Shalom Chevra,

Has anyone ever experienced withdraw symptoms when not acting out for a significant amount of time?

If yes, what are some of the withdraw symptoms that one can expect?

Anxiety. (as in what the heck do I do now with all my free time)

A good question - but exactly what do you mean by "a significant amount of time"? Days? Weeks? Months? Years? Decades? That's important, chaver.

And not acting out - but with occasional sweet drinks - is going to be a very different experience than being clean without holding onto fantasy for a while.

So, which do you mean?

For me, a significant amount of time is 2-3 weeks. The longest streak I've had in the last 2/3 years is about 3 weeks.

I also mean not acting out; as in no inner circle stuff - and also exerting an extra amount of effort to control my thoughts and eyes. (I am often scared of speaking about "exerting effort" around here, as I do believe that the key is to "let go" and not try to "control" everything - but I still do nevertheless, practically, make an effort to control my thoughts and eyes).

So yeah - the question of withdraw symptoms? What is "normal?" Do they get stronger or weaker as time goes on?

After a week you start waking up in the morning shivering.
After a month your hair starts to fall out.
After 3 months the seizures start.
But by a year or two it's all back to normal.

just joking.
funny.
ha ha.

If you wanted to really scare him, CC, you should have just expressed the tru fear of practically every frum, porn-loving guy out there who is struggling his guts out - yet terrified of actually living without any more porn ever again: your penis falls off after not masturbating for two years.

Run!!

OK, now is the time to say:



"Just kidding"

But seriously, thanks for your answer. But one more question: Are you married? For married's it is often much more difficult and rocky.

dov wrote on 19 Nov 2012 18:01:


So now we know the secret of being sober so many years. Big deal!! ;D

MT

MT you are hilarious!!!!!! ;D :D :

... as they say around here - whatever works for you.

Hatzlacha

MT

Anyone gonna comment on my actual original question? =)

Time4Change wrote on 19 Nov 2012 07:27:


for the first few weeks/months it gets stronger and stronger, since the body is yearning for its medication, but after that - once we've gotten used to living life with out this medication - it gets easier and easier.

hatzloch rabbo!

Time4Change wrote on 18 Nov 2012 20:51:


That would be interesting, because the gemara says that if you feed it acts hungry, and if you starve it it acts sated. So there you go. The more you go without thinking about sex, the less strong the desire.

But don't confuse not thinking about sex with thinking about it and not masturbating. That's called white-knuckling it. That for sure is not withdrawal because you are not withdrawing from the thoughts, which is the drug. Porn is not the drug, porn is just an engine for generating the thoughts that turn you on.

so you actually gotta have no interaction at all with the drug to actually be withdraw from it?