Stopping pmo itself was fairly easy to do. Having the nofap community as a touchstone has been very helpful. To read and be in touch with so many others actually doing this thing is a source of strength and