Not addicted but negatively impacted

[Fidodido]

Hi everyone.  I would like to share my story and would love to get advice on my situation.

I'm a 47 year old single guy (no girlfriend and no sexual friend) who has watched porn almost every day since the age of about 15.  It started with magazines, then videocassettes and finally the internet.  I've own a personal computer since 1998 and I believe my exclusive use of internet porn started probably around 2000.  I've had a urologist verify my testosterone levels and they're just fine.

My current situation can be described like this:  My masturbation frequency is about 4 times a week, so I don't consider myself porn addicted, but I very strongly suspect that porn is the cause of many things.  I'm now at a point where nothing excites me in porn anymore.  I've been using a vibrator on one of my nipples (erogenous zone for me) at every masturbatory session for years).  Even when I search for more extreme or unusual scenes it doesn't have much effect on me.  I think I'm just totally jaded from it all.  Even though I don't experience addiction, I have many symptoms such as unability to be turned on by real women (and don't get me wrong it's the same with men so I'm not gay), incapable of having satisfying sex even with women that I find very attractive and totally my type, semi-erection at the moment of ejaculation, it takes forever to find content intense enough to bring me to ejaculation, orgasms quite ordinary, etc... and definitely ED, but I think the most appropriate description is more very poor sex drive than ED, because I can definitely say that when I'm excited I do get pretty hard.

So my real question is this.  Can I have hopes of rebooting the same way than the ones that are addicted?  Any advice and/or comments are welcome.  Thank you all for taking the time to read me.

 

[vispren]

Welcome and thanks for sharing.

PMOing 'just'  4 times per week is no proof you're not a P addict. From what you described: porn tastes escalated to the point that nothing is exciting anymore, ED, not being fulfilled by real sex are all (classic, imo) symptoms of porn addiction.

The only real way to find out if reboot will benefit you is to try it. Do a solid streak of no P, no M and no O. Set your own goal and start rebooting. My bet is that it will do you good.

Good luck.

 

[Gabe Deem]

@ Fidodido

My masturbation frequency is about 4 times a week, so I don't consider myself porn addicted, but I very strongly suspect that porn is the cause of many things.  I'm now at a point where nothing excites me in porn anymore.

That is certainly frequent enough to cause problems. Especially if you have been exclusively using porn to masturbate since 2000.

One does not have to be "addicted" to have porn-induced sexual dysfunctions and to become desensitized. Many rebooters report being able to give up porn fairly easily, yet had porn-induced ED.

I have many symptoms such as unability to be turned on by real women (and don't get me wrong it's the same with men so I'm not gay), incapable of having satisfying sex even with women that I find very attractive and totally my type, semi-erection at the moment of ejaculation, it takes forever to find content intense enough to bring me to ejaculation, orgasms quite ordinary, etc... and definitely ED

Sounds like all classic porn-induced problems to me. Considering you have already been to a Urologist, I'd say going for a reboot is in need. It can't hurt, it can only help if porn is indeed behind your problems.

Can I have hopes of rebooting the same way than the ones that are addicted?

Yes. Absolutely. The only difference for your reboot is you may not experience withdrawal symptoms as intense if any, and you probably won't "crave" porn. The reboot process stays the same though and many guys have been in your situation and have recovered. Let that encourage you.

But vispren is right in suggesting you won't know you are addicted or not until you give it up for awhile. Again, addiction or not it can cause the same dysfunctions.

Welcome to the Nation. I hope the best for you.

Much Love 

 

[Fidodido]

Thank you so much guys.  It's feels so good to find out I can hope to heal from this.  I just want to be happy with a girl in a way that sex is best with her rather than with the porn.  I made a promise to myself that sex will be with a real woman only from now on!!

 

[vispren]

Np, Fidodido. If there is anything I can do to help, don't hesitate to PM me.

Again, good luck