Mine is porn addiction. I don’t ever want to become a coomer but I think I’ve became that already a few times in my life. I shamefully have watched porn, saved porn images and visualized people who’re probably not as into porn as I was.
I really do wish to be done with porn, it’s done nothing for me. I’ve masturbated for many years and I feel like it has hollowed out my mind. I don’t even get that much enjoyment from masturbating as much and the porn hasn’t really gotten any better so I guess I can say that I’ve seen porn when it was at its best when I was younger and everything.
Now all of it is just loli shit, artificial shit and that’s gross or the fetishes have gotten too niche and unappealing. I look around me in porn communities and I haven’t found anyone worthwhile to speak to or associate with. Everyone is six feet under in porn that there’s no way for them out.
Social media. I kicked out all the “algorithmic” stuff 6 years ago. Still find myself spending hours each day refreshing RSS feeds looking for a cheap dopamine hit.
Housing. This addiction is crippling me. I’m spending thousands on it every month.
going off caffeine is fucking me up
You’ve got to taper. I’ve had hangovers after multi-week benders that didn’t hurt as bad as trying to drop caffeine cold turkey. I know tapering is counter intuitive and counter productive for a lot of addictions, but for caffeine it’s a must.
Yeah, that’s what I’m doing. It’s still annoying though when I’ve been doing it for weeks and I still feel like shit all the time and a cup of coffee instantly fixes it (until the buzz wears off).
going off caffeine
No
is fucking me up
If youre not hurting other people I think youre doing a great job.
…what
Dabs for sure. I didn’t know that you could use it heavily enough to cause actual physical withdrawal symptoms, but I sure found out
Ill agree with you on the direction of porn. One guy I think summed it up in that much of it seems like a lot has to do with titles. you search for big boobed blonde getting fucked hard and you see the same video with mother son titles as well as dad daughter and brother sister. So basically they make a porn and then market it in several ways. granted that does not work for more out there sex act kinks. I brought up how you will have these little but and cheek slaps that I can do without but they seem to through it in a lot and you don’t really know its part of it till its far into it. Call me old fashioned but I like a traditional gal taking it in three holes simultaneously. You know. Boring old porn. Ok. On to my hardest addiction. Soda, cola, pop, etc. Carbonated sugar water with caffeine. I have stopped a few times but it does not take much stress or such to have me back on it.
Cigarettes. Crack was easier to quit. Removing yourself from bad places and bad people doesn’t help with cigarettes. They are on every street corner shop in every town.
i’m dealing with a porn/masturbation addiction too, personally…i just kind of came to terms with the fact that i like porn, it allows you to explore fetishes that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to (legally/ethically) irl.
but now i make a conscious choice to goon, not as some automatic general response to stress (as most behavioral addictions tend to be). and of course, gooning is no replacement for actual irl human sexual/social interaction.
i also found that alot of it was the result of death-grip syndrome, getting basic toy allowed sensitivity to return to the point where i could get off from a quick 5m jerk sesh instead of some hours long rabbithole of trying to find something debauched enough to get me off
Gets better as you age and your dick doesnt run your life.
League Of Legends without a doubt
I wish I had the willpower to stop wasting days in front of my PC and go out more, but it always feels impossible, no close friends, no car, live in a small town with an average age that’s probably in the 50s. All I do is go to work and come home to sit in my room. I also hate talking to new people over voice chat (and it takes me some time to warn up to someone when only talking over text) so I don’t do much socialising when sitting at home. I’ve been thinking of moving to a bigger city but that’s a whole other can of worms and doesn’t fix my ability to hold conversions past pleasantries
I feel for you and I hope you can figure out a way to work on it! Therapy and pushing myself to socialize even when I don’t want to has helped me.
I wish I could stop chewing my stupid fingernails
Everytime I manage to not bite my nails down and have actual nails, something stressful happens. Every. Single. Time.
Same, goddamn.
My nails are long, looking nice, I feel good, boom, some bullshit happens that has me so on the edge of my seat that by the time I realize I’m doing it again my nails are already ruined 🤦🤦🤦
This was a tough one for me. One thing that helped was always having nail clippers and a file at my desk at home and work. Any time I felt the urge to bite a nail I would use the clippers and file instead. Over time I have been able to taper down the biting quite a lot and now I’m to the point where I can grow my nails out. The ring fingers are by far the toughest to quit as they’re the most satisfying ones to bite. ADHD medication also helped.
