(Day 10) I initially ran across /pornfree after doing a little research as a results of the Your Brain on Porn TEDx video. Previously I had never really considered a porn addiction to be a big thing, assuming it only affected a small amount of people. In fact I would usually get a chuckle out of the billboards that sported “Are you addicted to porn?” headlines (though this may be because they are super cheesy). I have always been able to pick up and drop things like alcohol and cigarettes with no issues or withdrawals. As such, I never would have considered being addicted to porn. After doing research on the dopamine effects that porn has, I was convinced that it would be a good idea to stop my consumption.
It may be a little TL;DR, but here are some of the things I have experienced in the short time I have been participating.
First off, I read a lot about the different withdrawal symptoms of quitting porn and they appear to be quite extensive. Surprisingly, I have felt none of these effects despite using internet porn every other day for 9 years (I am 24 now, you do the math). There are likely a few reasons for this, one that I attribute to be the largest is that I have decided to not feel guilty about my habit. I accept that it was an erroneous and destructive decision to use it, but feeling guilt about it will only make it harder. The second part that I believe has really helped is that I am sexually active, and that area has had its own array of effects.
The details of my sexual activity is a story for another time and subreddit, but for the sake of the topic I will share that I am currently sexually active with a few women. In my encounters in the short time since I have stopped porn I have already noticed some differences. First and foremost is my interaction with the partner I am with. Even just being in the same room as them I have been feeling more emotionally engaged with them. When things start to get intimate my lust for them is on an entirely different level from before. As things progress, without getting too detailed, I can simply feel them better. It has been a much more pleasurable experience. The downside is that I have noticed a significant decrease in the time I last (previously I lasted forever), but I am guessing this will get better once it’s not such a shock to the system.
I have also noticed some immediate benefits outside of sex. For a long time I have been dealing with several issues, including a severe lack of energy, lack of attention span, and what is sometimes referred to as brain fog. I have been medicated for this for a while and the medication has really helped me to be on a normalish level. After quitting porn it was same as usually for about a week, then after that I started feeling a euphoric amount of energy. It felt like I was suddenly in over drive. Since then my energy levels have been much higher, my focus is a little bit better, and more distinctively my mood is a lot better. I have also noticed a difference in how complete strangers react to me. I have always been used to some attention as I am a rather tall and athletic college student, but this past week I have noticeably been getting a lot more random people giving me the look. One day it was enough that one of my female friends commented on it. I have nothing else to attribute this to other than what quitting porn has changed in my mind, because I have literally changed nothing else in my life as of yet.
Sorry for the huge post, I just felt like sharing my experience so far. TL;DR I didn’t feel many side effects, my sex life is a better, and it’s helped with some medicated issues. At this point I have no desire to go back to porn.
Decided to experiment with /pornfree, and I’ve had some unexpected (good) results. (self.pornfree
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