Secret I’ve been keeping from myself and others 😭

Hi, this is really hard for me to admit…. But i have a porn, pmo addiction….

There, i said it.

Not even sure if you can have multiple clocks on this….

Not even 24 hours clean….

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Hey lady, that takes alot of strength to admit something that u feel uncomfortable about admitting. But there is so much support here! U can have multiple timers. I believe it’s under the manage option on the main “timer” screen. I have 1 for recovery and 1 for smoking :slight_smile:

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I honestly dont know how to stop…. If there is someone…. ANYONE! Who is also struggling with this…. Maybe they could offer me some advice? Cause im lost :disappointed:

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There are many people on here who I know who are recovery from PMO addiction. I also think there are threads about it. I feel like if u search on the forum there should pop up specific threads for PMO. I’m honestly not sure which one woukd be best. I can also create ur own thread for ur daily check ins for PMO. And then maybe others can comment and provide that support? I know people have made their own daily check in thread for whatever it is that they are recovering from

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https://talkingsober.com/t/pmo-porn-masturbation-recovery

Sorry, I don’t know how links work, but this thread looks good.

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I looked at it thanks

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Matts your guy hes been around for a while wish you well

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Could you tag him? Just so i know who he is? And can ask him some questions?

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@Matt is full of wisdom and kindness. Congratulations on your honesty. Isn’t it nice to know that the whole world doesn’t come crashing to a halt when we are honest about who we are and our struggles? Keep fighting.

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Im gonna keep fighting, i just dont know how to give this one up….

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You will. :heart: I believe that like any habit, quitting is a learned behavior. You just have to learn how to quit this one. Owning your addiction really does seem to help as a first step. That’s a pretty good day 1, I’d say.

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I think so… ¿ I’m not sure…. It doesnt help that my boyfriend is addicted to it too… Which i didnt know til last night… so thats… interesting for our relationship and i dont know what to do now. Im completely lost

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Maybe you two can be accountable to each other. This app is helpful to me because I know there is always someone to talk things through with and that helps when my brain feels like it is in crisis.

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I dont think he wants to stop….:disappointed: We’ll see…

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You are only in charge of your own recovery. I’m sending you strength. :heart:

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Say it out aloud share your story and it will start to loose its power over you. Feel yourself with gratitude and be around ppl that care for you and want to be there for you, they don’t have to be your councellor but to just listen there’s so much power in a good old fashion conversation and a cuppa :pray:

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Glad you were able to post about it and start finding your way! There’s a good number of posts/posters on here under the pmo and porn tags. @Olivia isn’t spending time on the forum anymore these days but she had her own running pmo thread for a couple of years that you might find good information and insight reading through.

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Hi Aura, I’m Matt - nice to meet you! I’ve been reading your posts these last few weeks and I appreciate your determination and your constructive outlook. Life is not easy and it is often complex, but keeping a constructive outlook is what helps you move forward.

The constructive, determined, persistent outlook is what tells me you will succeed in this.

Addiction to porn / PMO is increasingly common, as porn permeates more and more of people’s online lives. It is easy to find and it is designed to keep you thinking about it, it’s designed to “entice” you to come back.

Addiction to porn is roughly equal for a range of genders, including women and men, though many women feel restricted in disclosing it and asking for help, because of (sexist and false) expectations and double-standards for women.

There are a range of supports for working through this. For me, the time my recovery really started to move forward is when I joined a recovery group at a sex addiction recovery clinic in my city (porn addiction and sex addiction are very similar: both are about fantasies and escape / life-avoidance through physical pleasure, totally separated from any healthy human emotional intimacy [which is the foundation of fulfilling physical intimacy]; and both are exploitative and non-fulfilling). We studied “Facing the Shadow” by Patrick Carnes. The cases in that book include both women and men; I’m sure you’d find it helpful. (I recommend working through that book with a therapist who is trained in sex addiction recovery. Not all of them are.)

Neal posted some links to a wide range of recovery support groups for these addictions:

The EverAccountable service is helpful. I use it to give me an extra step, an extra hurdle, to give me time to think. It helps if you get someone else to set the password, so you don’t know it:

Porn, like all addictions, is about avoidance. I encourage you, if you can, to find a therapist who’s familiar with sex addictions, to help you process this. If you can’t get a therapist then a recovery group works too.

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