I like the term tapering! It gives it like a therapeutic feeling, sounds I need to order a file and some clippers.
ADHD 🤝 ASD
For me: a big component of it is a sensory thing. My brain does NOT like it when I can feel roughness on my fingers or hands. The best I’ve been able to do is just keep a bunch of good glass nail files around the house and in the bags I use and travel with, as well as some cuticle trimmers. That way I just trim and buff things out until my brain is like “mmmm yes this is fine, carry on”, and it’s way less of a compulsion.
But stress also often triggers it for me, and that’s harder to buff out :(
That’s a great idea! I might pick up a file of my own
I didn’t chew them, but I used to pick them with my fingernails. Painting them helped because then I would ruin it if I picked at them. Also fiddling with something else helps to occupy my hands.
I’ve got issues with this as well, not for how my nails look. I’m a guy and work with nasty stuffs in my spare time so I regularly have black edges. But I can’t stop myself during boring meetings, I need the stimulation to keep myself focused, which I’m kinda ok with but I end up with my pocket full of pieces of fingernail and the idea that some people find that gross…which causes stress, which causes me to pick at my fingernails more…
Hell yeah, sounds like an excuse to paint my nails, I wonder if someone makes polish with like chilli pepper or that stuff they put on video games to stop me from eating them
I’m a snack as well
Umm, I may accidentally changed that by staying for like 12hours outside with a mask on and when I’d go home I’d be tired and would sleep soon after. Did it for like a month?
Or was it another change at this time, not sure
I did it my whole life (~mid forties now).
I met and was talking to a guy about 10-15 years ago, and it came up - he said “oh yeah, I used to do that, I just stopped.”
Now, consider that, we’re both addicts and met at a 12-step meeting.
I’m like “You can’t just stop guy, lawl, wtf?”
But he insisted - “No, really, I just stopped.”
So I tried … and was absolutely, completely fucking stunned - it worked - I just stopped.
Nicotine. Started as a kid, 25y ago. Smoked for about 18y, then switched to vaping when it was new. Started lowering my mg over the last few years, until I hit 0mg late last year, then put that down. Of course, stress doesn’t want to let me fully stop and I’ve learned that after all that time I can’t lean on just one cessation aid. But a combo of patch+inhaler+the right company have mad it easier to not think about as much. Hopefully I can keep that trend going 🤞
“It’s easy to quit smoking. I’ve done it hundreds of times.” Mark Twain
Just quit nicotine again for the 3rd total time. Sucks a lot. And I feel like the nicotine pouches are significantly more addictive than cigarettes or tobacco ever were.
My secret this time was nicotine lozenges. They taste so terrible that it even overcame the positive association I have with nicotine. Good luck out there!
Never heard of this but are they deliberately made to taste bad? Seems like a clever idea. The nicotine is there if you need it but the terrible taste puts you off.
That said, cigarettes smell awful to me and people keep going so I can’t imagine how bad they would have to taste.
I don’t think they are supposed to taste bad. They are just an alternative to nicotine gum. You can get them at pharmacies. I don’t like the gum because it’s bright yellow and leaves little stains in my teeth so I got the lozenges this time instead.
They do taste absolutely terrible though. And yeah, cigarettes smell awful but for whatever reason, I like the taste of them. I quit those a long time ago specifically for the bad smell though.
I’m 10 years without a smoke-
I still want one every time I have a beer at the bar or a morning coffee.
Good luck friend, I had a very similar progression and after decades of addiction, I am now over 2 years without any nicotine of any kind. You can do it.
Following the news.
Between internet sites, twitch, podcasts, etc I spend hours a day just following the news.
What’s insidious about this for me is that following the news is a good thing. I feel I’ve found enough solid news sources that I can stay informed about what’s happening in the world. When I don’t follow along with what’s happening I feel anxious, like I’m going to fall behind and then I will somehow get behind and not be able understand what’s happening around me.
So while following the news in itself is not a bad thing, it has negative consequences in my life, mainly around time. It cuts into my time with my kids a bit. And it definitely cuts significantly into my time for reading books, which is probably my #1 hobby.
I’ve tried to reduce the time I spend on it all but it doesn’t usually work. So it’s a habit I’m trying to kick but not really being successful at it.
I generally don’t condone AI use but this seems like a case where it may be beneficial. Is it possible to feed your news sources into a chat bot and have it generate a “daily feed” of headlines and summaries? If it works right it could save you a lot of time.
