[ztdrumman93]

I would strongly appreciate any advice to stop masturbating. I don't take a religious side to it because I'm not religious, but I want to stop for good. I can go for two weeks straight at most without doing it, but when I do it again, I feel all my progress is reset and I get pissed off at myself for being so weak and ruining my record and progress on the road of stopping. I get depressed after wards and I know a lot of people would say that it's healthy and it feels good to masturbate. I've been masturbating since 7th grade and I'm a senior in high school now. I want to stop because I feel like I lose my self-identity and I'm not able to enjoy things like I used to. I view them as pointless and boring after I do it and I find it hard to get excited about things. I can't even look at an attractive girl without thinking about doing her as the majority thought. But when I don't do it, I feel happy and excited about things, but somehow I think I'm addicted. It's like the longer I go without a "fix" the harder it is for me to stop. Any advice on how to stop for good?

[Clemintine]

It might help to understand what goes on when a brain become addicted to porn, and once you know you might just have the heart to stop cold turkey. Have you read up on it before? Right now I'm reading a book called "the brain that changes itself" in one part of that book it looks at how men get addicted to porn and how it changes the actual pathways and maps in your brain. Pretty freaky... it describes exactly what you seem to say here, it becomes boring almost something you don't want to do but can't quite stop, real women become unattractive or not a turn on. Though really it talks about what internet porn specifically does, I think masturbating in general is fine... being addicted to porn is different. Do you think it's masturbating your addicted too, or the material you masturbate too?
Either way, Cold turkey is the best way.
I'm no professional at this, I actually think if you are suffering from this and want to stop, seeing a real professional may be a great help to you!
It does suck and feel frustrating when we slip and start again and lose our progress, but you get back and keep trying to stop and that is really good the best thing you can be doing. If you really want to stop you will, you will find a way!
I would not suggest anything to cause yourself pain or distaste to stop masturbating (like say putting something painful on yourself to stop yourself from masturbating) That will just cause trouble down the road... you'll be enforcing in your head that sexual activity leads to pain and shame, I believe you would be causing troubles later for yourself if you wanted to have relations with someone... it might just go badly and you would think your going to be in pain or something.
I only bring that up because I know of ED people who have sick and disgusting pictures beside where they eat, so it wires in their heads that eating causes feelings of disgust and horror, and so they avoid it and it just causes some bad psychological problems later on down the road if they want to recover.. I feel like that's what would happen!
Either way... Figure out if you feel addicted to the porn you masturbate to, or the actual masturbating... If it's porn go cold turkey! If it's the actual act, I'm not sure... and I would talk to someone about it, just to even get the input of a professional can help!

[ztdrumman93]

Thank you very much Clementine!! But it's not porn I'm addicted to. Honestly, I find porn degrading for both males and females. It's just the fantasies that go on in my head. I have a very difficult time suppressing them.

[ztdrumman93]

Thank you very much Clementine!! But it's not porn I'm addicted to. Honestly, I find porn degrading for both males and females. It's just the fantasies that go on in my head. I have a very difficult time suppressing them and it adds even more stress on me to the point where I just give in to feel relived. Even though that is my problem.

[ztdrumman93]

*relieved.

[chrisjenkins]

I thought all guys do it. I do it a few times a week and have sex with my wife. I didn't even think this thread was real when I read it. You are not addicted to pleasuring yourself. I am 43 and can't remember when I went a week without doing it.