Is this a standard withdrawal? Two months in and I am so out-of-touch emotionally and mentally I'm not even functioning properly any more. Sometimes I feel I have to force a smile or laugh when people are talking to me, I'm not feeling relationship connections and love I used to feel for people, I'm having morbid, depressing and obsessive thoughts and I don't feel like I particularly care for anything. For years I've had this vision in my head of what my ideal life would be like, but now it's completely gone. I'm in limbo, aimlessly floating around while my mind goes haywire. This stuff is intense.
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Feeling completely emotionally flat
- Thread starter Xavier
- Start date
Xavier said:Is this a standard withdrawal? Two months in and I am so out-of-touch emotionally and mentally I'm not even functioning properly any more. Sometimes I feel I have to force a smile or laugh when people are talking to me, I'm not feeling relationship connections and love I used to feel for people, I'm having morbid, depressing and obsessive thoughts and I don't feel like I particularly care for anything. For years I've had this vision in my head of what my ideal life would be like, but now it's completely gone. I'm in limbo, aimlessly floating around while my mind goes haywire. This stuff is intense.
Hey man, don't fret - this is one of the most common symptoms of quitting pornography if you are addicted to it. The emotional numbness and depression you are experiencing is something the majority of us are/were dealing with. I definitely know the feeling and am happy to say that you can come out the other side with patience and commitment to the process! I did.
There is no easy fix. Time and abstinence from porn will slowly help your brain rest, recover and repair to its proper state. It's important to remember that, as porn addicts, we made serious alterations to multiple parts of our brain (the reward system, potentially the hypothalamus). When we remove the thing that we have depended on for so long, we will experience intense physical withdrawals that manifest itself primarily into our thoughts and emotions. It's important to remember that the numbness, negativity and depression you are experiencing is physical. However, whether you feel it or not right now, your brain is regenerating and repairing...so stick with it and don't give up hope! I remember feeling how you felt, and I came out the other side...you will, too!
The thing I personally relied on the most during this time was exercise. It really helped me. Long runs and weightlifting eased my anxiety and helped naturally elevate my mood.
Hope this help man!
- Charlie
Xavier said:Thanks for the reply, it's a big comfort. It's just difficult to accept how long this process will last. Two months later and things are still bad! All I can do is hold on and remain confident it will pass.
It will pass! You're in the trick (but very important) part of recovery. This is where the brain is doing all of its healing and changing.
Keep going!