Thread: 365 days w/o Jerking Off: A self control challenge

Originally Posted by Maeni

I should get back into this. I think I had a pretty good streak going.



That's just silly...
It shouldn't be because you see masturbation as some kind of shameful thing. It's just a test in self restraint, and apperantly it invigorates you and gives you more confidence. It gives you control I suppose. But it's not like masturbation is a bad thing. Just sort of uncontrolled.

I don't see masturbation as shameful. It's just that I'd much rather have sex with a girl. Also, I wasn't dead serious.. But I sure do hope at least I can refrain from masturbating any more during my reboot.

Originally Posted by Vavanar

I am never going to masturbate again.

Jesus Christ. Do you have a partner?

I reckon if I didn't have a computer and it wasn't coming close to Summer, I could do it.

This is interesting:

"Frequent masturbation and ejaculation stimulate acetylcholine/parasympathetic nervous functions excessively, resulting in the over production of sex hormones and neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, dopamine and serotonin. Abundant and unusually amount of these hormones and neurotransmitters can cause the brain and adrenal glands to perform excessive dopamine-norepinephrine-epinephrine conversion and turn the brain and body functions to be extremely sympathetic. In other words, there is a big change of body chemistry when a client compulsively masturbates.

For the individual engaging in compulsive masturbation, they often experience problems with concentration and memory. This is a dangerous side effect of compulsive masturbation and signals that the brain is being over drained of acetylcholine. This behavior can also drain the motor nerves, neuro-muscular endings, and tissues of acetylcholine and replace it with too much stress adrenalin which is where memory loss, lack of concentration, and eye floaters come from. To fight these symptoms, the chemical levels in their body needs to be balanced."



People take Galantamine as a cholinesterase inhibitor (a chemical that breaks down acetylcholine) to improve dream recall and lucidity. Less active cholinesterase equals more acetylcholine, and thus greater memory and cognition function. According to that info above, 'excessive' masturbation 'drains' acetylcholine and causes a decrease in memory and cognitive function. If the info is true.... less masturbation equals better dream recall? LOL.

I know this is a grave over-simplification and mildly tenable.... but lol @ it possibly being good for dream recall/lucidity. Really depends on what they classify as excessive masturbation.

Originally Posted by RemoteVicinity

I don't see masturbation as shameful. It's just that I'd much rather have sex with a girl. Also, I wasn't dead serious.. But I sure do hope at least I can refrain from masturbating any more during my reboot.

Ah okay. It just looked like that the way I read your post, especially with saying "M'ing" but I believe we've already talked about that, using different words for that and so on.

Originally Posted by Maeni

Ah okay. It just looked like that the way I read your post, especially with saying "M'ing" but I believe we've already talked about that, using different words for that and so on.

Yeah it's alright, not quite sure why I used that word, but I guess I've been influenced by reading a lot on a website that consistently uses simply M instead of masturbate/fap/wank etc.

Originally Posted by Wolfwood

This is interesting:

"Frequent masturbation and ejaculation stimulate acetylcholine/parasympathetic nervous functions excessively, resulting in the over production of sex hormones and neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, dopamine and serotonin. Abundant and unusually amount of these hormones and neurotransmitters can cause the brain and adrenal glands to perform excessive dopamine-norepinephrine-epinephrine conversion and turn the brain and body functions to be extremely sympathetic. In other words, there is a big change of body chemistry when a client compulsively masturbates.

For the individual engaging in compulsive masturbation, they often experience problems with concentration and memory. This is a dangerous side effect of compulsive masturbation and signals that the brain is being over drained of acetylcholine. This behavior can also drain the motor nerves, neuro-muscular endings, and tissues of acetylcholine and replace it with too much stress adrenalin which is where memory loss, lack of concentration, and eye floaters come from. To fight these symptoms, the chemical levels in their body needs to be balanced."



People take Galantamine as a cholinesterase inhibitor (a chemical that breaks down acetylcholine) to improve dream recall and lucidity. Less active cholinesterase equals more acetylcholine, and thus greater memory and cognition function. According to that info above, 'excessive' masturbation 'drains' acetylcholine and causes a decrease in memory and cognitive function. If the info is true.... less masturbation equals better dream recall? LOL.

I know this is a grave over-simplification and mildly tenable.... but lol @ it possibly being good for dream recall/lucidity. Really depends on what they classify as excessive masturbation.

That's funny.. When I had just started NoFap and was about a week in, I remember having very vivid dreams.. I also had several lucid dreams even though I put very little effort in trying to have lucid dreams at that time. I'm not saying this is all definitely true just because of what happened to me.. But it adds to the likelihood of it being true, and it seems logical to me. I've probably said this before, but my concentration improved too.

Wolfwood: Is that true for girls as well? Because that might give me a reason to try this again, lol.

Originally Posted by littlezoe

Wolfwood: Is that true for girls as well? Because that might give me a reason to try this again, lol.

From what I could find, everything pertaining to acetycholine depletion and excessive dopamine-norepinephrine-epinephrine conversion was gender non-specific. Although, there are obviously gender-specific biochemical changes beyond acetycholine depletion and excessive dopamine-norepinephrine-epinephrine conversion. These I don't know, nor how they might affect the above. ^_^

Interesting though.

Originally Posted by Vavanar

my stutter went away

That's quite interesting given that stuttering can be attributed to non-normal levels of dopamine. Excessive masturbation causes excessive dopamine-norepinephrine-epinephrine conversion....thereby affecting levels of dopamine.

