It’s been a while since I’ve been on here and after this post I won’t be on again for a while. I recently started watching porn and masturbating again, but in moderation.
I started off well. I had one pmo session once a week. At first it was good, the porn was enjoyable and as such the session only lasted 10 minutes. However after just two sessions, I started to notice things…
a “desire” to watch more – potentially addictive impulses disguised as libido.
As I enjoyed porn and wasn’t currently having sex, I decided a limit of 2x per week was a normal and healthy figure – with sessions of only 20 minutes or so.
This was several weeks back, now I have more or less stuck to this pattern, sometimes watching porn 3 x a week, however I ended up watching porn for more like 2-6 hours a session.
This is because of changes that had occured and somewhat reversed even at just 2 x per week for 20 minutes!
Firstly, each session was less enjoyable, at first I could watch one video, mo and be satisfied. But this quickly changed, by the 5th session of 2x a week, each session was lasting an hour – simply because porn was producing less of a dopamine release ( receptors de-sensitising again).
Other changes I noticed, even at moderation were:
*increased anxiety – this was very noticeable,
*less enjoyment in other things -(I had been watching breaking bad and was really enjoying it when all of a sudden after a few sessions of pmo, I found each new episode more boring and less incredible),
*lowered social skills – not knowing what to say, having more paranoid thoughts the other person thinks I’m weird, lowered self esteem again contributing to these thoughts.
* decreased confidence – goes hand in hand with the others
* more immaturity, less mature mindset
* more passive
* less energy, less focus, less motivation
* lowered libido, less enjoyment in sex
* increased stomach pains, increased ball ache and bad sensations, increased prostate discomfort
* more addictive impulses for gaming, junk food, alcohol etc..
These changes were all very visible to me as I was coming from a state of no pmo for 40 days to regular pmo.
Before I knew it pmo sessions were lasting up to 6 hours, 6 f*cking hours!
This is simply because the old addictive impulses were returning alongside decreased enjoyment from porn meaning I needed more videos and longer viewing to find something arousing.
All in all, it is safe to say that life in general is much better during no pmo ( after the first week of withdrawal).
If all people had to do was watch porn all day then they might be content for a while but never happy. In reality however porn holds no place for those unable to moderate it AND those who when moderating still experience negative symptoms.
I last PMO’d yesterday and I have made myself a promise to not PMO until I have treated my adrenal fatigue.
As even in moderation I now believe PMO is antagonistic to treating adrenal fatigue and good sleep, I have no reason to PMO.
Maybe when my adrenal fatigue has gone ( which I know for a fact to be treated by good sleep habits and caffeine reduction), porn will hold a place in my life as it once used to – 2-3 x a week, with no negative symptoms.
However either I do have a porn addiction, or my body is unable to handle pmo in this state.
I will now abstain from PMO – with an exception being sex and O ( which I am not pursuing).
When I have treated my adrenal fatigue I will review the situation and test things out but until then, even if it takes me 5 years, I’m not PMO’ing until I have treated my adrenal fatigue.
Hopefully for anyone thinking about moderation, this will give you an idea of how things might work out.
LINK – Porn in moderation results
by Invictus23
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