Is my premature ejaculation (PE) related to my porn use?

Although rare when compared to ED or delayed ejaculation, this symptom has been reported in heavy porn users. It's best represented by this video. As a cause of premature ejaculation, porn use seems counterintuitive. Two possible explanations come to mind:

1. Training your nervous system to ejaculate very quickly
2. Sensitized addiction pathways

Training your nervous system

Explained one user:

I've been reading a lot of material concerning the issue these last two weeks or so, and most of the info seems to indicate that now that I've gotten my subconsciousness under control, it's my body's turn. Or, rather, my nervous system. As in, I've trained my body to come as quick as possible so that I don't get caught doing you know what, and now I need to re-train it. Said articles also recommend various meditation and breathing techniques, as well as squeezing the head of the penis as a means of last resort. 

Another user:

I was going out with my now ex-girlfriend for 2 years before we broke up. During this period I never had any sexual problem (be it ED or PE). I am easily aroused and I used to last double the amount she lasted. During this period also, I wasn't addicted to porn, and masturbated occasionally (PMO).

After we broke up, I took comfort in porn unfortunately. I PMOed regularly and even started going to massage parlours with happy endings. This went on for about 6 months, after which I got back with the same girl. When we got back together, I didn't stop PMO or the massage parlours because I was hooked. (Just reduced the frequency.) The sex was awful with my girlfriend (or at least it was for her) I didn't have a problem with getting it up (except maybe a couple of times), but I couldn't last for over a minute. The relationship lasted for a year, during which, I am not proud to say I didn't not even once make her orgasm from penetration, The same girl that I was giving multiple orgasms 6 month earlier.

And another:

ED + premature ejaculation? Anyone been in the same boat?

So, as the title states. I seem to suffer from both ED and premature ejaculation. When I would begin to get it on with a lady once I had an erection I would ejaculate very quickly (like 10-15 sec). I'm on the nofap wagon to hopefully eliminate the ED but I'm not so sure about the premature ejaculation. When I did masturbate it would be bedtime so I would try to finish as quickly as possible so I could go to sleep. I think this coupled with nervousness with a girl is what is ultimately responsible for the premature ejaculation. Has anyone been through this before? Any advice besides knowing that the nervousness will subside as I become more comfortable with a partner? 

One man's theory:

Well, here is my theory,

Masturbation/Porn can cause PE especially when you start doing it young. When you’re younger, you want to reach climax/orgasm quickly because of the fear of being caught. So you teach your mind that when you’re hard your job is to cum quickly and not enjoy the sensation. Over the years your mind adapts and teaches itself that the response to an erection is ejaculating quickly. I for one remember when I was younger it took me a while to cum and had to force an orgasm, but now I cum instantly within a few strokes of watching porn, having sex or masturbating. Same principle applies to porn. When you watch porn you become overstimulated and ejaculation is one stroke away, but you stop when you are about to cum, relax and start all over again. Yes, the session can last for an hour or 2, but realistically, you cannot stroke for 10 minutes straight as you will cum instantly. Unlike porn, when you have sex, you cannot just pause, take time out or relax, as it wouldn’t be fun for the lady. Hence, why you blow within a few strokes or before even entering.

So basically, we have rewire our brains to enjoy the sensation of sex and the erection. So during the reboot, we’ll get hard numerous times and not fap. Our mind will not know what do to and unwire the response to an erection being an automatic ejaculation. This will take a long time, years of abuse will not recover within a mere weeks,

Spoken to numerous older men than me and have asked about how they last long. Many said that they last long naturally and don’t watch porn or masturbate. My cousin who says he lasts 20-30 minutes has said he lasts longer when he doesn’t watch porn or masturbate.

And yet another man's theory:

Sensitized addiction pathways

We associate porn-induced ED and delayed ejaculation with desensitization or what we call a “numbed pleasure response.” Desensitization involves a decline in dopamine signalling in the reward circuitry.

