Does PMO Cause Brain Fog?
There are a lot of people out there that claim stopping PMO has given them a sharper brain and some of them even say that their brain fog is now completely gone…
So what's the deal? Can PMO cause brain fog?
PMO can indeed cause brain fog. This is most likely a result from so called “addiction related brain changes”. Today's online porn is what biologist call “a supernormal stimuli”, meaning it's something that is far more stimulating for our brains reward system than our cavemen ancestors could ever find in nature. This may lead to a downregulation of dopamine receptors with brain fog as just one of the symptoms, and more can happen…
So, that is what lies behind the brain fog and PMO…
…but how much porn is too much for the brain to handle?
How much porn is too much?
When people learn that porn is a potent stimuli enough in order for it to cause addiction related brain changes, the following two question they most often ask, is naturally…
- How much porn is safe?
- How much porn consumption is considered an addiction?
Unfortunately, there is no exact answer to this because we all have unique brains that react differently to incoming stimuli. The same goes for the question about addiction.
Here's how you can tell if your addicted… (The four C's)
It's not so much the amount of time you spend that dictates whether or not you are addicted, although addiction itself does natural increase the amount using, but what's more accurate is to use the four C's to guide us.
If you notice any of these, it's very likely that you have developed addiction related brain changes…
- COMPULSION (Compulsion to use. It might start as more of an impulse, but as it progresses it becomes a compulsive habit)
- CRAVING (You experience cravings when you try to go without it for a longer period of time)
- CONSEQUENCES (This is continued use in spite of negative consequences)
- CONTROL (An inability to control your use – E.g. you try to stop or use less, but you still end up using more than you intended)
Are you addicted if you relapse?
If you start out on your no PMO journey and then you suddenly find yourself fapping to porn again one Tuesday night, is that a sure giveaway that you are addicted?
Well, not not necessarily!
We have to keep in mind that the sexdrive is a strong force and it may just be that you got overwhelmed by horniness. However, if you swear that you have had enough and that you are going to go at least 90 days without PMO and you still end up relapsing again and again…and again…
…well, now my friend, that is becoming a more likely indicator of addiction related brain changes, especially if you notice negative consequences of your use, as pointed out in the four C's above.
More indicators of addiction…
Another strong indicator of addiction is if you notice strong cravings. Or if you experience withdrawal symptoms when trying to stop…
…like for example:
- Irritability
- Lack of motivation and drive
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- A sudden complete loss os libido (after the initial withdrawals and urges have faded) , also known as “the flatline”. This is a pretty BIG indicator that your brain has been affected by all the porn use.
Another big indicator is you going on “autopilot mode” after exposed to a trigger; Say you are sitting there at your computer, surfing on YouTube, and then you happen to see the ass of a fitness model on one of the thumbnails, your eyes get stuck on it and you open it up to take a closer look…
…then you start looking for more videos of that hot model where she shows here ass (this happens automatically by the way, without you even thinking logically about it), you feel this “yummy buzz” in your body and you need more, so after a few seconds of the fitness model, without even thinking about it, you open up an adult website in order to get to the “real deal”…
…and so you start watching a porn clip, but then there are video suggestions under the clip you are watching, and so now you just have to click on one of those, and then you only watch that new clip for about 20-30 seconds and then you aAGAIN see something more appealing under your current video and you have to open that video up…and so on…click…click…click
…and before you know it, a lot of time has passed and it's not until you busted your beloved nut that you “wake up” from that autopilot mode.
This constant clicking from scene to scene is both an indicator of addiction related brain changes as well as an action that is very bad for your brain because you keep your dopamine levels sky high for so long.
And it is exactly in this moment that your dopamine system becomes disrupted. All that high dopamine causes downregulation of your dopamin D2 receptors. And it is here we can find the reason for brain fog as well, since a disrupted dopamine system has indeed been linked to brain fog.
Some more problems that can arise from having a disrupted dopamine center are..
- Brain fog
- Depression
- Por short term memory
- Concentration problems
- Feelings of fear and shame
- Social anxiety
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How Long Does it Take To Reverse The Brain Fog if You Stop Fapping To Porn?
