Hey @Guts Thanks for sharing all this. I enjoy reading you, and some other guys too, you bring some life on this forum. I read your journal, it’s pretty interesting. I admire your patience, and I am glad for you that you made some progress. There is one thing I would like to know, though. Why don’t you believe in rewiring? I agree with you, hard mode seems to be the best way to heal, but rewiring might be an important part of this process too. Can you tell me why you don’t think so?
I tried it and it never worked for me. For me personally I believe PIED is simply the erosion of dopamine receptors. Any intentional arousal be it physical or visual will erode the receptors if not at baseline. I don't think using your hand or having sex is any different. I could be wrong. It could be simply that we've just conditioned ourselves to needing the dopamine rush of constant porn.
Yeah, that makes sense. Back in the porn days, I was not harder when I was watching porn than when I was masturbating without porn or having sex. Erections were not strong, no matter in what situation I was. But, I still think there is something true about all the brain pathways stuff Gary Wilson talks about. Even if I was not fully hard on porn, the cues would affect me a lot (closing the curtains, going in front of the computer, etc.). I never had that with a woman, at least not to that extent. I guess with time, the cues from real life situations could have a powerful effect on us too. That could be achieved though rewiring. Anyway, that’s what I hope. Good luck, man!
181 days of no porn, no masturbation, no sex, and no orgasm I fucking did it! I broke my record. I feel incredible. After I hit the 4 month mark at around 140 days I hit a big flatline that lasted up until the last few days. It pretty much mirrored the same thing that happened to me the last time I got to these numbers. Nocturnal and morning erections are getting more consistent. I wouldn't trade this freedom for anything. Not being controlled by this addiction is the best feeling ever. I just hit stage 2. So fuck it I'm going to keep going until I see absolute consistency, never flatlining, that is the rule.
I get wet dreams every 1-5 weeks. Usually its 3 weeks. So I've probably had about 8 or 10 this entire streak, maybe even more.
Not yet, but my nocturnal erections and morning erections are becoming very consistent as well as libido. It's possible I am, but I'm not going to dwell on it, or try anything soon. I just feel so much better without any physical or visual stimulation in my life right now. It feels like the shackles of PMO have been broken and every little thing feels good right now. I feel so zen.
Nice bro I wish I could be like that some day. I have the willpower to go that long on hardmode I just can’t seem to do it cuz my gf likes to do “stuff”
^ lol BP you can, like I said if she truly loves you she would help you abstain. Do you feel any improvements?
No improvements physically but mentally I feel so much better than I did like earlier in my journey. I keep doing these hardmode streaks of like 30-60 days and I have a strong erection each time with my gf at the end of each streak but then one orgasm ruins me again
200 days hardmode I think i've seen the most improvements ever in the last 20 days. Over the last three weeks ive only had 2 or 3 days of flatliney symptoms. Waking erections almost every night as well. I have no urges to PMO because the erections I get alone are so satisfying. 10 more days till I hit 7 months. I might just go on forever, it just feels so good to feel what normalcy feels like again.
Always a pleasure to read about your progress, Guts. Keep going, it’s cool to see someone digging himself out of this hole.
fuck. sleep deprivation got to me, and artificial female body parts were bought, lol fuck me. I made it to 217 days and binged on some masturbation, no porn. BUT .....my libido has not taken a significant dip....in fact it doesn't really seem like it did anything. Fingers crossed this is it. If anything with the way that I'm feeling right now, I think by next year, maybe even sooner I might be fully recovered. If I had the amount of orgasms I just had prior to this streak I'd be flatlined for about a week, or the day after id at least be really flat and unresponsive. So far it hasn't happened. The progress from my 6 month streak I did prior to this one seems to have accumulated and I retained all the progress I acquired with it. I'm approaching roughly 2 years of no porn next month. Where I am now compared to where I was 7 months ago, a year ago and even 2 years ago is a complete 180°. I'll give an update in the next few weeks as that will be the real test to see if I'm in the right direction. I'm gonna keep going hard mode. Honestly, I'm feeling really good right now.
