Don’t know where to start

[HelpedHand]

I guess I KIND of know where to start, since I’m here.

I’m 20 years old. My very first sexual encounter was with internet porn. I was watching porn way before I even knew what to…ya know, do with myself, and by the time I got around to that at age 12 or so, I was locked into internet porn.

In the increasing “Age of Information Transference” as I like to call it, it seems almost impossible to get away from triggers. Whether it be innuendo, sexualization in movies, tv shows, and advertisements, to outright ads for sex almost everywhere you turn.

One of the things I wrote about was not how hard it was to resist porn usage, but rather how easy it was to access it. I feel weak every time I watch porn. Like I didn’t even try to put up a fight. Sometimes I do, and the cravings last until I give in. How do I curb this? How can I help myself?

 

[downhillfromhere]

I dont think there’s a simple answer to that.

I think you’re right in that resisting porn is hard, and giving in is easy - that’s what makes overcoming porn addiction so hard. It’s something that’s also true for a lot of the things we do in life, daily life has become so comfortable for many of us, as soon as we are done with work for the day it’s easy just to sit down and procrastinate - watch porn etc.

If you’re trapped in this cycle or way of life, it can be so hard to get out of. Getting up and going for a run for example, just can’t compete with reaching for a snack or shuffling over to the computer to look up porn, in terms of instant gratification. Positive change takes time, staying in the
habit makes you feel good in the moment.

For a lot of people, they say that removing a porn habit has to involve replacing it with good habits. Use the time for something else, come up with a plan for what you need to do. Otherwise, you risk finding yourself in the same spot you are familiar with and get cravings - which can be so hard to resist. Change up your routines, move some furniture around. Make it less familiar and less easy to fall back to where you were.

As for the cravings themselves, when they do appear, you will get stronger every time you tell yourself “no”. It’s not easy to begin with, that’s why I think it’s so important to do everything you can not to get them in the first place.

 

[TryingHarder]

One of the things I wrote about was not how hard it was to resist porn usage, but rather how easy it was to access it. I feel weak every time I watch porn. Like I didn’t even try to put up a fight. Sometimes I do, and the cravings last until I give in. How do I curb this? How can I help myself?

This is the nature of addiction, specifically a porn addiction. You're right: it's so easy to access and there are lots of triggers. I agree with Downhillfromhere: change takes time. Be sure to break up your usual routine, minimize your time on the internet, and do your best to spend time with other people or just get out of your home when the cravings start.

I've written on other posts about how seductive the fantasy world of porn is; but in reality, you're an addicted guy fapping in front of his computer. That's one of my personal deterrents: imagining myself going down that ugly road again makes me say "no".

 

[Fappy]

get yourself a copy of hte book, Your Brain on Porn - its a great place to start and will answer all of your questions.
familiarise yourself with all the information on this site as well.
its very difficult, at least at the start, to curb the urges. escpecially if youve been into porn for a long time like you have. one key is to stop the urge in its tracks before it has a chance to overwhelm you. if you feel the urge immediately leave the environment, get up go outside, turn off your device, anything you gotta do - this is nonnegotiable. remove yourself and your mind from whatever it was that gave you the urge.
another thing is triggers. this could be anything from seeing a suggestive image on a social media site to a specific time of day which triggers an urge to watch porn. if you can recognize these triggers you can avoid getting any urges.
are you expereioncing any physical manifestations of porn abuse? such as erectile dysfunction, social anxiety, loss of interest in things other than porn, etc?