I left the US 3 years ago
I’ve always been well informed - but I realized I’ve made my choices, and most of checking the news now is looking for confirmation. It’s an anxiety behavior. It doesn’t change what I’ll do in any way - so why do I need to read it?
Sugar. I’m prediabetic and this shit is everywhere. I know, medically, what I need to do: significantly cut back for 6-9 months until the insulin-resistant blood cells are replaced by normal ones, and start doing HIIT exercises to move that closer to 6 than 9.
But like, doing anything consistently for 6 months is a challenge for me, much less avoiding something that gives me the happy brain chemicals.
She said ‘This was why I couldn’t get off and stay off. Just as the cliché warns. I literally wasn’t keeping it in the day. I was adding the clean days up in my head.’ She cocked her head at him. ‘Did you ever hear of this fellow Evel Knievel? This motorcycle-jumper?’
Gately nods slightly, being careful of a tube he now feels. This is why his throat had had that raped feeling in it. The tube. He actually has an old cutout action picture of the historical Evel Knievel, from an old Life magazine, in a white leather Elvisish suit, in the air, aloft, haloed in spotlights, upright on a bike, a row of well-waxed trucks below.
‘At St. Collie only the Crocodiles’d heard of him. My own Daddy’d followed him, cut out pictures, as a boy.’ Gately can tell she’s smiling under there. ‘But what I used to do, I’d throw away the pipe and shake my fist at the sky and say As God is my fucking witness NEVER AGAIN, as of this minute right here I QUIT FOR ALL TIME.’ She also has this habit of absently patting the top of her head when she talks, where little barrettes and spongy clamps hold the veil in place. ‘And I’d bunker up all white-knuckled and stay straight. And count the days. I was proud of each day I stayed off. Each day seemed evidence of something, and I counted them. I’d add them up. Line them up end to end. You know?’ Gately knows very well but doesn’t nod, lets her do this on just her own steam. She says ‘And soon it would get… improbable. As if each day was a car Knievel had to clear. One car, two cars. By the time I’d get up to say like maybe about 14 cars, it would begin to seem like this staggering number. Jumping over 14 cars. And the rest of the year, looking ahead, hundreds and hundreds of cars, me in the air trying to clear them.’ She left her head alone and cocked it. ‘Who could do it? How did I ever think anyone could do it that way?’
-Infinite Jest
There are now, fortunately, plenty of low carb, low glycemic products that are a lifesaver when you have cravings. 5 years ago navigating the world without sugar was a nightmare but these days it’s much easier. You can’t really go out to eat, people will get offended when you turn down food they’ve offered, but you can do it.
I went to get some low carb keto bread and it was like almost 8 dollars for a loaf when you can get a loaf of Sunbeam bread double the size for 3. Eating right is expensive.
There are now, fortunately, plenty of low carb, low glycemic products that are a lifesaver when you have cravings.
What’s products are you thinking about?
Kind of depends on what you’re looking for. Most of this is going to be based on my own experience, your mileage may very. I managed to reverse my own metabolic disorder with this stuff. It’s worth noting that you don’t need to be 0 carb. You need to be dramatically lower carb than most people are typically eating. If you get less than 100 carbs a day you’re doing pretty well. Anything less than 50 is pretty dramatic and you’ll need to eat a LOT of green veggies to give your brain some fuel. I did that for a few years and had no issues but it’s not a great place to start.
If you’re in to baking there’s a huge community of low carb content creators and substitutes for traditional products. Allulose, Erythritol, xylitol, and monk fruit are all available in various forms as sugar substitutes. I find that a blend of almond and coconut flour gets you close on recipes that don’t need much gluten. Note that xylitol breaks down at high temperatures and is better as a sweetener for things that are cold.
If you just want a fuckin candy bar, Think brand has a few options that are marketed as being Keto. Which may or may not be bullshit, keto and low carb are related but not necessarily the same. It did however, not have much glycemic impact.
La tortilla factory has decent low carb tortillas that are the lowest impact. Mission makes better tortillas that are low carb, but not as low carb. By all accounts however the mission low carb tortillas are fine for people who actively monitor their blood glucose.
I use Isopure zero carb protein powder and make protein shakes that are indistinguishable from a milkshake.
I think Justin’s peanut butter only has peanuts and oil as ingredients. No added sugar.
