PF58
Active Member
malando said:I wish I had known about this problem 10 years ago before I got so hooked. I could have written a trilogy of books in the time I've wasted on porn.
Totally with you here. I have felt a lot of remorse about all of the time wasted, imagining all that I could have done and accomplished instead of jerking off to porn. Now I use this fact as a motivating factor to continue with my abstinence since I still have lots of opportunities ahead of me to realize my dreams, god willing!
It was very helpful for me to read on YBOP (http://yourbrainonporn.com/node/1177) the affect that porn addiction has on motivation. It explained a lot!
Although symptoms such as erectile dysfunction, social anxiety, lack of motivation, concentration problems and depression are quite different, they share a common finding in the scientific literature. All have been associated with altered dopamine signaling in the brain's reward circuitry. Dopamine is the "go get it" neurochemical essential for libido, risk-taking, motivation, focus, and anticipation and cheerfulness.
In other words, a decline in dopamine signaling is associated with all of these:
Diminished libido, which is a possible cause of sluggish erections,
Decreased risk-taking and increased anxiety, combined with a tendency toward angry overreaction, any of which can decrease willingness to socialize,
Inability to focus, which can account for concentration and memory problems, and
Lack of motivation and healthy anticipation, which can lead to apathy, procrastination, and even play a role in depression.
For years, I used to wonder what the hell was wrong with me. Why wasn't I more motivated. Where was my drive and ambition? Why couldn't I stop using porn. The answer was, as I discovered on YBOP, that I'd changed my brain through all of that porn use. Thank God for neuroplasticity. The good news is that if I refrain for long enough and start putting my attention elsewhere I can heal my brain and get my MOJO back as many reformed porn addicts have discovered!