Relapse is a common concern for men when they begin their reboot.
Most come from past programs with abstinence-only approaches that make you feel like you’ve failed if you have a slip. I see it differently, though. When you’re learning how to stop porn addiction, relapses are part of the process.
If you’re like the majority of men early in the Porn Reboot system, you likely attach a lot of emotion to relapses. You feel a lot of guilt and shame if you start watching porn again, even if only for an evening. You might find yourself trapped in a negative thought spiral that keeps you stuck for longer than you should be.
I prefer men in the Porn Reboot program to remove all emotion from the relapse experience. You don’t need to assign big feelings to it when it happens; simply recognize that you made a mistake and determine how you can best avoid it moving forward. In this way, I like to see the process of viewing slips as data. This makes it easier to get back on track instead of digging yourself into a hole.
Men who are prone to feeling big emotions after a relapse will struggle with this at first. Learning to detach emotions from slips feels like a huge challenge. But when you start to rationally view slips as data, it becomes easier to not feel guilt, shame, or anger because you’re busy processing the experience.
For example, when you experience a slip you can immediately dissect what happened. Maybe you didn’t get enough sleep because you stayed up too late watching YouTube videos on your phone. You watched the videos because you felt frustrated that work took longer to complete than usual and you wanted to feel a bit of relief from that stress.
This gives you multiple points to adjust so that you don’t have to slip in this same manner again. If you finished your work in time, you wouldn’t have felt as stressed or frustrated. If you recognized that sometimes you’re going to have bad days at work, you might not have sought relief from YouTube videos. If you still needed some time to de-stress, you could have achieved it by reading a book or meditating for a few minutes instead.
Breaking down your relapse in this way makes it almost impossible to feel bad about it. Sure, the goal of the Porn Reboot program is to eliminate your out-of-control behavior with porn, sex, and masturbation. But expecting it to go away immediately is only a recipe for disaster. Assigning big emotions to something that’s almost guaranteed sets you up for failure, too.
Viewing slips as data is a far more efficient approach to your reboot. If you haven’t already, I recommend practicing it as you learn how to stop porn addiction. You’ll become more effective not only at avoiding slips, but you can apply this reasoning to other troublesome areas of your life. You don’t need to feel bad about relapses when they simply offer you more information on how to avoid them in the future!
Brother, addiction to pornography is a big problem in our society today. Many people are developing a pornography addiction as a result of easy access to pornographic content on the internet. It’s crucial to realize that not everyone who views pornography develops an addiction to it. Pornography addiction can occur for a number of reasons, but one of the most important causes is opportunity-induced addiction.
When someone develops a pornography addiction as a result of having easy access to pornographic content, this is known as opportunity-induced addiction. For those who struggle with poor self-control, unstable emotions, and humiliation, this is frequently the case. We shall delve into these three aspects of pornography addiction in more detail.
Low Self-Control
You’ve probably heard of self-control before. It’s the ability to regulate your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to achieve long-term goals. However, some of us struggle with low self-control, and that can make us more vulnerable to addiction.
When it comes to pornography addiction, low self-control is a big factor. People who struggle with self-control are more likely to indulge in pornography when given the opportunity. They might not set any boundaries for themselves or have any moderation in their behavior. As a result, they can quickly become addicted to pornographic material.
If you find yourself struggling with self-control, it’s important to know that you’re not alone. Many people struggle with this, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. However, it’s crucial to take steps to strengthen your self-control and prevent addiction.
One way to do this is to set clear boundaries for yourself around pornography use. Try to limit your viewing time and avoid using pornography when you’re feeling vulnerable or emotional. It’s also helpful to find alternative ways to cope with stress and negative emotions, such as exercise or meditation.
Emotional Instability
Emotions are a big part of being human. We all experience sadness, frustration, grief, loss, loneliness, or anger at some point in our lives. It’s important to have healthy ways to express and deal with these emotions. But sometimes, we might not know how to handle them in a healthy way, and that’s where emotional instability comes in.
