Does anyone have insight on the effects of quitting porn?

[372kid Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 372kid]

This is the closest-related section to talk about this topic from what I've seen, so hopefully I can get some insight.

I decided to quit porn, if not severely cut back on it, after reading some of the benefits from quitting it as well as excessive masturbation. Masturbation will find a way back into my life when i know I can do it in a more healthy manner. Porn, however, is probably out the window for me. The main reasons I stopped are because people said they had healthier more active sex lives as well as erections, and because its just one less thing you actually NEED.

I'm a week in, and I've noticed 2 things so far:
1.) My erections suck now. They seem comparatively smaller. I get like a half chub at best
2.) My sex drive seems lower

I theorize that this may be part of the process of getting back to "normal" and is temporary, but I was wondering if anyone had any insight on this topic.

[computerguy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close computerguy]

From what I understand it's your body adjusting to the lack if porn induced dopamine (might be the wrong term). When you watch porn that excites your brain produces dopamine (or whatever its called) and just like anything. As you get used to it you need more and more to feel the same effect. Give it a while and your body will start responding more to less of it.

I'm kinda on a porn removal from my life as well and I see the same thing happening. But its gotten a lot better over the following months from when I kind of stopped watching it.

Before I used to have to watch some pretty extreme stuff to get hard. Or picture my wife doing some crazy ass things.

Now occasionally the thought of sex will get me hard and stay hard without needing to picture highly unlikely situations or watch porn ahead of time to get wound up.

[15rando Member Find all posts View Profile Close 15rando]

I also feel like removing porn made me less horny and IDK really. Maybe it takes some time for the effects to kick in.

[15rando Member Find all posts View Profile Close 15rando]

From what I understand it's your body adjusting to the lack if porn induced dopamine (might be the wrong term). When you watch porn that excites your brain produces dopamine (or whatever its called) and just like anything. As you get used to it you need more and more to feel the same effect. Give it a while and your body will start responding more to less of it.

I'm kinda on a porn removal from my life as well and I see the same thing happening. But its gotten a lot better over the following months from when I kind of stopped watching it.

Before I used to have to watch some pretty extreme stuff to get hard. Or picture my wife doing some crazy ass things.

Now occasionally the thought of sex will get me hard and stay hard without needing to picture highly unlikely situations or watch porn ahead of time to get wound up.

I also like to picture your wife doing some crazy ass things.

wut

[BigO AdministratorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close BigO]

Completely normal 372kid. Some cases result in temporary ED, referred to as "the flatline".

It's the bodies way of rewiring, or resetting back. It may take some time, but the long term benefits are well worth the short term frustration.

Keep at it, and don't give up. It will get better, and you will be much happier for the choice you made. Well done!

[Jay1983 Senior MemberMember of the Month Apr 2014, Sept 2016 Find all posts View Profile Close Jay1983]

Welcome back bro.. made any gains yet?

[TheAnimal220 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close TheAnimal220]

Join the AP90, the thread is in the Progress section.

There's a bunch of guys, including me, trying to rid this acidic habit from their lives.

A drop in libido and EQ is very common when guys stop watching porn. It seems to be worse for guys who are used to daily porn use. I know that after 3 or so weeks, my libido and EQ came back.

[closed224 Senior Member Member of the Month Dec 2014, Feb 2017 Find all posts View Profile Close closed224]

For insights, check out the video in my signature. It is very informative, and explains it in real world terms.
From me to you the flatlined process is a short term process. It is easy to convince yourself that the porn is the only way back to good libido and erections. This is not true. Last long enough on your porn withdraw and things will get back to healthy for you. Understand that porn over use is the source of your issues, and stay strong. You will reside your brain, penis connection soon. Then the brain will need your penis to get hard and do its thing properly in order for the brain to get the rush of feel good chemicals it wants.

[Closed054 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Closed054]

my husband is doing so much better for quitting porn. Sex is better. Join the AP90. It is so helpful having support from others. Any addiction is tough to kick. Remember one day at a time brother. It's the only way to kick harmful habits. Best of luck you can do this.

[372kid Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 372kid]

Welcome back bro.. made any gains yet?

A few cms BPEL, but that's about it. Porn may have hindered my gains since I was trying to use it for exercises where I had to be erect. I usually never finished the exercises. I'm Starting over and sticking to bundled stretches and maybe buying an extender. I see you've been doing great though!!

[372kid Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 372kid]

To everyone else, thank you for the info and resources. I didnt wanna directly reply to everyone, because the information was all pointing in the same direction, but I appreciate every reply nonetheless.

[Cb1997 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Cb1997]

I just went through the same process, and can inform you it gets better, friend. My first week sucked too; nothing appealed to me at all because I was so numbed from the extreme, unrealistic views in porn. 4 weeks clean, though, and everything is a turn on now. Literally my horny 18 year-old drive is back and it is pretty awesome to feel. It'll get better just stay away from it! You got this!

[Jackxxx Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Jackxxx]

Its very healthy to get away from porn. Porn I think was more useful in the old days, when quality was very poor, it was NOTHING compared to the real thing. So it did the job for single people or without time to date. But as quality got better, camera angles and of course accessibility to massive amounts of porn, it became a way to completely replace a sexual life and that is wrong.

Stay away from porn, and you whole brain and body will re learn to get excited to real women. next time your in the line at walmart behind a sexy girl, you'll automatically without effort will start getting an erection.

[Jay1983 Senior MemberMember of the Month Apr 2014, Sept 2016 Find all posts View Profile Close Jay1983]

A few cms BPEL, but that's about it. Porn may have hindered my gains since I was trying to use it for exercises where I had to be erect. I usually never finished the exercises. I'm Starting over and sticking to bundled stretches and maybe buying an extender. I see you've been doing great though!!

Haven't made any gains, as far as I know, for quite a long time; haven't measured in months. Heck my libido keeps effing up my routines. Been having a hard time this year sticking to the plan. It is what it is lol

Congrats on those gains

[CanIgrowPlease Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close CanIgrowPlease]

Sadly Im kind if hooked on porn and masturbate frequently to it. Every three days I relapse and masturbate to porn. I watch porn because I don't believe I'll ever have sex with a girl or have the adequate size to satisfy a girl so I masturbate to porn. I want to have sex but I'm terrified that my size isn't enough espically having a pencil dick at 4.5 girth.