Relapse once again
Day 0
by Alex
112 upvotes
I’ve went 40 days without watching porn and masterbating and relapsed, and then after i went 7 days without it and then i relapsed again. why it is so hard to keep the urges away, but I caved again. I know it’s a process but it hard. Please give me the strength to try again a push through this. I want to do get over this addiction. I want to put my trust in Jesus, but this addiction is hurting me. Give me the encouragement I need. Please, what should I do.
When you workout a muscle that muscle gets stronger, you get better at using it. I’ve seen quitting compared to stength training. But an addicted brain doesn’t work the same way as your muscles do. Recovering from addiction in the brain is more behavior training than working out. If you resist and try to power through like you would an intense workout, your brain will beat you up until you give in because it wants to get a hit of that feel good stuff. Once you relapse you’re telling your brain to repeat its behavior next time it wants a hit of dopamine. So when you relapse you’re telling your brain how to win against your own willpower. Instead of trying to just use willpower to resist urges, change the battlefield and focus on your purpose for quitting. Don’t guilt yourself for failure, but accept it and recognize the situation. What were your emotions like? Where were you? What do you think was triggering the urge. Then follow it up with patience. Urges and temptation will pass with time, just like a hunger pain occurring near a time you routinely have a meal. Your brain willl say okay, not now maybe later. Then have better coping strategies. Natural ways to produce dopamine take more work but give great rewards. This is gotten from exercise like a walk, cardio or lifting. Some creative outlets like writing, art, even puzzles. Boredom is my number one trigger, so I write, lift, walk or do something productive if I’m bored. There’s no instant gratification but once it comes I feel more even keel and in control.