u/the_pibb

if you are stuck in that loop — sissy porn, gooning, edging, hypnosis, constantly searching and going deeper every time — this is what helped me get out

what has been working for me:

1. i limited my use of social media, i do not spend more than 1 hour per day on it
2. i reduced my use of electronics in general, no more than 4 hours per day
3. i started doing difficult things that keep me busy, like studying law, reading books, learning a new language, i do not stay idle, and that keeps me away from screens. start with something small, just a few minutes, and build a habit, increase it over time. eventually, you will be able to build many habits to maintain you busy.
4. i try to keep my mind as calm as possible all the time, no overstimulation, no rush, no chaos, just one thing at a time, at a steady pace, without stressing about everything, i even stopped playing stressful games because i think they can also be triggers
5. this may or may not be related: i stopped drinking coffee and as a result i feel less restless
6. i stopped trying to fool myself, i used to let my curiosity win, i would look things up on social media as if i did not know what was going to show up, just to get a little taste, i was addicted to digging for content without searching for it directly
7. regarding the previous point, do not let your curiosity win, because if you look for it you will find it

the main point with all of this is that you cannot overstimulate your mind, you need to slow down, become a calmer person, less driven by impulses, more present with people that love you, and set aside time to understand your anxieties and your problems. it will be difficult, you will have to face boredom, discomfort and anxiety, but you will feel much happier with yourself and with life in general.

another thing, never think you are cured, even a small exposure can lead to a relapse, do not listen to your curiosity no matter how loud it gets, do not go looking for things, because if you search you will find it.

my main problem was what felt like dysregulated dopamine levels, and you know how stimulating those videos are, i lost count of how many times i spent hours looking for that kind of content, wasting my day, choosing that over real people who actually matter and depend on me, i am grateful every day for getting out of that.

try to identify your triggers and avoid them, i have adhd and for me those videos were an escape from my problems, and over time i was able to face them and understand them.

and always remember what you are fighting for.

if you fail, don’t feel bad about it, just move forward and understand that maybe you will fail during the process.

the only place to go from failure, is to win!

hope you all win this battle too, guys.