NOTE: We are not doctors. The tips below come from site members, and you should check them with your own health-care provider before trying any of them. If you’re open to an approach that works on another level, read about homeopathy in the link below this article.
In general, we encourage you to allow the process of returning to balance to unfold naturally. It takes time, but the results are more stable. Please understand – Addiction is far more than downregulation of dopamine and dopamine D2 receptors. Also, if you are thinking of taking anabolic steroids, see this material.
I’ve seen reports of better brain functioning (there is good scientific theory and research behind this) and better sleep when taking omega 3 supplements. Either way, high quality fats seem to be especially important for brain health so I’m trying to increase the amount I take in my diet to aid in brain balancing. The problems we discuss here originate in the brain, not the genitals. Cold pressed oils are the best. Flax oil can be harmful if not fresh.
Since day 85 I take magnesium supplements and everything got better. Depression went away, anxiety went away, cramps went away, brain fog went away aaaand… PE went away!!!
Magnesium is not a cure for every depression or every anxiety. But it can lower the symptoms. A lot of people have magnesium deficiency. The reason: Coffee, Coke, indigestion stress, sports and fapping. Maybe a lot of the Nofappers should think about taking some magnesium supplements! Just do some research on google about it! Age 32 – serious ED cured, mild anxiety & depression cured
Supplements do help. I would highly recommend taking 200-400 mg of magnesium citrate before going to bed, particularly in the first month. Most people are deficient in it and it is super relaxing/helps tremendously with sleep. Unlike other natural sleep aids like melatonin, it doesn’t appear addictive in any sense. If you are apprehensive, simply eat a big salad of dark leafy greens before bed. You will most likely consume much more than 200-400 mg of magnesium (do not however replace your greens with supplements boiz and gurlz. They are called supplements and not meals for a reason.) Age 19 – Many benefits, then fell back into porn, now climbing out again
Some people in recovery swear by vitamins, myself included. The difference between using them and not using them, for me, is enormous. I find that after taking vitamins, I’m much more motivated, have less anxiety, withdrawal symptoms and I actually recover faster than normal. I take:
2 500mg Omega 3 capsules per day1 Cod liver oil capsule per day2 Zinc with Gluconate tablets per day4 Calcium plus Vitamin D tablets every 3 daysThis dose works for me pretty well, also there is something interesting I noticed on the box of my new Omega 3 vitamins, it says:”The LC Omega 3 nutrient DHA is a structural part of the brain and may play a part in supporting a healthy brain function”The capsules I have each contain 107mg of DHA, whereas my old capsules contained 85mg of DHA and I can notice the difference. I think DHA may play a part in rebalancing the dopamine in our brains, at the very least, it curbs my withdrawal symptoms and anxiety.
I have been taking six Omega 3 Fish Oil capsules each day, and have reduced my hangover after orgasm. In the past, the 2 days after ejaculation I felt weak, depressed, low energy, tired and sleepy. Now, the symptoms have reduced. I sort of feel less energetic the day after ejaculation only.
I have recently read a book called “The Mood Cure” by Julia Ross. It has some rather interesting information in regards to people who are anxious/depressed and how they tend to seek medications such as SSRI’s (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor). The long and short of it is SSRI’s make [SOME] people feel more “normal” or less depressed and anxious because it increases the amount of serotonin in the brain. Of course, this comes with many side effects. She has specific regiments (although you should still consult with your doctor) using tryptophan, 5HTP, St John Wort , L-Tyrosine and SAM-E supplements (these are not meant to be taking for long periods of time) to balance out seratonin and dopamine a more “natural” way while avoiding medications such as SSRI’s. She also discusses foods that have these amino acids in abundance. I am not sure if low levels of serotonin plays a role in porn addiction but as a recovered marijuana and energy drink addict, I can see how I personally had issues with serotonin. Further discussion.
I think omega 3-6-9 has helped me, I took omega3 before, but with the omega3-6-9 I am definatly feeling a diffrence. My nails are growing ridicoulus fast, my hair is a lot nicer, skin is feeling better, I have better concentration. I take it because I read that it’s good for the brain and all of that. So maybe it’s easier for the brain to heal? I dont know. It works for me at least.