In addition to desensitization, every porn addict develops sensitization, which is formation of Pavlovian memory circuits for porn use. (See - Why Do I Find Porn More Exciting Than A Partner?) This manifests as cues (seeing an image, stress, being alone) triggering strong activation of the reward circuit, and the urge to use porn. The more sensitized your brain is to something, the more automatic the particular behavior becomes. Perhaps men with premature ejaculation have formed very powerful (sensitized) pathways that lead to high state of arousal and a quick ejaculation. Perhaps it's partly related to a history of forcing orgasms with half-hard penises. I can only speculate.

Here are what some guys have said:

I think it's important to keep your package healthy while not using it. Therefore, I have set up a good kegel routine which will help me build stronger muscles around the penis, allowing me to have dry or mutiple orgasms. If you suffer from PE, this will also help you. But then it's not about kegels, but reverse kegels. It's a sort of stretching exercise which will help you relax the pelvic floor and make it less tense. This will help since PE often is a result of a tense pelvic floor. You should set up a routine that fits you, and if you suffer from PE, don't use too much kegels. Instead focus on the reverse kegels. You can read about all this and how you do it here or here.

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I have been unconsciously unaware of my 13-year porn addiction until last weekend it clicked....Through the years I was an absolute sex maniac. I could have sex every night with no hiccups....The last 8 years have been the worst; I was depressed, anxious, and angry, confused and didn’t know what was going on with me....In the last year I have noticed my erections have been really weak and I have premature ejaculation.

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I feel I’ve solved the premature ejaculation issues that have been bothering me. What I now understand is we have phases of arousal. The problem was with my understanding. Pre-E isn’t about reaching FULL arousal and holding back from the edge of the final phase, but staying in the phase beforehand and avoiding the finale until I’m ready.

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When I was masturbating 2-3 times everyday there came a time eventually I noticed that I wasn’t getting a full erection, that I was only lasting 2-3 minutes before orgasm, that I had to vigorously stimulate myself physically, etc. I also was not able to get an erection standing up, only when seated or laying on my back. Now by only masturbating once every 1 to 2 weeks (but still striving to make it the entire 8-10 weeks of a full reboot) I've noticed I get almost 100% erection quality when I do masturbate, that I can go 10 to 15 minutes at a time, that I could lightly stimulate my penis and it would respond, and most importantly, I could get an erection while standing up as well.

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Quitting masturbating was the best thing I ever did for my sex life. I still have a lot to learn but I’ve noticed some very positive things in regards to premature ejaculation.

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I have definitely experienced that same effect many times: feeling like I might orgasm even though I wasn't hard at all. I think porn helped our fantasies become so intense that they are now unnaturally pleasant. Just a theory. Anyway, I "tested" plenty with fantasy and erotic fiction after I gave up video porn, and didn't experience any improvement until I totally abstained from all porn and masturbation. In my experience, after a few weeks those intense flushes of horniness began to cause erections. Inconsistent at first, but improving over time. As the intensity of those experiences settle down a little, something else will come up a lot.

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More than half a year ago, I came to the conclusion by myself, that I had copulatory impotence. Had the opportunity to have sex with multiple girls, and each time I could not get hard enough for penetration. It frustrated me. I didn't know what the cause was, except I knew that I could get hard easy while masturbating to porn. Partner would jack me off furiously, but I would only get blue balls. Really good-looking girl with hot body would not make me hard. Something was really not right. But when I put on some internet porn, I got very hard, and came after probably less than a minute. Ridiculous. After a month without porn, followed by two orgasms during sex and a return to masturbation…I had sex again a week later. Another hot girl that at the verge of going for sex, did some manual stimulation, and I almost came prematurely after 15 seconds. I stopped her, as I wasn't even half hard. I couldn't get it up, but almost ejaculated anyway. So freaking weird.

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[Part way through reboot] A lot of us here have the situation where we start to come when our penis is only partly erect. It seems connected to porn addiction. In my case, my penis sometimes only gets totally erect just as I'm coming.

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[5 days no PMO] I got triggered by pictures of one of my favorite stars. I tried to fantasize about real women instead. I was so turned on that I felt I was orgasmic. But the funny thing was that I did not have any change in my penis. I actually felt as though I might orgasm, but my penis wasn't hard at all.

