How long will it take to recover from Porn-Induced Sexual Dysfunction?

This is the number one question we get from guys suffering porn-induced ED. However, we cannot predict how long it will take for your erectile health to return. Among those who stick with it, progression is surprisingly similar—when guys completely stop pornography, porn fantasy and masturbation. Symptoms and feedback indicate that eliminating masturbation produces a deeper withdrawal and shorter rebooting period.  

Although the recovery process is not linear (good days are followed by bad days and vice versa), here's what often occurs:

1) Withdrawal symptoms and cravings: Immediately

2) Complete loss of libido and erections: Often begins towards the end of week one.

3) Absence of libido and erections, increased flaccidity ("shrinking or lifeless penis"): Continues for 2-8 weeks, dependent upon age one started and severity of porn use. However, some guys take longer and exit, then reenter flat-line period,

4) Gradual return of morning erections, libido and occasional spontaneous erections at other times (still with "flat" days interspersed). Not all men experience a return of spontaneous erections.

5) No more "semen leakage" during bowel movements, etc.

6) Complete recovery of erectile health, sexual desire for real partners, reports of extremely pleasurable sex, contented condom use even if it was once a problem.

A few rare fellows recover very quickly, within a few weeks. It's unlikely they had developed addiction-related brain changes. A few guys recover within 4 - 6 weeks. Many men fully recover after 8-12 weeks of no porn, no masturbation and no orgasm. More than a few take 90-120 days, or longer to regain erectile health. Long-term reports indicate that men who started porn early will continue to improve for several months after the return of healthy erections.

If you relapse, or mix in orgasms, eight weeks no longer applies. However, a relapse does not eliminate all the progress your brain has made. It only temporarily stalls the process.

A list of known factors that may affect length of recovery:

1. How consistent one is with no PMO.
2. Age one started porn. Younger means stronger brain wiring for porn, and weaker wiring for the real deal. If masturbation began with porn use, the pathways can be very deep. If you started masturbation and porn use at the same time (or if porn use preceded masturbation), recovery may take 90-120 days, or longer. Please be patient, and see: Started on Internet porn and my reboot (ED) is taking too long.
3. Little or no contact with females. Usually guys who started porn early, and have experienced little or no sexual intimacy, need to rewire to the real deal.
4. Current age. Younger men may recover quicker. However, a pattern is emerging: men who spent years masturbating prior to adding porn actually recover faster, even if they are ancient.
5. Length of porn use. Longer may mean longer recovery.
6. How often porn was used for masturbation. Always or just sometimes.
7. How many days per week porn was used.
8. How many times per day porn was used.
9. Previous periods of abstinence from porn. Recent periods of abstinence means faster recovery.
10. The genre of porn currently used for masturbation. The more shocking or disturbing it was for that person, the more the brain has changed.
11. Initial sensitivity of the brain to addiction (genetics, childhood traumas).
12. Type of masturbation used. Was a "death grip," very fast movement, or prone position employed?
13. Edging without ejaculation while rebooting. Really bad idea.

Fantasizing about porn. May be as bad as watching porn because it activates the same brain circuits.Having sex while trying to reboot. Hard to say. If you have intercourse and purposely avoid orgasm, it may be no problem. If it's too soon, orgasm with a partner can set you back, or throw you into a relapse (see below). Porn-induced ED is your brain saying it has had enough. If you have ED, attempting to force an erection with fantasy or other methods, is counterproductive to your recovery. On the other hand, if you're back in balance, but not experiencing a lot of spontaneous erections, sex with a partner will show you you are, in fact, back to normal.For example, here's what one guy said:

Spontaneous erections might be a sign, but I'm not sure if they are a real sign. You don't have to walk around with a boner in order to feel things will work out. Last week, for example, I hadn't seen my girlfriend for a couple of days. I had no spontaneous erections during that time. Given my old troubles, I even worried a bit... Was I losing it again? But when I saw her everything was just fine. Her touch and smell totally turned me on and the penis worked. So things will work out, when your brain is in balance, even if you don't have a constant boner (spontaneous erections).

The "Chaser Effect"

When men first learn that their ED is caused by porn use, they tend to become quite enthusiastic about stopping all porn, masturbation, and orgasm. Some succeed, but most relapse a few times, or add in occasional masturbation or sex with a partner. The challenging thing about a relapse before you're rebooted is that it can kick in the "chaser effect" over the next couple of days. Knowing about this can save you a binge, when strong urges hit you out of "nowhere."

Whatever you do, realize that it was porn that caused your erectile problems. Staying away from porn is your top priority. So if you have an uncontrollable urge to masturbate to ejaculation, do so without porn. If you can't masturbate without porn, then it's not true sexual desire. Instead, your urge is "only" an addiction cue that has been triggered by a thought or a visual.

From all reports, the men who regain their erectile health the quickest completely abstain from masturbation and orgasm. The more often you masturbate, the longer it takes. To our knowledge, no one has recovered from porn-induced ED who frequently masturbated.

That said, all your efforts are somewhat cumulative. Here's what one guy said:

I went 6 weeks and had slight relapses [viewing soft-core to test for erections - not recommended] once every 4 days or so. When I finally went back to celibacy, I didn't start from zero, I started from like week three. I know this because when I first started I could not get hard from just masturbation. But after a relapse I did not go back to that beginning state.

Back in the Saddle

When you do have sex again, it may be a good idea to approach it with a new mindset—not focused on sexual performance. Apprehension due to past failures is common and it may take a few tries to overcome anxiety   Here's some advice from other men who had ED, rebooted, and then had sex.

• In my 3 times of "connecting and bonding" with my wife since beginning my reboot, there were no expectations of intercourse. We started out just playfully fooling around, enjoying each other's bodies, caressing and kissing, and the next thing you ... WHAM!!! It was all very relaxed.
• I knew I had a problem when I was in my late teens. I eventually had successful intercourse in my early 20's, but I didn't consider myself cured, so I had performance anxiety, and 9 times out of 10, couldn't perform. I guess my thinking now is that if 4 days of intercourse in a row don't convince me that my libido is ok, then what will?I might have expected too much in the past. I assumed that I should be up and ready to go at a seconds notice, no matter how stressed I was. I expected to get a boner every time I looked at a beautiful woman. Now my expectation is to eventually get erect if I'm relaxed in the presence of a woman I like (i.e. my wife). So it's a combination of reason and a slight change in expectations I guess. I will say that I would have never dreamed of giving up masturbation for 90 days if it wasn't for this site. Also this site convinced me that the connecting aspect is so important.
• Performance anxiety is a really tough thing to beat. Anytime you are in bed with a woman and you start observing yourself, an erection probably won't happen. I know full well it's not fun to enter into sexual relations worrying about performance. The key is to enter into it not worrying one iota about erection. It's easier said than done, but that's the challenge that many men face. I faced it, and I'm surprised I got through it.

In other words, forget porn-style sex and just be playful. Relaxation actually promotes erections. In fact, oxytocin (the "cuddle hormone") is vital to erections, and you produce oxytocin when you engage in affectionate, generous touch. Go figure!

Also see recovery accounts here and here, and How do I know when I'm back to normal?