OK, so im on one of my longest streaks in a long long time, and im bh still going strong. there was one thing I changed this time which helped me tremendously, and that is ..no internet filter.
every time I tried stopping I would put some sort of block or filter and than I would always find a situation where there was no block from accessing stuff, either a different place or device or removing it myself when possible.
 I realized that what was happening ,was, that as soon as it was blocked I would let my inclinations run loose, bc I anyway couldn't do anything, and I be skyhigh with tayvah and ultimately would fall in one way or another
wheras now I left everything open and have to be on my toes the whole time. im forced to control myself 24 7, and once you've mastered self control, there is no loopholes.
so maybe filters aren't for everyone
so far so good ill keep updatingon my progress 
want to hear everyones opinion

jack123 wrote on 08 Sep 2019 10:40:

Ok, you and I are in the same boat!

The block or filter for me was because I was trying to stop.

Until I discovered, that that’s actually not primarily what a filter is for... 

I got my drivers license, so now I don’t need the guardrail at the edge of the cliff...

Gevura Shebyesod wrote on 08 Sep 2019 19:17:

Ok. But i said “We’re in the same boat”
That’s what happens when you get rid of the guardrail...

But if you drive a Monstah Truck why not just get rid of the entire cliff for all of us??

You are not the first, and presumably not the last, individual on the site that has found the filter to be "ipcha mistavra". However it is rare. For most people, a strong filter removes the nisayon when the urge strikes, and also protects all other members of the house. Being that rabbonim of all branches of Orthodoxy have all urged filters, it would probably be wise for anyone finding themselves in this situation to speak with their rav.

i assume there is no wife or kids that can access the unfiltered phone/computer?
that's right, without going into technicalities its not a michshol for others.
thanks for being meorer.

Hashem Help Me wrote on 09 Sep 2019 03:04:

thanks, it helps to know that others feel the same. btw the rabbonim are talking preventively and for that a filter is necessary whereas here its 'leachar maaseh'...

Markz wrote on 08 Sep 2019 19:30:

And if your boat doesn’t have a railing you might slip and end up in the water. But hey, you have a big boat. So just drain the ocean. 

I tried draining the ocean of filth, but then I read a statistic, that each second, video sites get uploaded with enough content to view in a lifetime. I sure hope I have better things to do with my life.

I can identify with Jack well, as I have experienced the same thing. However I think Markz and GS expressed it well. I was viewing filters wrong. Filters aren't self driving cars, they are guardrails. If someone is hitting the guardrails too often, it's a sign he needs a refresher driving course.

Hatzlocha

Agree.  The best filters are the one that you don't try to breach. 

the question is ,does it work because

1. you have to be on guard

or does it work

2. because now you have pas bisalo?

if number 2. is your answer , what will prevent you when you feel a need to make hamotzie?good point, but pas besalo is said by amoroim who weren't neck deep in this stuff so that was enough for them, no way that that is gonna help. the reasoning is that im forced to work on self control, which makes the first stretch terribly hard but gradually gets easier

Dave M wrote on 09 Sep 2019 15:37:

Great post!!
thank you.

Gevura Shebyesod wrote on 08 Sep 2019 19:17:

20 days and going strong
I read somewhere that you should keep telling yourself 'im sober' as opposed to saying 'don't do this and this'.  the hesber is [im thinking], that if you think yourself a bad guy however much you fight with it eventually you gonna rationalize that youre anyway bad so you should do it. but if you think your good than you wont let yourself do it. bottom line is your not gonna change who you are bc of this stuff, so if your good it wont change you bad and vise versa.
let me know what yall think

That is why it is so important not to beat yourself up for having urges. Urges are normal and even big tzaddikim have them. The yetzer hara comes along and says "You are a lowlife loser anyway - look at the thoughts and desires you have - just act out - why not? it's all the same." As you write, when someone thinks of himself positively - "I am a heilige yid!" and accepts himself as imperfect and that Hashem made all of us with desires, triggers, etc, and commanded us not to act on them, and those urges do not define me, then iyh it is so much easier to tell that yeyzer hara to go jump in the lake - "guys like me don't do such things".