I am posting experiences and learnings from my second streak (41 days currently). I have posted experiences from my previous streak before at:
https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/88-days-pmo-free-changes-noticed-restart.177582/
First of all I would like to get the obvious benefits out of the way. Most success stories post this, this is for newbies and for people for whom it reinforces things: Way better energy, more confidence, more determination and inclination to do things, life feels happier in general, able to smell the air and grass and feel happy, able to notice small things and be thankful, much lesser anxiety, less stress, much less fear, positive disposition in general, much more social, able to talk to women without objectification, feeling of balance and stability. I can list more if people want to know.
The things that are new in my mind and new learning’s from the current streak given below.
Learning No 1:
It suddenly occurred to me that I understand why PMO addiction is a lot worse than other addictions to overcome. It is a ‘Double Whammy’:
Whammy No 1: The dopamine release and chaser effect: This is difficult enough to get out of on its own. This happens with all other addictions as well – smoking, drinking etc.
Whammy No 2: Release of the life force in Semen – This is unique to PMO addiction alone. This factor alone can put a guy under by itself.
Combine 1 & 2 and we have a unique set of circumstances & factors that reinforce each other that people are really never able to overcome easily. So we need to treat PMO like the monster it is and steer well clear of it.
Learning No 2:
I was trying to determine the cost of a single fap or relapse. It is not a few days as we all might think and then back to normal. The cost is a lot higher
When you break a streak once, relapse becomes a lot easier. One may put small streaks together of 1 week to 2 weeks etc, but the chaser effect follows all. By my calculation, I at-least take at-least 2-3 months to really come out of it and put some bigger number of at-least 30 days or more. When I get there, it takes another 3-4 months of feeling really normal again and getting back to the previous me. Combine the above, its almost like 6 months before you can get back to normal. So the cost of 1 single fap or relapse is at-least 6 months for me. In reality it has been more.
If I back-calculate, I think I would have wasted the last decade and all of it can be attributed to 10-12 faps alone, each of which cost me 8 months to a year to break off that cycle.
What was unique and new for me during this cycle was that I was out of energy for almost 35 days before I felt better again. Previously I was getting better at the 10-12 day mark.
How to break off the addiction: – Based on my own experience and reading other people’s experiences, your “Why” has to be really strong.
My “Why” is that I have been a ghost over these last addiction cycles? It felt like torture every minute of every day due to withdrawal etc. This over a few months will turn anyone into a ghost. I thought to myself, that I will not trade 5 min of this torture for 1 fap and here I have no choice and am having to do this for several months. Lord has gotten me out of prison once again and am at 41 days now and feeling the benefits again. Learning No 1 & 2 above strengthen my ‘Why’ further.
I had left only 1 out in my previous streak (that if a woman approached me and wanted to do it, I would give in). I relapsed. Believe me female attraction to you is a thing. I base this on the fact that you yourself become so normal and approachable and able to talk to women, that women like this and are attracted to you. I am willing to give up on this too. The cost is unbearable and PMO is too debilitating for me. I am too happy with current benefits which I will give anything for.
LINK – Second Streak and Benefits noticed
by ash_cloud
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