Hi all, this post is going to be very honest. I hope it helps someone. I became obsessed with nofap a few years ago and thought it would solve all my problems. I was a virgin and would compulsively avoid physical sexual contact, even though I had a girlfriend. I tried everything to quit. Listening to podcasts. Reading forum posts. Promising people i'd pay them if I relapsed. I even once tried linking PMO to pain, by burning my elbow after relapsing. Nothing worked. If you are TRULY addicted to porn and masturbation, YOU are powerless over being able to stop. I managed 3 months but it was painful. Using willpower will not work. It will be painful and it took me years to realise I needed help. If it is just a habit, quitting porn will simply be a matter of choice and will not cause much difficulty. So I joined a 12-step program for sex addicts. Since then I have not done PM for 9 months and I have a great relationship in which we have regular sex. My performance anxiety is basically gone. But this has not solved all my life problems. If you think quitting all this will solve your issues, it wont. The reason anyone is addicted to anything is because you believe something outside of yourself will make you happy. You use it to escape yourself rather than face and heal the pain. I still have a long way to go. But if you've tried and can't stop, reach out for help. Good luck and thank you to nofap for getting me in touch with the harms of porn.
Great for you! Could you tell more about the 12-step program you've joined? Like what part does it helps you I am considering joining one but couldn't find one nearby. Not sure if online group works for me
There is not one thing that could help your life, but trying to be better and cultivating good habits is a good way to be happier. You cant be happy forever because happiness is a feeling and will come and go but there are ways to be happier more and longer. Honestly, I don't think you should try and live a happy life but a meaningful one. Quitting bad habits or addictions are things that everyone should try to get rid of in one's life to make it easier, they interfere with your normal day-to-day life and make you waste time and energy on something that you deep down don't want to do. You wouldn't want to quit if you really enjoyed it, you still do it because you are enslaved by it but it's all forced.