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LINK - I'm in the same boat. I can say that my ED is improving. Both ED and PE seem to improve the more times I successfully have sex w/ my new gf. By successfully I mean maintaining an erection the entire time and lasting long enough to get her off first. I'm still not confident that will happen every time, but when it does it seems to help quite a bit the next time.

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A few success stories:

Not E.D., Not D.E., but P.E. (Premature Ejaculation!)

So many men here at YBR and YBOP have "porn induced" Erectile Dysfunction (ED) and Delayed Ejaculation (DE). But some of us (I believe a minority) have premature ejaculation (PE) from our porn use.

In the broadest sense of the definition, I guess PE is a sub-set of ED.  PE is a form of dysfunction.  However, PE it is very much the opposite condition of ED and DE.  In my case. I get hard very, very quick.  My erect penis is very sensitive (hyper-sensitive) making ejaculation embarrassingly easy (quick).  Prior to my re-boot, my penis would get so rock hard and stand at attention at 12 o'clock.  the skin on my penis stretched tight like a snare drum.   My penis was a fueled up rocket sitting on the launch pad, count down starts at 10 seconds, 9, 8, 7, 6,5,4,3,2,........1, ORGASM. the words "sorry honey" became my motto.

but today, 52 days into re-boot, my penis is no longer on the rocket launch pad.  It stands at 10 O'clock. I have a softer, but bigger erection.  Don't get me wrong, It is still very hard and capable or V penetration.  It is more plastic now and less rigid.  it is less sensitive  , but not ready to explode.  but most important to my relationship with my wife, I am able to last longer now.  the re-boot is working very well on my porn induced PE!     

I guess my question is "why do some guys get PE from porn usage, and some guys get DE? 

I was always a horizontal fist humper or sitting prone mastubator. I could never do it standing in shower or laying on my back. I also edged a lot, sometimes for many hours on end.  Could these be clues as to why I developed PE and not ED or DE?

I am no longer experiencing the extreme PE that I have experienced for many years prior to re-boot. It is really a miracle, because i had always just assumed it was some genetic defect. I did not connect the dots as it possibly being porn-induced until I found YBOP.

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Just thought I'd update you as I have been perhaps one of the longest cases on this site, which was troubling for me as I recovered, and hopefully can serve as some inspiration for those frustrated with lack of results.

First off: getting a consistent partner was what did it for me. Before that frustration was all I saw. Starting at month 7 after reboot I had someone to flirt with, sleep with, cuddle with, and kiss gently before moving to sex. This slowly got me going again. At first I could only get hard for short periods of a time and had to "rush" for penetration, but after each time my erections got stronger.

Also high levels of PE have subsided as time has worn on--practice makes perfect. I now get hard just by gently kissing my lover and have zero issues with erection quality. I have zero desire to masturbate and am sure libido will continue to improve, as well as my orgasms which were nothing of note at at start (but have slowly gotten better). I had sex three times in one night with zero difficulty so I cannot believe how far I have come since embarking on this journey.

Get a real partner, take the time to get to connect with someone (not just sexually), and it is an experience too powerful to describe. With everything taking so long for me, I can only imagine the changes a year from now. 9 months later and I am a changed man. I felt obliged to share this final update for all those struggling out there and hope no one ever has to go through what I did.

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Fellas fellas fellas!!!! Stick with this plan!!!...I personally felt like no one wanted to be cured more than me. I followed the plan and got my first opportunity to see if it worked. I honestly believe I had the worst case of PE in the world...10 to 40 secs. My erections have improved to about 85%.

I am living proof that this stuff works but u have to be strong and restrain from all pmo activities. I had one relapse in 90 days but I got my chance see if it worked with a new girl. stamina was back like never before. I couldn't believe it!!! Had to give my feed back, hope it inspires someone...be strong and you will be rewarded.  (LINK - Edrummond May 18, 2012 )       

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[Age 53, 101 days without porn or masturbation, but occasional sex with wife] At the beginning I had ED problems, I’m convinced because of internet porn addiction. Now, even though my erections are not “rock solid” – they are a lot firmer and I am no longer experiencing premature ejaculation. I think my PE problems were a combination of being porn-induced and anxiety. When I was having my ED problems, I was always anxious and worried about getting and maintaining an erection. When I did get one, it didn't last long - either through "rapid fire" stimulation or for psychological reasons, "Please stay hard, please stay hard ...etc."

