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How can you manage your negative emotions
- Thread starter Saiba-Kun
- Start date
cakecrocodileshrimp
Member
I find it's really helpful to have a plan in place, so that you're not struggling of things to do in the moment, but rather you already have an activity or something that you'll go to: leave the house, listen to music, go for a walk, read a book, have a hot shower, do pushups, whatever it takes. It's also helpful to get educated so that you respond to the negative emotions with facts rather than feelings. ie. understand that no matter how you feel, looking at pornography will make your negative feelings worse in the long run not better, and that your negative feelings are just chemicals in your brain doing their thing, your mood will get better on its own and you don't actually have to respond to them at all.
That last one has been a big help for me with dealing with porn cravings: understanding that they are just chemical reactions in my brain that I can't control, but they also don't control me. I do what I want with my own body, and what I want is to not look at porn.
That last one has been a big help for me with dealing with porn cravings: understanding that they are just chemical reactions in my brain that I can't control, but they also don't control me. I do what I want with my own body, and what I want is to not look at porn.
WoundedSparrow
Active Member
I concur with cakecrocodileshrimp that you have to remember your brain is playing an elaborate set of tricks on you. You aren't depressed, lonely, or unmotivated. Your brain is just suffering from dopamine withdrawals. You'll feel completely rotten sometimes and all you'll be able to focus on is how miserable you are. Don't do that. Your addiction wants you miserable so you'll reward your brain with the dopamine rush it craves through relapse. Constantly remind yourself that any pain you feel is nothing more that porn addiction's illusion, because it is. And relapse will ultimately make it much worse over time.
The only way to end the way you feel now is to quit for good. It'll be a slow and painful process to recover, but your mind will return to a natural state. Trust me, it's an equally slow and painful process to continue down the road you're on except unlike the misery of recovery, there's nothing but more misery ahead. My advice is to learn when and where these feelings and thoughts hit you the hardest and try avoiding them. For example, if you find that you're vulnerable when you spend time alone in your bedroom, try spending more time elsewhere in the house, around others if you don't live alone. Exercise helps me greatly when it comes to reducing cravings. Your body and mind will both feel great and you'll end up much healthier overall.
Whatever you choose to do, remember this: When the cravings hit, they hit fast and hard. Your mind will empty of every other thought besides relapsing, but you MUST resist or your misery will continue forever. No matter how strong, cravings eventually fade away. It may take hours, but they will fade away. Conversely, giving into them just a little bit is almost a guarantee of failure. Once you start looking and touching, it's basically over. You have to resist and remember that it's the addiction that makes you feel good in the moment but worse everywhere else. Good luck.
The only way to end the way you feel now is to quit for good. It'll be a slow and painful process to recover, but your mind will return to a natural state. Trust me, it's an equally slow and painful process to continue down the road you're on except unlike the misery of recovery, there's nothing but more misery ahead. My advice is to learn when and where these feelings and thoughts hit you the hardest and try avoiding them. For example, if you find that you're vulnerable when you spend time alone in your bedroom, try spending more time elsewhere in the house, around others if you don't live alone. Exercise helps me greatly when it comes to reducing cravings. Your body and mind will both feel great and you'll end up much healthier overall.
Whatever you choose to do, remember this: When the cravings hit, they hit fast and hard. Your mind will empty of every other thought besides relapsing, but you MUST resist or your misery will continue forever. No matter how strong, cravings eventually fade away. It may take hours, but they will fade away. Conversely, giving into them just a little bit is almost a guarantee of failure. Once you start looking and touching, it's basically over. You have to resist and remember that it's the addiction that makes you feel good in the moment but worse everywhere else. Good luck.