I started taking the aryuvedic herb, ashwagandha. It helped calm my anxiety and improve my mental focus right away. I don’t usually mess around with herbals, but I have yet to find any ill side-effects that have been documented in regards to this herb. I have been on a consistent ashwagandha regimen throughout my time of no PMO. My reboot has been going relatively well compared to many of the stories I have read. I do not know exactly how much of this I can attribute to the herb. I just thought that I would share this, in case anyone is interested. I have been on it for over 2 months with no negative side effects that I can identify. You all might want to look into it for yourselves. I must stress, make no mistake, that the foundation of the reboot has been NO PMO and any help that I may be getting from an herb is a drop in the bucket compared to that. And, if you decide to start an herbal regimen, make sure that it is a reputable brand that you can trust not to be contaminated.
Could magnesium help porn addicts? Alcoholics who received magnesium supplements drank less alcohol. See “Magnesium treatment in alcoholics: a randomized clinical trial.”
Three dopamine-related supplements are below. The first product has some good science behind it. It’s used for memory enhancement, brain regeneration after injury, and may reduce cravings. it may also increase dopamine receptor density. It is expensive. Two links provided.
- CDP-Choline, or brand name, Cognizin® Citicolinehttp://challengeyourbrain.org/article-appetite-supression.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citicoline
- L-Tyrosine: The essential amino acid that is the precursor for dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. The brain converts it to doapmine. Some suggest it may be helpful for low dopamine conditions. Not a lot of science to confirm. Relatively inexpensive
I’m conducting a bit of an experiment with that.- I had some pills with the Mucuna Pruriens in it. After using it for 1 day, I can tell the affects on my brain during masturbation to be different, and my mental state to be affected. One, I felt initially deader feeling wise than normal. And when the feeling did kick in, it felt different. The pleasure didn’t seem as gentle, or as smooth, but sharper. My mind felt more affected, as if more on a drug. And when I came, I had a crash where usually I simply feel an overall sense of well being and contentment. I had a headache after it was over, though I’d have to say while the pleasure itself wasn’t as good as usual, the “high” was more intense, and I felt more of an “addictive” desire. Hard to describe. But I felt weaker than normal afterwards, had to lie down on the bed and rest a bit, get my bearings back.
With herbs and supplements I have found that these help:- Relora (from Source Naturals): claims to help counter rising cortisol levels. reduced anxiety in myself. I found that those that have issues post orgasm have found this to be helpful (on the top of their list).- B complex, probably from Jarrow (they seem to have good stuff)- SAMe from Jarrow, but only in small doses (1/4 of a 200mg pill once a day for me) because it accumulates in your brain.- 5HTP which may help increase serotonin which tends to decrease libido and ease anxiety.Check out the net for stories and http://www.raysahelian.com
Green tea seems to have helped me with the withdrawals. I have been drinking a japanese green tea (Costco’s Signature brand, the one with a bit of mancha in the pouch too)…but perhaps any decent variety would do the trick.
I cut out the coffee. I have lately been drinking a lot of Ginseng tea, I like it a lot. It seems to balance my mood, give me energy and it may be coincidence but my erections are getting more frequent (spontanious that is).
I’ve found that a herbal tea made with half hops, half skullcap blended together is soothing for a recovering O addict. Both are natural ‘anaphrodisiacs.’ (They act to lower libido.) Don’t have it too strong, as it’s bitter like beer. Unless you actually like the taste of beer, in which case you should find it even more soothing than I do
Adaptogenic herbs like ginseng, ashwaganda root and licorice root can help, as will enough Vitamin C, Pantothenic Acid (vitamin B-5) and salt in your diet. All those substances go a long way in healing the adrenal glands, which can become very depleted when someone is under alot of stress.
I’ve been taking St. Johns Wort to better my mood, and that makes it much easier for me to stay positive while I’m still rebooting and rebalancing.
N-Acetylcysteine Reduces Addiction Cravings
I’m quite a fan of nutritional supplements. Anyway, I found this article about the supplement “N-Acetylcysteine”, commonly abbreviated to NAC; “N-Acetylcysteine Reverses Cocaine Induced Metaplasticity” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2661026/
It struck me that maybe it would have a similar effect upon a Porn addiction? The supplement is also mentioned in this article from the YBOP site https://www.yourbrainonporn.com/introduction-to-behavioral-addictions-2 from which I quote “N-acetyl cysteine, an amino acid that restores extracellular glutamate concentration in the nucleus accumbens, reduced gambling urges and behavior in one study of pathological gamblers (89), and reduces cocaine craving (90) and cocaine use (91) in cocaine addicts.”
