This may help guys

So as a teen with PIED, one can imagine that Id do anything to get my erections back. So this is my third and final attempt to reboot, and I have some advice. I don't know if this will work for everyone, but I gave up every single thing that could potentially spike dopamine. This ranges from junk food, video games, music, and tv. I have avoided all sexual stimulus and this includes looking at real women in a sexual way. On all of my reboots, I have been able to get my morning wood back within the first month of rebooting, and this time it's back and I'm having wet dreams on day 9. Still a long way to go, but I'd like to hear what everyone has to say about the all-or-nothing approach, I think it could work for all those with PIED
 

challenged

Active Member
I'm not sure your approach is really "all or nothing."  My understanding is that lots of things result in the release of dopamine.  Eating food that you enjoy (not just junk food) releases dopamine.  Exercise releases dopamine.  I would guess that enjoying good times with your friends can release dopamine, as I think I read somewhere that laughter releases dopamine.  Perhaps even having success at work on a project can result in a release of dopamine.  So I don't think it is even possible to go for, say 90 days, without any releases of dopamine.

I guess there might be certain non-sexual things, like playing video games, or gambling (or drugs) that might result in large releases of dopamine (maybe that's what you mean by "spike"), or other activities that might be avoided from a health standpoint (e.g., eating junk food) that might be beneficial to the rebooting process for some.  But I don't think one can avoid releases of dopamine altogether, and I'm not sure it would even be healthy to try to do this.  Indeed, judging from the comments of many on this forum, I think exercise is helpful to the rebooting process, and I think listening to music could be a very good substitute activity for porn, even though listening to music would probably give one a good hit of dopamine.

The problem is not dopamine per se.  It is the instantaneous and continual surges of dopamine from internet pornography.  Anyway, that's my understanding.

My final comment is that, if what you suggest works for your reboot, then more power to you.  We all need to find what works for us as individuals.  I just don't think (based on what I have read) that it really makes practical sense to talk about eliminating every activity that we find pleasurable that could result in a significant release of dopamine.
 

Greek99

Member
yellowbrickroad said:
So as a teen with PIED, one can imagine that Id do anything to get my erections back. So this is my third and final attempt to reboot, and I have some advice. I don't know if this will work for everyone, but I gave up every single thing that could potentially spike dopamine. This ranges from junk food, video games, music, and tv. I have avoided all sexual stimulus and this includes looking at real women in a sexual way. On all of my reboots, I have been able to get my morning wood back within the first month of rebooting, and this time it's back and I'm having wet dreams on day 9. Still a long way to go, but I'd like to hear what everyone has to say about the all-or-nothing approach, I think it could work for all those with PIED

2 steps forward and one step back is still a step ahead.

I don't think being "clean" for 6 months and then PMO'ing once is going to set you back to where you were on Day 1. 

What I believe you are experiencing is simply that your brain healed a little bit each time you tried to quit (then reverted back, but not all the way), so now you are seeing results faster. 


Keep in mind, that for most people, having wet dreams is something that may take 6 months to a year to obtain, especially the 20+ crowd that has done this for 10+ years. 

It seems that for the majority of people, this hole process is really a fully 2 year process, at least that is what I am reading. Gabe says it took him 15 months to get to where he felt he was fully healed. 
 
Top