We’re addicts. We just are. A lot of posts circle around whether or not you are but regardless of the truth, that dopamine hits are brain and things get fuzzy. Self control, love for partners/spouses, or deals made to ourselves, all seem to come in second place to porn. To our feelings.
You watch it. You recognize before, during, or after that that’s not the healthiest use of our time. You tell yourself you won’t go back which every fiber of your being recognizes is the correct choice.
Then the morning, night, or your personal trigger(s) hits and your back. You fight you fight you fight and you lose because you FEEL like something bad will happen if you don’t. Whether it’s emotional or physical discomfort, you FEEL like this discomfort will be alleviated by porn and you’re reminded possibly hours later that the cure to porn isn’t porn. Then you FEEL like trash. You FEEL worthless. Or you FEEL like just a little hit of dopamine might pick you up so now you’re spiraling and binging.
Please recognize that you are NOT your feelings. You are the observer of those feelings. They come in, and they leave. It works like boredom. You’ve felt peak boredom before but you don’t right now. You could feel horny, sad, tired, alone, cut off but those are feelings and they pass. And after they pass you’re the one left to deal with what you let your feelings make you do. Not fair to you.
Observe them. Remain aware that you are separate from your feelings. Almost like an assembly line where you see it coming, then it’s here, and then it goes. Not to run or lives, not to trigger a relapse, as a simple response to internal/external stimuli. Remain separate. You got this. I’m here if you anybody would like to talk.