porn addiction

@tealFan140

Some habits can be really hard to break, especially if they've been part of life for a long time.  Might I suggest a "reframe?"  Is it possible to replace "can't stop" with "I haven't found a way yet?"  Or maybe instead of "can't stop," with "I'm working on it and will find a way?"

You deserve a lot of credit for coming here and seeking support.  It sounds like you're really serious and committed to ending the habit.  

I've a history of addictive habits, but am now free of the worst of them.  One of the most important things I've learned is that just stopping something and hoping not to start back up again, has a history of not working out too well.  Cravings are much harder to resist unless one can choose an alternative activity.  For example, when I quit smoking, I responded to my craving by going cross country skiing.  What other things could you do that could give you a feeling of fulfillment?  Hobbies?  Exercise?  Socializing?  

Hi and thank you for sharing something so personal. It sounds that you’ve been carrying this weight for a long time. It must be hard to love your girlfriend yet pulled into doing something you don’t really want. You are not alone in this and the fact that you reached out here shows your strength and that you care and want the change. As I can’t give you any advice on 7 Cups because you are writer of your own life and know it the best, you can send me personal message and we can explore some options together in order to help you make some choices which fits the best to your needs. Change is possible, just one step at a time.

Thank you for sharing.. Its important to understand what the triggers it first... porn is an instant dopamine hit. Do you find when your bored you watch it and master bate? Yeah.. sometimes your not even *** to begin with but you just want that hit ... sad thing right after , it goes away and your back to square 1. Or sometimes feeling guilty or ashamed ... and sometimes you end up watching wild things because the usual you watch isn't enough anymore. Porn is like a drug. Speaking for experience. My male friend said , men watch it more because its fast and easy and biologically men are hornier more then women .. how else are we meant to procreate right haha. Some might say its a curse.

How to stop??? I find you need to replace it. Findsomething that gives you a healthy dopamine hit.. or find coping strategies that snap you out of it for that moment. Celebrate the small wins . Also , if you haven't yet... share with your girlfriend... be vulnerable.. only if you already haven't. If she loves you like you do her, im sure she'd want to help.

Maybe everytime you get the urge, take a cold shower... or splash your face with cold water... cold water is a naturaly dopamine boost.

Hi, teal.

I get it, totally get it. I'm not your better in this, I'm just another addicted peer. But I'm trying and relapsing and trying again. I just wanted to say that I know exactly what it feels like and I'm there if you need to feel that you're not alone.

I've tried chatting in groups here when the urge hits, and it works well for me. I'm not clean, and am not on any kind of streak, I'm taking it leniently because I've noticed that personally when I ignore the word "streak" I eventually get into one! But chatting about random stuff and how I feel really helped, overall.

There's also a small peer thread in the addiction support forum specific for porn addiction recovery which I like to place entries in and we follow each other's entries there to catch each other whenever we need support.

Overall, it's a bumpy road and never a smooth one. There will be clean times and relapses alike, so don't let it put you down. What matters is that you're not alone in this community. Welcome, peer.

I watch yaoi, which is forbidden in my culture and religion.

@tealFan140 (i have no experience im a teen xD)

Ive heard this helps so sharing for you to try it out (click here) 

Start working towards you religion if you believe in any.

I was addicted I first watched when I was 5 y/o🫠..

I am 16 rn tbh I am too busy to do this anyways I am managing 2,6figures businesses so it was a bit easier for me but it was a 7-8years addiction.

So my tips are hate it, start working,don’t just listen and read do it. Don’t keep googling benefits of p*rn. Everything has a good side and a bad side but It's bad side is way larger then its good side.

@tealFan140 ive struggled with the very similar thing ( it's a porn app and I got addicted to dirty chats) 

It comes to me from time to another I get stuck to this habit for 2 months max then I forget it then one month later or more it returns to me. 

Most of times I give up to myself and I re-download the app. But last time I did not. And yeah it's hard but I'm thinking about m benefit. 

Hi and welcome. Glad you are here sharing because that can be a great first step.  Have you read anything like this link to start connecting some of your own thoughts / patterns related to this?  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/porn-addiction