Pride and joy

Day 13 of not using porn

Thank you @Phineas 808!
Yes you are right - although my focus was low again today

Porn urges were strong today but I resisted
Wife and I are spending some time together tomorrow so I think that will "recenter" me

Then some very minor things didn't go quite to plan today
Got me in a negative mood even though they were totally inconsequential
Shouldn't have let myself get caught in negative emotions so that's something else to reflect on

Did my chinups and recovery work. Will do reading later

Stay strong RN community - I'm rooting for all of you 💪
 

Orbiter

Well-Known Member
Honestly i'm struggling somewhat too. I think these particular days are especially difficult. The chaser effect passes and immediately our brain becomes increasingly hyper-sensitive to any triggers/cues that present themselves. It's okay though, the urges & memories are a lie. Porn never has and never will be able to match up to the memory we have of it. Urges can't make us do anything we don't want to.

All things will come to pass. As long as we take it one day at a time, we'll be out of this patch before we know it!

Keep up the great work Particularly!
 
Day 14 of not using porn

Thank you @Orbiter and @Blondie!
Orbiter yes - pretty sure I have read or heard in a few places that the period from week 2 to week 4 or so is difficult
1st week we can ride the momentum of initial resolve to quit
But for week 2 through week 4 or so we are still struggling with high urges but it's too early for deep change in habits and behavior
Although I relapsed at day 50 before so who knows

Anyway good day today. Spent the day out with wife
Was nice to spend time together and there was no opportunity for urges
Got behind with work but that is okay. Will catchup later
Did reading - will do recovery and chinups later

Stay strong RN community. Sending you all support on your journeys 💪
 
Day 15 of not using porn

Thank you @downhillfromhere and @Ezel! Appreciate your support :)
Ezel, yes, definitely important to get out from behind the screen sometimes and remind ourselves what's really important in life

Not such a great day today
Porn urges were low/under control, but focus was all over the place
Have been struggling to maintain discipline the last couple of days
Things like youtube and reddit are blocked, but I still go on wikipedia adventures or get lost reading long discussions on forums
I think it's because I finished a few major projects earlier this week and my brain just wants to kick back now
But I need to knuckle down and focus on work because that allows me to make the most of my free time, and also aids in recovery

Did my reading/recovery work/chinups today
So for this week progress:
chinups 5/7 (missed two days because of medical issue - I'm okay with that)
reading 5/7
recovery 6/7

no progress on men's group
worked 6 days (two half days off)
didn't do so well working in the living room at night - maybe 2/7 days

Still feel like I am treading water - not sinking, but not moving forward either
Especially combined with lack of focus over past few days
Want to start focusing more on active recovery

Stay strong RN community - I always appreciate your support, and I'm rooting for you all 💪
 

Jswizzle

Active Member
PR,
Congratulations on 15 days of no porn! Happy to see you are working on betterment of yourself in general as well.
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101 Essays that will Change the way You Think. (2016). Brianna Wiest. (Kindle Edition)

Different way to measure success:

You extrapolate the present moment because you believe that success is somewhere you “arrive,” so you are constantly trying to take a snapshot of your life and see if you can be happy yet. You convince yourself that any given moment is representative of your life as a whole. Because we’re wired to believe that success is somewhere we get to—when goals are accomplished and things are completed—we’re constantly measuring our present moments by how “finished” they are, how good the story sounds, how someone else would judge the elevator speech. We find ourselves thinking: “Is this all there is?” because we forget that everything is transitory, and no one single instance can summarize the whole. There is nowhere to “arrive” to. The only thing you’re rushing toward is death. Accomplishing goals is not success. How much you expand in the process is.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Onward!

Jswizzle
 

Chuckles

Active Member
Did my reading/recovery work/chinups today
So for this week progress:
chinups 5/7 (missed two days because of medical issue - I'm okay with that)
reading 5/7
recovery 6/7


no progress on men's group
worked 6 days (two half days off)
didn't do so well working in the living room at night - maybe 2/7 days

Still feel like I am treading water - not sinking, but not moving forward either
Especially combined with lack of focus over past few days
Want to start focusing more on active recovery

Stay strong RN community - I always appreciate your support, and I'm rooting for you all 💪
Personally, I see that you're exercising and reading, and I would consider that moving forward. You have receipts to show the progress and active recovery you're doing. I get how you feel like you're just treading water though. Maybe it's a flatline, but sometimes we don't see our own progress until someone else points it out to us.

Keep up the good work!
 

Orbiter

Well-Known Member
I think it may be more indicative of the mood drop that tends to happen at a particularly time without PMO than any real stalling on your progress. It sounds like you've actually been quite pro-active given your considerable workload and recent issues with your health. I think just keep doing what you're doing, when it comes to 'doing the work' strike when the irons hot and be kind to yourself when it's not.

Wishing you well!
 
Day 16 of not using porn

Thank you for the support @Rumson, @Restless Mystic, @Phineas 808, @Jswizzle, @Chuckles, and @Orbiter!
Wow lots of comments. I appreciate all of your input
I have been trying to quit porn for many years, and although I have yet to beat my longest streak, it feels more consistent/positive this time
That is because of the community here on RN, so thank you again for your support. It is making a big difference

Jswizzle thank you for the quotation - fits perfectly
The message is one I should work to internalize more
Definitely guilty of looking at "success" as a place instead of a progress

Focus was bad in the morning today
But got back on track in the afternoon - improvement over yesterday
Did my chinups and recovery work. Will do reading later

Wife away atm, but back tomorrow and urges under control, so not too worried (but trying not to get complacent)

Stay strong RN community, keep writing in your journals, and thank you again for your support 💪
 
Day 17 of not using porn

Thank you @Blondie!
Not as organized as it seems from this journal, but I appreciate the support
Here's to killing this addiction stone dead and becoming better men in the process 💪

Good day today
Wife back, focus good - significant improvement on past few days (not sure why)
Did chinups and recovery work - will do reading later

Less than two weeks to 30 days
Significant target for me as it will be 1/3 of way to the big 90

Stay strong RN community. Sending you all support on your journeys 💪
 
Day 18 of not using porn

Thank you for the support @Ezel!
Been following your journal too - nice to see you absolutely smashing it 👍

Good day today
Focus wobbly at times, but mostly good
Still improving after going down the drain at the weekend
Did my chinups/recovery work/reading and one exercise session (chopping wood)

Next goal - 20 days, then on to 30

Stay strong RN community and keep writing in your journals. Always a big inspiration
Sending you support wherever you are on your journey 💪
 

Blondie

Respected Member
Did my chinups/recovery work/reading and one exercise session (chopping wood)
Nice job Particularly!

I love chopping wood, it's such a relaxing, almost meditative activity. I might do that today just for the hell of it now that you mentioned it. The world would be a better place indeed, if we all would start chopping wood more and playing with our wood less! :cool:

Keep it up man.
 
Day 19 of not using porn

Thanks @Blondie! Yeah spent too much time thinking about the wrong type of wood 🤣
But chopping wood is great. Rare activity where we can have fun smashing things but still being productive
Get outside and get exercise doing something our ancestors did
Plus I love it when my wife sees me chopping wood 😎 (definitely more attractive than seeing me slouched over in front of the computer all day)

Inspired, I did more today, so I count that as exercising twice this week
Also did chinups and recovery work - will do reading later
Focus also pretty good today
Urges kinda strong but in check
Overall good day

One more day till 20 days - then I'll be focusing on 30
Stay strong RN community. Sending you support for the journey 💪
 
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