Thanks
@sho0fl, I'm glad you liked it! It was fun to write.
Keep killing it brother.
@Scorpio1990,
@First_step_thousand_miles,
@Escapeandnevercomeback and
@GBS: Thanks guys for your input.
The flatline is interesting because it shows itself differently to different people. Some hardly even notice anything and just move on with no big deal, while others experience it coming and going for quite some time, yes even past nine months (See my man
@zander13). I think the biggest issue with the flatline, and what I was trying to zone in on with my poem, is that it's very easy to get stuck in your head about all of this, instead of living in the moment and enjoying your recovery and the new man that is blossoming before your eyes.
Personally, when I was easily 14 or 15 months clean, I still thought I had some really small "flatlines" that lasted for a few days at a time, and then it was back to normal again. Was this all in my head and I was just suddenly not feeling sexual? I don't think so. These were mini flatlines, the same that I had experienced since the beginning, however, over the months they became fewer and fewer and their duration of time smaller and smaller. But this is me, so that's all I can speak for.
However, each of us here are different and has had a different experience with porn, what age we started, how often we did it, etc., thus, our experiences with the flatline will be different. It might last 9 months, and might last 3 months, but none of these numbers matter.
We're not quitting porn to get our dicks back, we're quitting porn to get our lives back! Our dicks are part of the equation, but they're not the final destination.
I want the whole package, I want the whole deal, and I will settle for nothing else!
So don't compare yourself to others, just compare yourself with the man you were a few months ago. Some here go Hard mode or Monk mode, and some do not (yours truly) and that's okay, just stay the course that's working for you. All that matters is don't look at porn and don't masturbate to anything sexual. Masturbating here and there won't kill you and it definitely won't destroy your recovery, unless you're like me, where masturbation and porn go hand-in-hand, so I really can't do one without the other. Find what works for you and stay the course, and no matter what, stay positive and embrace the flatline!
What you thought you knew, you need to forget, because a new man is in the making.
I hate to quote myself, but what the hell, I'll do it anyways.
"If your member has not worked in weeks and you're starting to feel the pressure
Let me remind you of one important detail because you seem to need a refresher.
This has happened to us all, this has happened to even the best
So please quit your constant fretting, you don't need another dick test!
The flatline needs to be embraced, the flatline needs to be cherished
The flatline proclaims loud and clear that the beast inside our minds has perished!
So stop running from your fears and embrace your new inception
Love the man you're becoming and I'll see you at that final grand reception!"'
Best brothers!