People who struggle with emotional instability may not know how to express or deal with their emotions in a healthy way. They might bury their emotions and try to ignore them. This can lead to emotional distress and even mental health problems.
In some cases, people turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with their emotions. Pornography addiction is one of these coping mechanisms. When people experience negative emotions, they might turn to porn or other sexual activities to distract themselves from their emotions and feel better. Unfortunately, this can lead to addiction and make things worse in the long run.
That’s why it’s important to learn healthy ways to deal with our emotions. Talking to a therapist or Reboot coach can be a great way to start. They can help you identify your emotions and teach you healthy coping mechanisms to deal with them. Exercise, meditation, and spending time with loved ones are also great ways to deal with negative emotions in a healthy way.
Remember brother, emotional instability is a common factor in pornography addiction. By learning healthy ways to deal with our emotions, we can avoid falling into unhealthy coping mechanisms and addiction.
Shame
Shame is a difficult emotion to deal with, especially when it comes to addiction. It’s understandable why people turn to pornography to distract themselves from the shame they feel. But it’s important to remember that there are healthier ways to deal with shame.
One common cause of shame in pornography addiction is secrecy. When people keep secrets, it can create a pattern of behavior where they feel like they have to lead a double life. This can lead to feelings of worthlessness and shame. If you’re feeling ashamed of your addiction, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. There are resources available to help you overcome your addiction.
Another cause of shame in pornography addiction can come from discrimination. If you grew up in a household where your parents discriminated against certain groups of people, you may have internalized those beliefs. This can lead to shame if you find yourself attracted to someone outside of those beliefs. It’s important to challenge those beliefs and remind yourself that love knows no boundaries.
Shame can also come from past traumas or experiences, such as sexual abuse or assault. People who have experienced trauma may feel intense shame and guilt, even if they were not at fault for what happened to them. This shame can lead them to turn to pornography as a way to cope with their emotions and feelings of worthlessness.
In addition, shame can also arise from religious or cultural beliefs. Many religions and cultures view sexual activity outside of marriage or certain norms as sinful or shameful. Individuals who grew up in such environments may feel deep shame and guilt for engaging in pornography or other sexual activities, even if they do not necessarily believe it is wrong.
It’s important to recognize that shame is a complex emotion and can arise from many different factors. However, dealing with shame is an important step in overcoming pornography addiction. This can involve seeking therapy or counseling to address underlying issues and learning healthy ways to cope with difficult emotions.
By addressing the root causes of shame and developing healthy coping mechanisms, individuals can work towards breaking free from the cycle of addiction and living a happier, more fulfilling life.
Pornography addiction is a big problem, but understanding the causes of opportunity-induced addiction can help people take steps to prevent addiction and seek help if necessary. If you struggle with low self-control, emotional instability, or shame, it’s important to talk to someone about it. Addiction can be overcome, but it takes effort and support. Remember that you’re not alone, brother. There’s help available, and you can break free from addiction.
Porn addiction is a serious problem for thousands of men around the world. I know this is true because I’ve worked with many of them in my almost 15 years of building the Porn Reboot program. It’s something that can destroy a man’s life and strip him of everything worth living for when it gets bad enough.
Pornography is a growing issue, especially for men who are exposed to it during their younger years. Excessive porn use alters natural brain chemistry and causes a wide range of negative effects. Are you wondering whether your pornography use might be a problem? Over the next few weeks, I want to cover 10 of the most common porn addiction problems I see among men seeking help in the Porn Reboot program. These include:
Do you feel tired no matter how much sleep you get? Whether it’s an hour because you stayed up all night watching porn or it’s one of those miraculous full nights of sleep, you may feel exhausted regardless of the amount of rest you got.
Low energy is another common porn addiction symptom. Compulsive porn use zaps you of your energy whether you realize it or not. I struggled to stay awake during the day when I watched a lot of porn. Some nights it was because I was up far too late, other times it was the residual mental exhaustion that comes from constant preoccupation with porn addiction effects.
