the_mountain_goat
Active Member
ME 145 | 7 PORN
November ▇
December ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇
Januarywr ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇
FebruaryW▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇
MarchWhg▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇
Aprilhgh=g▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ← I'm here!
▇ no PMO ▇ PMO ▇ healthy MO and/or 'real' sex
I haven't been here in a while. Which maybe explains the relapse (only partly, of course).
Very intense but satisfying work gig this week.
However, I came back home exhausted and that's when shit hit the fan (relapse). Classical situation:
I think I want to try and remind myself weekly of what porn might do to my brain (and thus, partly, why I'm doing this). Decided to look at this today: The Top 3 FATAL MISTAKES Rebooters Make. Copied a few things below:
Mistake #1: Using Porn to Stop Feeling Bad
"You’re very stressed about work or school. You spent all your day working your ass under pressure and you know that the upcoming days are going to be the same. There’s pain in your body. You’re mentally exhausted. You want to relax and feel good. So what do you do? Watch porn. (...) Please, stop this. You need to stop medicating yourself with porn every time you feel pain and discomfort. (...) If we keep taking refuge in porn and running away from pain and discomfort then we will never be able to grow as persons"
Mistake #2: Being Hard On Yourself Every Time You Relapse
"There is this damaging belief in the forum that success is measured by how many straight days you go without porn.
Mistake #3: Focusing Too Much On NOT Watching Porn
If you’re thinking about not watching porn, you’re thinking about porn. As long as porn is in your mind, you will have a lot of trouble letting it go. The correct approach is to just forget about it. When urges arise, watch them mindfully. Observe them. Do not react. Do not suppress them. Do not push them away.
I think I mostly struggle with Mistake #1 these days. I'm dealing with loads of work-related stress, tiredness and physical pain. Let's address these one by one:
The problem is to ANTICIPATE when this stress will be most problematic. Which I can now do easily. The same pattern is repeating itself (the five steps at the beginning of this post). I know the pattern. How do I break it if I'm tired and exhausted? It's hard. I might need to stop feeling tired and exhausted and find ways to make more care of myself.
But also to WELCOME pain and discomfort. Accept it. See it as an opportunity to check with myself. Relax. Take care. Meditate. Yoga. Sleep...
November ▇
December ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇
Januarywr ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇
FebruaryW▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇
MarchWhg▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇
Aprilhgh=g▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ▇ ← I'm here!
▇ no PMO ▇ PMO ▇ healthy MO and/or 'real' sex
I haven't been here in a while. Which maybe explains the relapse (only partly, of course).
Very intense but satisfying work gig this week.
However, I came back home exhausted and that's when shit hit the fan (relapse). Classical situation:
- Exhausted me, needs to decompress after a physically and/or mentally demanding trip/experience.
- Arrives home, potentially alone, feels like MO is a good way to decompress (or sometimes, straight to PMO).
- I'm tired and my willpower is thus not very strong. I MO, and that usually feels nice!
- The chaser effect the next day is super strong and I'm still tired, and usually alone (at home during the day) and so I easily give in to PMO.
I think I want to try and remind myself weekly of what porn might do to my brain (and thus, partly, why I'm doing this). Decided to look at this today: The Top 3 FATAL MISTAKES Rebooters Make. Copied a few things below:
Mistake #1: Using Porn to Stop Feeling Bad
"You’re very stressed about work or school. You spent all your day working your ass under pressure and you know that the upcoming days are going to be the same. There’s pain in your body. You’re mentally exhausted. You want to relax and feel good. So what do you do? Watch porn. (...) Please, stop this. You need to stop medicating yourself with porn every time you feel pain and discomfort. (...) If we keep taking refuge in porn and running away from pain and discomfort then we will never be able to grow as persons"
Mistake #2: Being Hard On Yourself Every Time You Relapse
"There is this damaging belief in the forum that success is measured by how many straight days you go without porn.
Mistake #3: Focusing Too Much On NOT Watching Porn
If you’re thinking about not watching porn, you’re thinking about porn. As long as porn is in your mind, you will have a lot of trouble letting it go. The correct approach is to just forget about it. When urges arise, watch them mindfully. Observe them. Do not react. Do not suppress them. Do not push them away.
I think I mostly struggle with Mistake #1 these days. I'm dealing with loads of work-related stress, tiredness and physical pain. Let's address these one by one:
- Work-related stress: my work is like a roller coaster, it goes from very little work, to intense 2-3 days where I travel and everything happens at once. For now, that's how it is. There are many benefits: I don't have to work 5 days a week, I mostly have chill weeks with a few intense ones here and there. These have been accumulating lately. But calm will come back. Also, I need to take care of myself when these crazy weeks happen. I must be able to say 'no', like "no I will just go to bed early and won't go out with colleagues" etc.
- Physical and mental tiredness: I'm someone who does a lot. My life is very busy. I say yes to many things and then I feel burnt out a little bit. I must again learn to say 'no'. Save more time for myself. Not over plan.
- Physical pain: I think that's the one that I feel the most powerless with for now, and thus creates a lot of frustration and stress. I worry a lot about not finding a solution and am very impatient. I'm seeing another doctor/doing other tests in 9 days. I hope that it will start feeling like a solution...
The problem is to ANTICIPATE when this stress will be most problematic. Which I can now do easily. The same pattern is repeating itself (the five steps at the beginning of this post). I know the pattern. How do I break it if I'm tired and exhausted? It's hard. I might need to stop feeling tired and exhausted and find ways to make more care of myself.
But also to WELCOME pain and discomfort. Accept it. See it as an opportunity to check with myself. Relax. Take care. Meditate. Yoga. Sleep...