More information about the supplement N-Acetylcysteine can be found here http://www.raysahelian.com/acetylcysteine.html . I linked to this site because it presents very balanced reviews IMO, without making incredible claims.
I’ve used NAC myself many times for other purposes; I’ve found it great for reducing congestion when I have a cold, in fact I gave some to my mother and she swears that it was more effective than some commercial decongestants. It’s supposed to be very protective of the liver and is used to treat Tylenol overdoses. Personally I’ve found that when I use it it has a nice balancing affect on me psychologically. The supplement has also been recommended by another forum member for Prostate issues https://www.reuniting.info/node/10991.
NAC seems to restrict output from mucous producing glands and I’m speculating that this might be how it helped the other forum member, by reducing congestion during abstinence? I wouldn’t go overboard with this supplement but I’m going back on it at a dose of 600mg per day which is a commonly recommended dosage.Basically it’s a derivative the amino acid of L-Cysteine. It’s existed in this form for years now and is used as a health supplement as well as by the the medical establishment. You can buy it in Health shops but I buy it as a bulk powder from http://www.myprotein.com/uk/products/n_acetyl_l_cysteine. It’s much cheaper buying it in this form than in capsules. Just buy one of the companies min-scoops or miniature scales to measure out your dosage (I take 600mg per day).
As it doesn’t exist naturally in this form it can’t be extracted by the body from your normal protein intake. It’s a very useful compound with antioxidant properties and personally I’m happy using it in small doses over a period of months as I have done in the past without any negative side effects. Obviously readers should make their own minds up before taking it, there’s plenty of information out there on the Internet
One can make this Ayurvedic Churna, without much cost at home. Take dried Amalas (goose berries) the fruits of a tree Emblica Officinalis and grind them into powder. Ready-made Amala powder is available in the market also. Mix two parts of the Amala powder with one part of powdered rocksugar. You may get this ready-made mixture from an ashram also. Take one spoonful of the powder with water half an hour before going to bed. This powder thickens the semen. It also relieves constipation. It restores the balance of Vata (Wind), Pitta (Bile) and Kafa (Phlegm). It is also beneficial to those who get wet dreams. Even healthy people can take it as it helps in self-control.
At the age of 18 I decided to start taking SAW PALMETTO for hair loss. I chose Saw Palmetto because it is natural and I was scared of the side effects reported for the drug propecia. Saw Palmetto is a strange supplement. It reduces DHT by blocking the enzyme that converts testosterone into DHT. The thing is the body is extremely complex and we dont know how exactly saw palmetto works and what else it does to the body. We also dont know what else this enzyme that converts testosterone into DHT is also needed for.
When on Saw Palmetto my sex drive rocketed. I dont know why or how but there must have been a lot of bioavailable testosterone just not being converted into DHT. My hair also got a lot thicker. You would thing then that this is the dream supplement for men. I did for a while. People would comment on how nice my hair looked and how thick it was. I also got addicted to porn during this time. Not good. I also masturbated a lot. The thing is Saw Palmetto completly shut down morning erections. I would get them maybe 2-4x a month or once a week if lucky. It was worrying.I tried to quit PMO and it was impossible to do so on Saw Palmetto.
Then the problems started. I was bulking up to gain muscle and I seemed to gain fat too easily and my chest was seemed too moobish. I then went on a cut diet and found it hard to loose weight. I researched saw palmetto and apparently the side effects are water retention and weight gain. I also looked into other sides and it scared me. There were people on websites saying that saw palmetto destroyed there livers and destroyed there life. Saw Palmetto was described as a poison. I had been on it for 2 years. Apparently a problem with Saw Palmetto is a lot of the extra test gets converted into estrogen and it is even used to increase female breast size.
I ditched the Saw Palmetto. I lost weight, my morning erections came back, my hair got thinner again and strangely I lost muscle and I lost sex drive. My voice got deeper. A wierd side effect of saw palmetto was that my voice lost a lot of its deepness.I have now been Saw Palmetto free for 11 Months. My sex drive just isnt what it used to be before saw palmetto use.
It’s important to make your own experiments. The ideas here will not necessarily help you. Said one forum member:
I have already taken an omega-3 supplement (fish oil capsules) for several years before starting my PMO abstince and it did not help me against developing strong withdrawal symptoms. Multivitamins, vitamin D, calcium and zinc didn’t do anything for me regarding PMO withdrawal symptoms. Green tea and tryptophan did not help either.
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