The difference between energy levels when you are on and off pornography is like night and day. Off pornography, I’m able to put in 18-hour workdays, including two to three hours at the gym, every day. I still get a solid amount of sleep each night and then in the mornings I’m up, excited, and ready to do it again.
I understand that other things may cause your low energy levels. Disrupted sleep cycles, underlying illness, or adrenal fatigue are some factors that can seriously impact your energy levels. But if you’re dealing with an out-of-control behavior with porn, sex, and masturbation, that compulsive sexual behavior is most likely the cause of your struggles.
You shouldn’t need obscene amounts of caffeine to make it through the day. If you’re chugging energy drinks, pounding espresso, or relying on other stimulants to raise your energy levels, you might want to consider your porn use as another primary culprit.
Porn addiction is a serious problem for thousands of men around the world. I know this is true because I’ve worked with many of them in my almost 15 years of building the Porn Reboot program. It’s something that can destroy a man’s life and strip him of everything worth living for when it gets bad enough.
Pornography is a growing issue, especially for men who are exposed to it during their younger years. Excessive porn use alters natural brain chemistry and causes a wide range of negative effects. Are you wondering whether your pornography use might be a problem? Over the next few weeks, I want to cover 10 of the most common porn addiction problems I see among men seeking help in the Porn Reboot program. These include:
One of the biggest jokes about human sexuality revolves around men who can’t last long in bed. There are plenty of reasons why some men come too fast, and porn doesn’t always have to do with it. However, if you struggle with premature ejaculation and watch a lot of porn, chances are the two are related.
A common cause of ejaculating too soon comes from training your brain to reach climax as quickly as possible. It usually begins during adolescence when you have very few opportunities to masturbate. You took any chance you could get, and it usually had to happen fast. But the longer you did this, the more it instilled the need to ejaculate fast in your brain.
Fast forward a few years, and premature ejaculation can become a debilitating pattern that affects your sexual relationships. It can be incredibly embarrassing and shameful, especially as you start to dip your toes back into building relationships and having sex with women.
Thankfully you can do something about your premature ejaculation. You’re less likely to deal with premature ejaculation as porn addiction effect and masturbation become a part of your past life. Spending more time around women and having more sexual encounters will also improve your ability to last in bed. It won’t happen all at once, and it takes time to retrain your brain, but it’s possible to end your struggles with premature ejaculation.
Porn addiction is a serious problem for thousands of men around the world. I know this is true because I’ve worked with many of them in my almost 15 years of building the Porn Reboot program. It’s something that can destroy a man’s life and strip him of everything worth living for when it gets bad enough.
Pornography is a growing issue, especially for men who are exposed to it during their younger years. Excessive porn use alters natural brain chemistry and causes a wide range of negative effects. Are you wondering whether your pornography use might be a problem? Over the next few weeks, I want to cover 10 of the most common porn addiction problems I see among men seeking help in the Porn Reboot program. These include:
Erectile dysfunction is the most dreaded porn addiction symptom imaginable. The inability to get it up during sex is one of the most emasculating and disturbing things that a healthy man can experience.
ED used to be reserved to men in the later stages of life, something we dealt with once we got older. However, with the advent of high-speed internet connections, men are consuming a lot more porn a lot earlier in their lives.
Porn-induced erectile dysfunction was likely unheard of before the age of high-speed internet porn. Most older men relied on catalogs or their dad’s magazines to find worthwhile material. But adolescents and teenagers all have phones where they can find and watch a mind-numbing amount of content in a short period.
ED is no longer something that only older men struggle with. Men who have compulsive problems with porn addiction effect and masturbation are experiencing porn-induced erectile dysfunction much earlier in life. We’re seeing young men stricken with ED at an alarming rate.
