👍 Change of Mindset 👍

Hello everyone! For context, I’m not addicted to porn. However, I feel as if masturbating has been developed into a sort of coping mechanism in my life. I am pledging to stop in an attempt to live a healthier lifestyle. I have slowly developed better habits, but I have decided it’s time to prove to myself that I can do this! I have seen this idea supported, but not explicitly stated so far in this community. A lot of people are mentioning removing triggers (socials, access to explicit websites, etc.) but I would argue that to give yourself the best chance at beating addiction, you need to take this a step further. Do your best to not put yourself in a position where you have an opportunity to give into temptation. Take accountability for your weaknesses, and work on building strength. What do I mean by this? For example, I have a seen people mentioning developing habits of edging or utilizing work arounds (listening, etc) as alternatives to traditionally watching pornographic material. I think it is important to note that when you put yourself in that position, it becomes ten times harder to stop than if you never started in the first place. Change your mindset from “I can handle starting and not doing anything/stopping before climax.” The truth is, you probably cannot or you would not be here. That is OK! The number one step in recovery is recognizing that you need help and you are not strong enough to battle it without a mindset change or by yourself. I have failed myself in the past due to this inaccuracy in mindset. Do not put yourself in a position where you can fly too close to the sun. Do not fly in the first place. You will thank yourself later. If you have to ask yourself if you are cheating your recovery or if it counts as relapsing, you probably are and it probably does. No one’s recovery journey is the same, however everyone can recover. I am rooting for you all!