And then bam, nothing! I really think slow, carefree lovemaking has really helped me here. I last way longer than the old way we used to do it.

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Something I have noticed during my reboot is that for me there are two kinds of sex, one with full presence and kind of a slow (oxytocin driven sex?) and the other horny, more fast and agressive type of a sex (dopamine driven sex?). PE problem only occurs with the dopamine driven fast one. If I'm open and present in the moment, there is neither PE or ED. If I'm in a rush and horny, there's no ED but there's PE. Also erection has been much firmer with the slow and precent sex.

I also think PE can be anxiety-related, possibly because anxiety is one of the feelings usually supressed by PMO. Might sex during anxiety light up some old pathways in the brain, which easily then lead to an orgasm? PE is not healed by masturbation or orgasms. They are a short-term "solution" for a long-term problem.

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Are you masturbating the same way you used to do when you we're watching porn? You can get so used to the pressure and speed of your hand that anything different just makes you either cum or lose your erection. Try slower, more sensual masturbation to sensation alone, with no fantasy.

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Some of us are initially faced with an awful choice: Erectile Dysfunction or Premature Ejaculation. In fact, I both had both at the same time. That was my low point during recovery. It wouldn't get hard just making out; so she touched it (soft) and it exploded (soft). This, for me anyway, was a temporary condition. Once I was able to get hard regularly (and I thankfully have a willing partner) and was able to have sex on a frequent enough basis, I now get hard quickly and easily AND stay hard long enough for her to be completely satisfied.

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[3 weeks with no PMO] Last night I had sex with a girl I know. My God, it was fantastic. I had a huge erection, a very firm one indeed. I didn't Premature Ejaculate (PE) at all, which was always my worry. I’ve had PE for years. I put it down to anxiety of some sort, but recently I have been thinking has it been induced with overstimulation to porn.

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I might have PE due to porn and masturbation addiction, so I decided to quit. Another symptom that I had was semen leakage whenever I am excited, be it watching porn or foreplay before sex. I did a little research about semen leakage and I found out that "Semen leakage is a sign of the weakening of the parasympathetic sexual nerve that keeps the ejaculation valve shut and hold the erection. Eventually maintaining of erection can be a problem. " And this might lead to "ejaculat(ion) upon penetration or in a short time after few strokes".

Exactly the problem I had, and it takes me a very long time regain an erection after ejaculation. It has been 3 weeks now with no PMO. It hasn't been easy, especially when I am alone surfing the net, it takes a lot of self control stay away from porn. A couple of days ago, by chance ( seriously :D ), I got to a page on reddit where women post nude pictures of themselves. I got very aroused, and got the strongest erection since I started my detox. I am happy to say that I did not have any semen leakage, not a single drop, whereas three weeks ago, I would have had substantial leakage.

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My wife was the first partner I opened up to. After gentle breathing and taking the pressure off, I had anxiety free wonderful sex for the first time in my life. I took the pressure off myself and was able to absorb myself in the moment and focus on the pleasure rather than my performance.

I wouldn't say I was completely over PE during this time, but it became less of an issue. Then for some reason, slowly my PE started to return. I noticed that I was starting to feel out of control on a few occasions and more importantly, to start to feel anxious about it again. I don't know 100% for sure, but I believe this period was related to an increase in porn viewing. There was a period when I was sexually frustrated from not having enough sex when I was in that 'zone', yet instead of engaging in other forms of bonding with my wife, I went for the instant gratification of daily masturbation to meet my own needs (or so I thought).

There were periods when I focused on my wife and found satisfaction bonding without sex, but I think due to my daily masturbation and porn viewing, I found it hard to settle on this. For the last month I haven't masturbated to orgasm for probably the longest period of my life. I have played recently and found myself to be incredibly responsive and hard, yet stopped before orgasm. I have found the abstention incredibly beneficial, but feel I have a difficult choice.

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Solving PE - Think I've Whipped It Whether you've acquired PE or ED from fapping, don't wait till you're 29 to address your problem like I did.

