How long does it take to overcome a porn addiction?

Between the ages of 12 and 16 I watched a lot of porn and masturbated a lot. I didn't see it as an issue. And then I started trying to stop watching porn by using "NoFap" strategies. That didn't work and so I went in circles trying to stop and kept on relapsing for years and years and years. That cycle would have continued for decades. Maybe I would have got better at managing the addiction, but I'm certain I'd have always eventually relapsed.

I now understand that it is not possible to stop an addiction and also relapse simultaneously.

You choose one or you choose the other. Choosing both is not an available option.

This sounds so incredibly simple, but when I was in the addiction for all those years and consuming the bullshit "relapse is part of recovery" content, I ignored this harsh truth.

But it is obvious. If you are still relapsing, you are clearly still in an addiction. So, what is the alternative? Think through every single urge correctly and proactively rewire the brain to experience permanent mental freedom. This is the alternative.

The gym, meditation, reading, journaling, socialising, learning about the harm of porn, having accountability, forgiving yourself, overcoming shame, talking about the problem, keeping a streak, installing blockers, therapy, urge surfing... the list goes on and on and on. Not a single one of these strategies deals with the moment of compulsive desire. You know that moment where you are just like "to hell with it" and eventually give in and relapse.

To actually overcome a porn addiction, we change how we think. And we change how we think in those moments of compulsive desire. Myself and my clients choose to do this through using a 5-Fact script.

Yesterday, I asked the guys inside of the Beyond Compulsion Academy to share how using their script was going and we got some great replies.

I loved the responses so I've decided to share this with you here:

Here are some of the replies from the guys inside of the Beyond Compulsion Academy:

So, let's go back to my original question: How long does it take to overcome a porn addiction?

Well, if you continue to try a load of random strategies which don't deal with the addicted part of the mind and compulsive desires correctly, I have no idea. Every relapse strengthens the addicted neural pathways and keeps you stuck in your addiction, indefinitely. Relapse is NOT part of recovery.

Where-as if you're willing to face the addicted part of the mind directly - you can take back control right away.

Yes, there will be desires and discomfort for a while, but you don't have to be a slave to those thoughts any more.

You can answer back assertively and experience the empowerment which comes from knowing exactly what to do at all times.

If you take a proactive approach to dealing with this problem, rather than taking a reactive one, then you can enjoy the process of rewiring your brain every step of the way. And freedom is experienced in the present moment, not in some magical future where we experience "NoFap superpowers". This is addiction we are talking about.

Just like you, I developed addicted neural pathways from a young age. I tried my best to stop this problem but nothing actually changed those neural pathways.

If you are still stuck in a cycle of relapsing, you are not the problem.

Your methods have been failing you.

Contrary to popular belief, permanent mental freedom is possible.