If you’re struggling with erectile dysfunction, this is one of the most pressing porn addiction symptoms. Your porn use is causing serious problems in your life that will only get worse with time. If you choose to ignore the ED or blame it on other things aside from porn, you’re setting yourself up for lasting challenges as you get older.
Today I’m bringing you the second half of the top 22 objections I hear from men joining the Porn Reboot program. I want to help you understand that your hesitations and concerns are far from unique. They’re something I hear regularly from men fearful of ending their out-of-control behavior. I know it’s not an easy step to take but I guarantee you that it’ll be the best decision you ever make.
12. I’m worried the Porn Reboot community will judge me
Every member feels the same way when they first join the program. It’s human nature to fear being judged especially for something like a porn problem. However, we have a zero-judgment policy in our community and I take that very seriously.
13. I’m scared about what I’ll have to share with the group
It’s perfectly normal to feel scared. Almost every member tells us they felt a bit scared when they joined but it didn’t take long to settle in. The group is caring, supportive, and attentive. We allow no room for judgment no matter who you are or what you’ve done.
14. I don’t want to join a group, I prefer one-on-one coaching
There’s a great quote from the book The Power of Habits by Charles Duhigg: “Real transformation occurs amongst other people.” Countless studies show that effective change happens when you’re around a group of like-minded individuals and the same applies to your reboot.
15. I don’t feel like I’m ready
You’re never going to feel like you’re ready, brother. Acknowledging your porn addiction problem is a difficult thing to do and you’ll never feel prepared enough. But you need to take action at some point if you want results and sooner is always better.
Porn addiction is a serious problem for thousands of men around the world. I know this is true because I’ve worked with many of them in my almost 15 years of building the Porn Reboot program. It’s something that can destroy a man’s life and strip him of everything worth living for when it gets bad enough.
Pornography is a growing issue, especially for men who are exposed to it during their younger years. Excessive porn use alters natural brain chemistry and causes a wide range of negative effects. Are you wondering whether your pornography use might be a problem? Over the next few weeks, I want to cover 10 of the most common porn addiction problems I see among men seeking help in the Porn Reboot program. These include:
The tenth and final symptom in our series on porn addiction symptoms is losing the ability to orgasm during sex. This might be one of the worst symptoms of all. Finding no real pleasure from sex is an emasculating and alarming experience. And it likely means you’re close to developing erectile dysfunction if you haven’t already.
It’s time for you to eliminate pornography from your life if this is something you’re dealing with.
Several things occur during the onset of losing your ability to orgasm. Signs that you’re on the way include decreased sensitivity in your penis, a sharp decline in arousal with your regular sexual partners, and developing strange or unexpected fetishes. The most common indicator that you’re losing the ability to orgasm during sex, though, is needing to think or fantasize about porn while you’re actively with a woman in bed.
Once you’re at this point, brother, there’s no reason to continue watching porn. You likely have a full-blown pornography addiction at this point, whether you want to acknowledge and accept it or not. No healthy sexual being requires a virtual stimulus to perform and neither should you. Compulsive pornography use is a detriment to your life and only holds you back from everything that awaits you.
Wondering how to end your out-of-control behavior with porn, sex, and masturbation? The Porn Reboot system can help. We provide a clear-cut path to ending your compulsive sexual behavior, rewiring your brain, and building a life that is worth living.
The Porn Reboot system is unlike anything you’ve tried before. We don’t rely on counting days, on white-knuckling, or on forced abstinence. Instead, we have a method that works with your brain and biology, not against them. If you’re ready to end your out-of-control behavior and change your life, we’d love for you to join us today.
Porn addiction is a serious problem for thousands of men around the world. I know this is true because I’ve worked with many of them in my almost 15 years of building the Porn Reboot program. It’s something that can destroy a man’s life and strip him of everything worth living for when it gets bad enough.