Originally Posted by Vavanar

Why? More energy, more attraction from women, less anxiety if any anxiety at all

Interesting again - there was a study showing that refraining from masturbation led to a 145% peak increase of testosterone levels on the 7th day of abstinence ... which I assume can account for the above. The article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12659241 And here's another article abstract with similar findings: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11760788

Signs and Symptoms of High Testosterone Levels

- Well-being (reduction in depression and mild euphoria)

- Confidence (reduced social anxiety and greater assertiveness)

- Energy improvements and greater work capacity

- Motivation (greater ambition)

- Sex drive/libido and response times heightened (shorter refractory period)

- Concentration (greater ability to complete complex mental tasks)

- Strength and muscle mass increases

- Body fat reduction and higher basal metabolic rate

I'm not even trying to do this and succeeding.

I would have a better shot at climbing Everest. Good luck to you, sir.

@Wolfwood
If you're interested in this stuff, there are some good articles on this website, e.g. this: The Right Masturbation Advice | Your Brain On Porn

This one is mostly about masturbation, but probably most of the articles are about porn and porn addiction.

"Orgasm can produce not just a drug-like high, but also a neurochemical recovery period as the brain returns to homeostasis. The more powerful the blast of neurochemical excitement during orgasm, the lower the lows as the brain recovers. In some of us recovery may take the form of more intense cravings due to a numbed pleasure response in the brain, (mild or severe) lethargy, depression, anxiety or, in the sexually repressed, remorse (due to projection of distress onto a harsh deity)."

That's what convinced to abstain. And of course this:

"Think about it. How many of your ancestors had easy access to tasty munchies that were ready-to-eat, available cheaply in endless variety, and carefully laced with fat, sugar and salt to keep them coming back for more? How many had computers on which they could click to an unending stream of hyper-stimulating erotic videos, featuring real, novel mates, writhing with desire (perceived by a primitive part of the brain as genetic opportunities)—and, when appetite flagged, a cornucopia of ever kinkier videos?" (Intoxicating Behaviors: 300 Vaginas = A Lot of Dopamine | Your Brain On Porn)

And everything that entails. Well, these are the most basic points. I don't think we were supposed to have access to such heavily stimulating material.

Originally Posted by RemoteVicinity

And everything that entails. Well, these are the most basic points. I don't think we were supposed to have access to such heavily stimulating material.

Indeed - imagine if we all had the 'Replicator' in our room. The fictional machine that could rearrange subatomic particles into any food of our choice, endlessly. I think a lot more people would be obese. This is essentially what having a computer provides, but with different material.



Edit: Man, wish I was back at uni... all of these academic articles on most subjects were freely available. Now it costs. >.<

I think I'm getting back into this. I started exercising again, and I just REALLY feel like doing this. Excercise gives a high similiar to not fapping, so combining them would probably make me feel awesome I'm not sure about how long I'm going to continue, but I am now around day 5 I think.

Well.. after that post from Wolfwood i decided to try this again. This is the third day actually... i'll try to get to one month at least.

I'm gonna go outside for some rollerblading each day, that might be close to exercise ^^

Originally Posted by Spyguy

I think I'm getting back into this. I started exercising again, and I just REALLY feel like doing this. Excercise gives a high similiar to not fapping, so combining them would probably make me feel awesome I'm not sure about how long I'm going to continue, but I am now around day 5 I think.

If that peak of 145% testosterone is consistent, then it'd be great combining it with working out.

Originally Posted by Wolfwood

Indeed - imagine if we all had the 'Replicator' in our room. The fictional machine that could rearrange subatomic particles into any food of our choice, endlessly. I think a lot more people would be obese. This is essentially what having a computer provides, but with different material.

Yeah, I think that's a great comparison - you can find basically any type of porn on the internet, no matter how kinky. Also, the results of excessive porn use isn't nearly as easily recognisable as excessive (unhealthy) eating is; it's obvious that the reason you've gained a couple of pounds is that you've been eating a box of ice cream every day, but you wouldn't directly link e.g. social anxiety with excessive porn use without being aware of what effect porn has on your brain. Food has been around for quite some time I would say whereas porn hasn't, and that's why it's so obvious what unhealthy eating can do to one and unknown to most what porn does.

I leave for like 3 months and this thread is still active?

Wolfwood made me want to try again after my try of 1 month (which was a failure after 2 weeks) haha, starting again today!
Starting: May 16th
Goal: 1 month not jerking off.
Bismilah.

Well, since I have no idea when I exactly stopped, let's do it this way:
- Today is day 1
- I'm going for 3 weeks this time, so this challenge will end on June 8th.

Since everyone is posting their starting date and all that.. i'll do it as well

Starting day: May 14th
Goal: 1 month

4 Days went by, doing well so far xD

Originally Posted by Wolfwood

Originally Posted by littlezoe

Wolfwood: Is that true for girls as well? Because that might give me a reason to try this again, lol.

From what I could find, everything pertaining to acetycholine depletion and excessive dopamine-norepinephrine-epinephrine conversion was gender non-specific. Although, there are obviously gender-specific biochemical changes beyond acetycholine depletion and excessive dopamine-norepinephrine-epinephrine conversion. These I don't know, nor how they might affect the above. ^_^

Interesting though.

Yes, it's true of both genders. Excessive masturbation is definitely bad for you, further than just the downregulation of acetylcholine. Doing it too much also downregulates your D2 receptors, meaning your ability to feel good about basically everything in life drops as well. (D2 receptors cause the rewarding feeling from dopamine.)

I think I might go for a one month challenge.

Maybe.

Go Aly!