I am Bingles, I'm 17 and have been trying my route of nofap for roughly 10 months (I think). My goal is to lead a life completely free of PMO. It has brought me no joy, or productivity and has made me weaker in every way. The effects that porn has on the body are devastating yet subtle. Just like cigarettes in the '50s, we're being subliminally told that it's okay and even healthy to masturbate. There are even giant billboards in cities advertising porn sites to the public. Sexualness is no longer confined to the bedroom. You're constantly giving into your impulses to a point where it doesn't even feel good anymore, it happens without a second thought. I've struggled with other addictions before and it affects you in horrific ways. And today, I reached a 1-month streak. The longest streak I got was roughly around two weeks. I remember it well, it was a time when I felt truly at peace. A moment of inner reflection with no headaches, no stress, nothing. Felt as if I could do anything I set my mind to. Then the urges kicked in and that progress was lost. Overcoming that hurdle came as a bit of a shock to the system. Locking away every device I owned coupled with twice-daily cold showers and tight clothing. The extent to which I had to go in order to achieve this streak was absurd but a drop in the bucket to the long-term benefits. Think of it this way, you're wasting your own physical time and energy on something that gives you zero in return other than a quick two seconds of useless dopamine. That's stupid. So avoid masturbation like the plague. One thing that I have learned is that simply abstaining from porn isn't enough. You have to physically distance yourself from anything that could cause relapse and keep your mind and body occupied with other things. Pornography is more addictive than crack and even harder to quit. So treat it as such, lock everything away, and live out in the real world. Don't even give yourself an opportunity to relapse. Whenever you want to relapse, do another hobby or five push-ups. Your body will replace that impulse to fap with wanting to do that other habit. Oh, and that reminds me. HIT THE GYM. This is quite possibly the best thing you can do for yourself. The benefits are self-explanatory. You don't need to go to a public gym as even a home setup would suffice. I would strongly recommend Natural Hypertrophy as he is the GOAT of natural bodybuilding. And don't say "I can't afford it", there are guys in rural mountain villages in Tibet getting shredded just by lifting things around their house. Don't make excuses. Get lifting. Self-improvement is key. Obviously, you've got morons like Tate who'll pretend to be an alpha sigma male lone wolf or whatever but generally most genuine self-improvement channels offer life-changing advice. Even Jordan "Lobster King" Peterson has some solid advice. Nofap is only a piece of the puzzle and once you get that momentum going you won't stop. It'll get to a point where you won't even need to say you're on nofap at all because you don't fap, to begin with. Explore your hobbies and learn new ones. For me personally, it was drawing, skincare, and languages. I started off doing quick scribbles, buying some sets, and learning Gaelic and now that's part of my standard morning routine. Lurk as much as you can on this site and take notes from experienced users. This will help massively in achieving your goals. But remember to keep a maximum of 3 hours of screen time daily. Any more than that and you risk more than relapse, including your mental wellbeing. Start reading, even if you're an illiterate zoomer like me who only has read three books in his life, it is still worth it. If you're religious then pick up the Bible or Quran or whatever and study it. If it is good and productive then do it because porn will bring you nothing. Happiness is overrated; joy is eternal.
Bro this really helps. Im almost 21 and still struggling. Ive just gotta remember that its worth it. The modern world really is the worst, all morals gone...