Pornography is a growing issue, especially for men who are exposed to it during their younger years. Excessive porn use alters natural brain chemistry and causes a wide range of negative effects. Are you wondering whether your pornography use might be a problem? Over the next few weeks, I want to cover 10 of the most common porn addiction problems I see among men seeking help in the Porn Reboot program. These include:
Pornography functions by constructing a false world. It’s one where people (mostly women) exist solely as objects for the pleasure of those watching the videos. The vapid, shallow “storylines” serve as a vehicle for the entire point of porn: sex. There is nothing romantic, loving, or intimate about pornography. It’s an imaginary illusion that holds little to no weight in the real world.
But compulsive pornography use puts you in this false reality day in and day out. Your constant consumption of these videos warps your perception of how relationships and sex work in real life. Most women aren’t actually interested in doing the things you see depicted frequently in porn.
Frequent pornography use also exposes you to unrealistic standards of physical beauty. Most women in porn pump themselves up with implants and fillers, sculpting bodies that don’t typically exist in the real world. When you see video after video and image after image of these Barbie doll bodies, though, you begin to think that every woman should look this way.
Losing interest in real-life partners is a telltale sign of pornography addiction. This was the biggest indicator that porn was a problem for me. As my porn use escalated, I completely lost all sexual interest in the woman I was with at the time. The more I sunk into my porn addiction symptoms, the less I found myself aroused by any of the women I saw in real life.
It also warped my expectations of what women should look like and the types of women that I deserved to be with. Never mind that I had no dating skills or much to offer; I believed that I needed to be with women like those I saw in the pornography I watched at home.
I see this a lot in men I work with in the Porn Reboot program. They develop unrealistic standards for the women they date while bringing little or nothing to the table. If you find yourself holding these high standards or wholly losing interest in real-life women, your porn use may be a problem.
I like to find or make funny memes and post them in the Porn Addiction Counseling – Reboot Facebook group about once a week. Like a lot of others, I find that humor is a great way to cope with topics and experiences that can be difficult and painful at times. So our weekly memes are something that brothers in the group often look forward to.
A couple of weeks ago I made a meme that I thought was pretty funny. It was a picture of Mr. Clean, that bald white mascot for a cleaning company, wringing water out a sponge. The caption on the image said, “Your wife’s panties after hearing you decided to quit pornography and join Porn Reboot.”
It was pretty hilarious if I do say so myself, and lots of guys in the group thought it was great, too. We spent so many years more interested in porn than sex with our wives or partners. Lots of us struggled with porn-induced erectile dysfunction, too. No wonder our spouse is excited when we’re finally ready to quit porn. And any man with the same experience can relate.
But some brothers had some choice words in response.
“Bad. Just bad.”
“What little interest I had in joining your program is gone now.”
“Completely unprofessional.”
“Do you wanna be taken seriously?”
“You charge folks for porn reboot coaching and you post this crap?”
“Apologize to the group and take it down right now.”
I was astounded at how many people were offended by a simple joke. I didn’t think it would cause that much of a problem. But it also got me thinking about what being offended by things means at a deeper level.
It reminds me of when I was a confused Catholic guy in my 20s. During my freshman year of college, I remember watching drunk girls come home with a guy and judging them. Night after night I sat with my friends calling these women all sorts of names, but then went back to my dorm room and angrily jerked off at the same girls I judged.
I judged women I couldn’t be with. I judged comedians who made vulgar jokes on late-night television about different actresses and celebrities. And then I would masturbate while thinking of whatever woman made me angry earlier.
Over time I realized that I wasn’t actually angry at these women or those jokes.
I was really just angry at myself.
I was upset at my lack of sexual control and how quickly I betrayed my perceived values. Those things that I thought made me angry really just aroused shame, guilt, and jealousy. It wasn’t the world that had the problem, it was me. I was the one with a messed-up view of the world, looking at everything through the lens of my porn-addled brain.
Lots of the men in the Porn Reboot program grew up in households held together by Catholicism or Christianity. We weren’t taught that sexual jokes are okay. And then our closet porn addiction stunted our ability to relate with women, but we believed our lack of sexual experience was their problem.
