Anyone tried Nofap? or ever quit porn here?

I don't recommend that site.

While porn may be addictive, there are websites (including but not limited to the one you mentioned) promoting absurd ideas about masturbation in general, that may range from connecting it to shame and fear to those who promote ideas like it increases productivity or makes you become a "social superman".

Masturbation is a healthy habit. Unless you are doing it like 15 times day, which would be obviously way too much, it is a way for you to explore your own body, and research indicates that it is also be related to positive mental and physical effects.

The idea that stop masturbating will do things like increase your productivity is nonsense. Again, unless you are overdoing it (which would be a sign that you should seek therapy to work on this), there's no reason to stop it completely.

Porn may be more addictive, since it has a visual component on it, besides being created especially to grab your attention. In moderation, there's nothing wrong with it, but if you feel you aren't able to masturbate or have sex properly without it, then that's a red flag.

Generally, a good rule is: If you are masturbating once or twice a day (this may increase or decrease depending on your age), it should be ok. However, if you are constantly prioritizing it, like missing work or avoiding going out with friends because you feel the need to masturbate, then that's a really strong sign of addition. If that's the case, like I said above, I strongly recommend you to seek a therapist, so you may solve the issue. Otherwise, if you do it occasionally, it should be ok.

 

When you say you're addicted to porn, what does that mean for you? How often/how many hours a day are you watching it? Are you watching it just while masturbating, or in addition to masturbating? How is watching porn negatively affecting your life? Also, is it giving up porn that's creating the anxiety and depression, or giving up masturbation? (They are different things...)

 

So if I am hearing you correctly, it sounds like the addiction is to orgasm and ejaculation rather than to the porn itself. Because of the neurotransmitters released at orgasm, it does indeed provide a numbing from day-to-day stresses. And if you are using it in this way -- as a coping strategy from day-to-day stresses or depression -- and if you are distracted from activities because you are constantly, actively thinking about the next time you can masturbate, then yes, this does sound like it is in the realm of dependency.

The thing to understand, though, is that the dependency is serving a purpose: it is numbing out whatever is uncomfortable. So in order to address the issue in the long run, you're going to have to work through the uncomfortable feelings, whether that's anxiety, depression, anger, or whatever. Nofap is not going to be effective here, and the other concern is, if you successfully give up masturbation, you'll simply transfer the addictive behavior elsewhere, because you haven't addressed the underlying issue.

Do you have access to therapy? That's going to be your best bet to explore what's creating the underlying stress that's driving the need.

 

It is Nofap's misguided philosophy and lack of scientific basis that's the problem. The point I'm making about addiction transference is that masturbation serves a purpose for you currently, which is reducing anxiety. If you give it up, and don't address the underlying issue, you will find or create a different addictive behavior to reduce the anxiety. It is only when you solve the underlying issue that you will be successful in addressing the long term problem.