I’ve found that a blend of soy sauce, rice vinegar, gochujang, sesame oil and a few cloves of chopped garlic gets you pretty close to a traditional “Chinese” style sauce. If you’re desperate for Chinese food. If it’s not sweet enough you can add a little artificial sweetener listed above.
I’m sure I could go on. If there’s a specific low carb thing you’re looking for I might have a recommendation. Unless it’s bread. Get used to using tortillas if you need bread. There is no good low carb bread. It can’t be done.
I’ve been living low carb for 5+ years now. I lost 100ish pounds in about 18 months. I’ve maintained that weight, plus a few holiday pounds, for the remainder of that time. I have slowly reintroduced some carbs and haven’t seen a return of metabolic syndrome yet.
Bike bike bike!
Specifically, road. Put yourself aside, and just try it properly. The freedom is amazing and self motivating. The reason you don’t see many people is primarily because they don’t try road bikes and don’t understand them. People tend to prejudice the unfamiliar. The bike is optimal for human anatomy in unintuitive ways. The efficiency is amazing. The number of disabled people that ride is far higher than you likely imagine. While women are a more rare segment in cycling, the primary barrier is only self perception. Roadies are super friendly and accepting of everyone, except during a race. If you’ve got a slower metabolism like me, you will likely excel at endurance activities. The airflow keeps your body temperature lower than any exercise other than swimming. That is why I always struggled with a gym routine; getting uncomfortably hot. Committing to a ride is not like other exercise where you are able to contemplate stopping early. It takes 3 weeks to get used to a saddle, and 6 to turn actively pushing yourself into a neutral routine your body accepts. Everything after 6 weeks starts to become harder to stop than it is to continue. I was 350lbs in 2009 and under 190lbs by 2013. Even after a broken neck and back in 2014, it is still easier for me to keep my routine than it is to stop. Your sugar problems will go away in a few months time. One of the other groups of avid cyclists is celebrities. Like Robin Williams was famous for people encountering him on the road and at events. On a bike, in a kit, helmet, and sunglasses, you are totally anonymous. It does not matter how you think it will be before trying it, on a bike you assume a new identity and no one knows who you are unless you tell them. Road is the only type of bike that is like this. Every other type of bike is a compromise and totally different experience. I’ve worked with diabetic amputees, people that could not walk, and been and worked with the morbidly obese. You can do it dear!
If only I could cycle in my town without fear of death from every direction
Similar for me, but the stress of it all helps burn calories, the fear like a little boost to the exercise. Poor joke.
I’m a lifelong bike commuter and trail rider. I ride a minimum of 50 miles a week. It the wrong kind of exercise for this.
But hell yeah bike! bike! bike! for its own sake!
Sorry to hear that one dear. I do not pretend to understand on some deeper level, but why can’t you fully control blood sugar by upping mileage?
I used to calorie crash often at 400+ miles a week, or even half that many miles when I was cutting weight intentionally. At 400+ I could not increase calories to compensate. I was getting into sprouted grains and micro nutrients off the bike, and maximum simple sugar and salt while riding. Three hours minimum per day, and full time+ job was fun. I haven’t legitimately hit the wall in a decade, but still have a primal dread of that feeling of no blood sugar left at all. Kinda curious in case I ever have a similar issue because 90% in bed and 5% zooming on what remains of race legs is an odd life.
Blood sugar, perhaps, but the real long-term issue is the resistant blood cells. HIIT helps wear those out faster so they’re replaced with newer, hopefully less resistant ones. Exercise like cycling where you hit a stride and your heart rate plateaus isn’t effective for that, is my understanding.
You can do HIIT exercises on a bike - more easily on a stationary trainer. People do it as a way to increase their FTP. I’ve not tried it as that kind of suffering isn’t my jam. But if you love cycling and want to do HIIT, you can
I don’t consider myself a gooner or coomer or whatever, but there are days where I really feel like a fucking waste of a person due to how much I beat it. Sometimes I’m doing something else, but if I’m not focused, sometimes horny will just happen and that gets focus quite easily.
I know the best way for me to get rid of that is to block sites via
hostsfile, as it’s a slight annoyance to edit it in Windows (gotta open notepad as admin, then make it openc:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts), which is already enough to make me give up and do something else. I have added a bunch, but there are many that aren’t blocked and it’s so damn easy to find them…My silver lining is that I don’t use the phone for porn, so I only need to step away from my computer to avoid porn altogether, but the PC is my main addiction that I’m not even trying to break.