I've basically had to unlearn the quick orgasm response that I've taught myself over a decade and a half of rubbing one out in the bathroom. No fap was the first step.

My other tools have been coitus reservatus, kegels, and paying attention to my muscle tension/breathing.I think monitoring muscle tension/breathing was what really led to my break through over the last week. I've found that orgasms are triggered by muscle tension. I've been able to last progressively longer by keeping relaxed and not holding my breath.

The kegels have may have helped a bit...I'm not really sure. I've been completely unsuccessful at "kegel-ing out" an orgasm. And though I've been able to continue on after an orgasms or two thanks to kegeling, it hasn't really increased my endurance.

Today I lasted a solid half hour from insertion, and I feel like I'm finally beating this embarrassing problem. That wasn't a half hour of straight up pussy-pounding: there was a lot of full-insertion and grinding, kegeling inside her, etc. But it's a quantum leap in terms of what I've been able to deliver in the past.In the past I've tried practicing longer fapping sessions. I'm not sure why, but there is no crossover; it didn't help me last longer in bed at all.

Good luck to anyone else out there going through the same problem!

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I had sex around Day 130 and it was super fast as might be expected. However, I had sex again multiple times 3-4 days ago and, to my surprise, I didn't have to fight that hard to keep from ejaculating too fast. It was almost like I could go as long as I would have pre-reboot (where I suffered from delayed ejaculation) - just with the added ability to ejaculate with less effort (i.e.- no intense focusing on porn or some other situation), and much improved erection strength and recovery time.

It wasn't until the third session that I even really felt super sexual and engaged on a more emotional level. I really think the basic reboot just brings the brain back to neutral, and then you have to do some things to get yourself to where you want to be. Since the sex, I've had more spontaneous erections, had morning wood (which I still hadn't been getting before), and have noticed that my penis seems bigger flaccid, like it's waking up or something.

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303 days in by Tastybusy303 days

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I am another long rebooter who has had some success but still has room for improvement in the PE department. I have been trying something new for a week now and I believe it is helping.

I did a bit of research and read some interesting things about GABA. GABA helps to regulate neurotransmitters and there actions. It occured to me that just becuase I may be recharged by no PMO and no alcohol I may still be out of balance, which explained why a came so quickly when I had sex with my wife. I now take 1000mg of GABA morn, noon and before bed.

Almost right away I felt a reduction in my anxiety levels and then hightened sence of sensation in my body. Last night I had amazing sex with my wife (and again this morning). I had rock hard wood and lasted longer than I needed to to get the job done for her.

There is a lot of conflicting research and opinions on GABA. Some say it can't cross the blood brain barrier and is therefore useless and others say it finds its way in via the pituitary gland. I just know what I feel when I take it and know it's working. The positve studies showed that 3000-5000mg was where benefits began to be realized, so thats why I take 3000 a day. Be aware that taking 1000mg of GABA may give you a temporary tingling and or heat sensation in your face, arms and hands about 20 minutes after you take it. It's a bit disconcerting at first but it only lasts a few minutes. I also take a bunch of other supplements but GABA is for me at least making a dramatic difference with "our" problem.

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Interestingly, the ancient Chinese Daoists also recorded that premature ejaculation was one of the symptoms of “expenditure without restraint.”

It was observed that ejaculation, although depleting physical reserves, has the opposite effect on sexual desire. After an immediate post-coital letdown, there is a rapid psychological rebound and an intensification of erotic interest. This sexual law of inertia, the tendency of a body in motion to remain in motion, or sexual addiction, is best expressed in the traditional medical metaphor of fire unchecked by water (yin hsu huo wang) and [the solution] the Taoist aphorism, “when the ching is full [i.e., when one is not deplete] one is free of lustful thoughts.”

It was noted that premature ejaculation (tsao-hsieh), spermatorreah (hua-ching, or post-orgasmic illness syndrome), and nocturnal emissions (meng) were associated not with a high level of sexual energy, but with deficiency, often resulting from what the Classic of Su Nu calls, “expenditure without restraint.” Thus sexual prowess came to be defined not as the ability to expend semen but to save it. Excerpt is from Douglas Wile's book: Art of the Bedchamber, pp. 6-7

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