The good news is that all those negative things, including the brain fog, will go away after some time if you stop fapping your brains out to online porn, assuming that porn was the cause in the first place, of course…
…but how long does it take for no PMO to reverse brain fog?
Ahh, the million dollar question.
And the short, and somewhat boring, answer is that it's different for everyone, but as a general rule you will have to push through the withdrawals and the flatline before starting to see improvements in form of a clearer mind and less brain fog. This typically lasts between 30-60 days, but again, it's different for everyone so some people need much more time.
Here are a few examples of guys who got rid of their brain fog…
Guy number 1
I experienced many positive changes when I finally quit porn 6 months ago. It got worse before it got better though because in the first two months I suffered from pretty nasty withdrawal effects. Then in my third month I started to see improvements. My confidence suddenly toke two or three steps up and all my senses became much sharper. My brain fog lifted and I could think clearly. My erections also became stronger, but that took an additional 2 months, which worried me since my erection problem was the reason for why I started no PMO in the first place…but now my erections are stronger than ever!
Guy number 2
My brain fog disappears after two months of nofap. Every time I relapse and binge for a weekend my brain fog comes back, so I know this is working. I am currently on day 73 and my mind is clear. I have been on and off nofap for several years now. I'm planning on making it a permanent lifestyle.
Guy number 3
“I'm 29 years old and the last couple of years my short term memory and my brain fog got so bad that I though I was having some serious illness. Then after stumbling upon the whole nofap movement I decided to give it a try and today, on day 47 I feel happy, confident, full of energy and my brain fog is gone…completely. It has exceeded all my expectations”
Can We Speed Up The Recovery Process in Any Way?
So are there things we can do the help the brain recover faster?
Well, so far there are no specific studies done on finding activities that help speed up the recovery from porn use…
…however, there are studies done showing some activities helping the regrowth of dopamine receptors, BDNF, along with assisting in general brain health, and it's not far fetched att all to assume those activities would also be very beneficial when it comes to healing quicker from brain changes caused by porn.
Take a look at this video I made a while back,
to discover what those activities are…
You can do so by clicking this link right here
PMO And Brain Fog?
Final Words
So there you have it.
Not all brain fog is caused by PMO, of course, so it's always a good idea to get checked by a professional, but that said, PMO can indeed cause brain fog and when you stop hammering your reward system with supernormal stimuli, your dopamine receptors will grow back and your brain fog will lift.
From mild to severe, thousands of guys have lifted the wet blanket from their brain by going on a no PMO journey and the chances are it will work for you to. Perhaps you should give it a try…
…it just might just be worth it.
Thanks for reading.
-Scandinavian Bob-
Other interesting articles…
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- NoFap changed my life forever
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P.S. Are you struggling? Click here to go to my contact page to discover what kind of help I’m currently offering.
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FAQ's About No PMO And The Brain
Q: Can wet dreams make me lose all the brain benefits?
A: No. Most of the NoFap benefits actually comes from staying away from porn and not from keeping your semen inside you at all costs. That said, semen retention in and of itself can increase energy levels in some men as well as confidence, drive and motivation. But, again, most of the benefits are a direct result from absence of the super stimulating porn.
Q: Can I do nofap if I have a girfriend?
A: Sure you can, unless she's forcing you to watch porn and masturbate? And if that were the case you should probably consider getting another girlfriend. Kidding aside, NoFap is the name for the practise of giving up fapping to porn and self stimulation and that has nothing to do with having sex with your girlfriend. Semen retention, on the other hand, can become a little more tricky if you have a girlfriend, but still possible for example by practicing karezza. Now, my personal opinion is that NoFap is 10x more important than semen retention, but you will find different opinions on that out there, of course.
Q: Can no PMO help with getting better concentration and focus?
A: Yes it can indeed. Many guys who stop masturbating to porn will notice some kind of improvement in focus, memory, concentration or any other cognitive abilities. It may take some time though, so keep going and pursue patience.
Q: Can PMO cause brain fog?
A: Yes!