I spent so much time placing blame on others that I never bothered to consider the common denominator every time I was offended: me. I was the one finding fault in everything when really I was the one at fault.
I imagine the brothers who lashed out at the simple, silly meme I posted are dealing with something similar. Many of us share similar experiences and they’re probably dealing with underlying self-loathing, shame, and guilt. They haven’t yet employed the tools we use in the Porn Reboot program to determine the source of these feelings.
Instead, they lash out at perceived offenses or injustices. They allow external circumstances to dictate their internal condition. And I know from experience because I did the same thing. Thankfully, I learned to respond to situations and circumstances, not react. It isn’t an overnight process but it’s possible.
If you’re struggling with finding offense in everything around you, then your reboot will help. Porn Reboot is about so much more than pornography. Sure, porn addiction is what gets you in the door but you’ll find more than that waiting for you once you commit to the process. Freeing yourself from the need to feel offended is one of the most important things you can do. Join us today and find out for yourself just how incredible that freedom can be.
Porn addiction is a serious problem for thousands of men around the world. I know this is true because I’ve worked with many of them in my almost 15 years of building the Porn Reboot program. It’s something that can destroy a man’s life and strip him of everything worth living for when it gets bad enough.
Pornography is a growing issue, especially for men who are exposed to it during their younger years. Excessive porn use alters natural brain chemistry and causes a wide range of negative effects. Are you wondering whether your pornography use might be a problem? Over the next few weeks, I want to cover 10 of the most common porn addiction problems I see among men seeking help in the Porn Reboot program. These include:
If you’re like the rest of us in the Porn Reboot program, I know you’ve asked yourself at least a few times why you’re watching certain types of porn. Over time you’ve likely stumbled into some odd genres that you never imagined finding arousing. You might feel ashamed or embarrassed about the things you watch, yet you come back to them night after night.
Unusual porn fetishes are a huge part of porn addiction symptoms. Any guy who watches porn for a long time knows it’s fairly normal to progress from one genre to another. Similar to drugs or alcohol, your brain develops a “tolerance” for your usual porn genre. Once your go-to videos don’t do it for you anymore, you have to move on to another type of scene.
Most of the time we start with straight porn but that becomes boring after a while. Then we move into varying genres, from lesbians to interracial to gay men to transgender people and so on. Eventually, you may progress into watching more intense, aggressive, and hardcore scenes. Some men reach the point of watching illegal material, too.
The shock and excitement of taboo sex tend to be the thing that causes you to orgasm. Unfortunately, you send a signal to your brain that says, “Hey, this feels good and I’m totally cool with getting off on this,” each time you orgasm to one of these fetishes. Oftentimes they aren’t things you would ever participate in in real life, but you continue watching them play out on the screen day after day.
The most important thing I want to stress is that the kind of porn you masturbate to isn’t an indicator of your sexual orientation. I know it’s something that lots of men worry about when they find themselves watching gay porn. Watching these genres of porn doesn’t necessarily mean you’re gay or even bisexual.
I’ve talked with many gay men who, through repeated exposure to porn, developed a sexual attraction to females. They were never interested in women before in their lives yet the porn they watched altered their arousal template. The same applies to straight men who watch gay porn.
Still, this doesn’t keep men from fearing that porn changed their sexual orientation. Again, this isn’t true. If you’re concerned about this, you may be dealing with something called a homosexual obsessive compulsive disorder, or HOCD. It’s the persistent fear that you may have a different sexual orientation than you imagined. Men who watch porn genres opposite to their sexuality often struggle with it but they do so in silence.
Ultimately, any unusual porn fetishes you consume may alter your arousal template for the time you’re watching porn. However, once you eliminate porn, sex, and masturbation from your life, those compulsive fetishes dissipate. You’ll learn what really arouses you and what was porn-induced. And it’s not something you have to handle alone because nearly every man in the Porn Reboot program understands this symptom from personal experience.
