Sexual, Masturbation and Porn Addiction Help Forum

habitcoach wrote:I cam across this great article today and thought everyone would enjoy reading it:
http://candeocan.com/why-cant-i-stop-lo ... rnography/

Thanks HabitCoach, the article you suggested is great. Baby Steps!. You rock man!

Since yesterday, I have been trying to curb my porn addiction but not my masturbation addiction. It's been two days now and I don't feel like masturbating, I don't feel like thinking about my gf. It's strange [I often masturbate thinking about my gf and how she made love to me]. At present, I am craving for stories because they are not pictures or videos. But I know it is also porn. So I am going to avoid it.

I thought, I was strongly addicted to masturbation and weakly addicted to porn. Masturbation and porn, it seems for me, are strongly connected. Earlier, when I did not have a computer, I used to rely primarily on my imagination to fantasize and masturbate. I guess I have lost that ability with time. Now, the fantasy must be fed through a story, picture or video. Good for me

I wanted to join a forum where I can share struggles and have some accountability. It's also good to know that I am not alone in my struggles. I have struggled with masturbation off and on since about 13 and just recently (last half-year) I have exposed myself to internet pornography. I'm ashamed that I could give in to such temptations, but I know I am a sinner. I want to stop this right now before it becomes worse and I am just getting to the point of admitting I have a problem. I'm 38 and thought that these struggles would get easier as I get older, but it hasn't. Sometimes I think life's disappointments and my own failures, as well as a weakened conscience, makes me more susceptible to fall. What do you guys think?

mitch wrote:Sometimes I think life's disappointments and my own failures, as well as a weakened conscience, makes me more susceptible to fall. What do you guys think?

I think you are right: the first thing that's gotta change is our attitude. I think all of those amongst us who have been successful for more than a month should share about their change in their attitudes, etc.

mitch wrote:I'm ashamed that I could give in to such temptations, but I know I am a sinner.

In my opinion, you are not a sinner but you are ruining your life all the same.

I have not watched porn for six days now and a majority of the credit goes to this forum. Thank you. I think our environment is an essential factor in determining who we are and how we live life. Because I read posts by people here frequently, I visit this forum frequently -> the part of me that wants to curb my masturbation and porn addictions stays alive. That burning desire/flame lives on because of this forum [people of this forum]. And therefore, these days I do not give in easily -> I try.

I feel that I'm a part of this small community where people are trying to gain control of their lives. This knowledge gives me a feeling of belonging, a desire to fight and the strength to fight.I feel nice when I think about this community. Although we are suckers right now, I think we rock because we are trying - we are way better than people who don't admit that they are wrong [I see so many people in denial in my college ruining their lives over meaningless things]. And slowly but steadily, we'll gain back control over our lives.

I'm am glad to have found someplace that can help me, too. I have not looked at porn or masturbated for seven days--one week. Thanks for the encouragement. Keep up the good fight.

Mitch

Since I am new to this discussion of my addiction--though I know now I have let my desires to masturbate have some control over my life for 25 years--I have been thinking about a lot of things. Even though I have not really been caught up in pornography until about a half a year ago (I still had dial-up until a year ago...), I think I still looked for images. I remember using a sex-education book when I was 13 or even lines of explicit ancient Greek poetry. I didn't really consider that pornography, but I think in the way that I used it, it was. When I found out what was out there on the internet, I was first of all just curious and amazed, but then I became more desensitized to it. I know it is wrong, as I know masturbation is wrong--even as I am doing it--but a part of me still wants to do what I know I should not be doing. Sorry for babbling my thoughts as they come to me, but I think this is helping me to be honest for once and to recognize and own up to this part of my life.

Many of life's circumstances are created by three basic choices: the disciplines you choose to keep, the people you chose to be with, and the laws you choose to obey.
- Charles Millhuff