So I’m 6 months porn free (still masturbating but not to porn). I’m a 25(m) and started watching porn at 11 years old. I used porn daily from 11 to age 19. From the ages of 19-24 I realized I had some PIED issues and tried to pinpoint the issues and cut down on my porn usage. I decided to fully quit 6 months ago.
So how do I feel? To be honest I don’t feel super different. I feel more calm, less like a rabid horny dog, and have an easier time focusing. I feel more in control of my life and my desires. I laugh a lot more. But honestly, not much different. It’s probably harder to notice the positives because it’s been so long since I’ve watched porn. But I’m definitely better than I was.
Cutting down on porn got easier as I became older because I have been very sexually active since 18. Porn slowly phased out of my life as I had more real sex with women. I am 6 months porn free and didn’t even realize it until tonight.
There were lots of times of frustration with my ED issues over the years, but nonetheless I realized that porn wasn’t the cause of them all.
The main cause of my ED issues was having one night stands and expecting to perform like Johnny Sins when I had just met the girl and wasn’t comfortable with her. I learned to take things slow with the girl and I learned to communicate my desires with my partners/vice versa.
I have also realized that my appetite has increased. I also realized that other addictions I have (vaping nicotine, smoking weed) have been easier to curb and control after quitting porn.
Social anxiety is non-existent and I can definitely attribute that to cutting my porn usage, albeit mostly but not entirely.
One major thing I’ve noticed is that I have more “head space” in the sense that my brain is not flooded with sick sexual images of women. My thoughts consist of more than just sex. I have a more natural and grounded view of my life and of the people around me. I am more open to finding experiences and see my life path more clearly.
I feel as if my empathy has increased and also that I am more sociable and polite.
The biggest thing I’ve noticed is that… I can become aroused easily if someone attractive is in front of me. For instance, before quitting porn, if a women was fully naked in my bed spreading her legs, I may not be able to get an erection. Now, if I’m talking to an attractive woman at the grocery store, I may become easily sexually aroused at something simple, like her smile, or her legs. My sex drive hasn’t dropped at all. I still chase sex and I still am horny a lot. I just get turned on by things much easier than I did before. Like if I see a pair of boobs, now I feel like a kid again. When I watched porn, if I saw boobs, I’d be like “meh”.
I feel more of a connection with women I see. I am more inclined to want to talk, kill time, or cuddle as opposed to jumping straight into her pants. The “rabid horny dog” is still there, but he has been contained and only comes out when he should. This may just be me becoming more mature and older, though.
Flatlines are real! I went through many, and I still do from time to time. Life always gets better after a flatline..if you’re going through one, hang in there.
I feel more “reset” and I feel more sensitized, but I also feel like there is more work to do. Life never stops moving, the journey never ends. There is nothing that will ever satiate the human soul into a static bliss of fulfillment. We are always moving forward, and my job is not finished. Take things day by day.
I am lucky because I did not have an extreme addiction to porn. I think my usage was pretty standard in comparison to the general male population. Nonetheless, there are still lots of positive changes. And I can’t wait for more. Good luck y’all.
Any questions? Ask me.
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