NoFap And Brain Recovery
In this post we are going to talk about the four big changes that happen inside your brain if you develop a porn addiction, but not only that…
…we are also going to look at what you can do to help reverse those changes.
You will learn this in video format (Part 1 and Part 2).
So make sure to watch both videos, but also read the article itself, as I'm answering frequently asked questions in it and give you answers on how long it can take to revers each of these brain changes.
Start with PART 1 here…
If you find the video informative, consider subscribing to my YT channel here.
Alright, so now you learned a bit about desensitization and sensitization.
In part two you will learn more about dopamine, and the rest of the brain changes.
You will also discover a few tips on what you can do to speed up the desensitization and the hypofrontality.
Watch PART 2 here…
- The FREE Webinar I talked about in the end of the video can be found here.
- If you'd rather want coaching you can find my coaching page here.
If you watched both videos, you now have a pretty good understanding of the four major brain changes associated with addiction.
Note that these are not the only changes that happen in your brain, but they are the four major ones.
Also note that the 4 big brain changes happen in all addictions and is not unique to PMO addiction.
However,with PMO there are additional destructive things going on inside your brain that really is unique to porn addiction. For example, you can develop porn induced erectile dysfunction (PIED), which is a result from rewiring your sexual responses to become more aroused by pixels on a screen than by real life people. This doesn't happen in for example gambling or cocaine addiction.
Also, PIED is not the only sexual problem that can accompany a porn addiction.
Some other very common sexual problems porn users can run into are…
- Delayed ejaculation
Related post: how long to regain sensitivity on NoFap - Low libido
Related post: NoFap has killed my libido – here's what to do - Inability to climax
Related post: NoFap and sensitivity - Premature ejaculation
Related post: NoFap and premature ejaculation – 10 TIPS to last longer
Another thing to note about the sexual problems is that that many guys develop these even without having being addicted to porn.
Yes, that's right, you don't have to be a porn addict in order to develop for example PIED.
That said, PIED is of course much more common in those who have a porn addiction.
More About Sensitization
(How to reverse it & How Long it Takes)
So, as you learned in the video, sensitization is what gives you powerful cravings when you see or feel something that reminds you of your addiction.
For an alcoholic, it can for example be walking past a bar, hearing the laughter and clinking glasses.
For a porn addict, it can be a booty shaking video on YouTube, a fitness model on Instagram or even just a certain taim of the day or emotional triggers like loneliness or disappointment.
How to reverse it…
Unfortunately, the nasty thing about sensitization is that once formed it will never truly go away 100%.
There is some debate, among experts out there, whether or not a small minority of people can get rid of it, but the vast evidence points to it being a life long brain alteration.
But don't freak out, because the sensitized pathways do become weaker, and with time they even become dormant, i.e “fall asleep”.
So it's not like you are going to be stuck with super intense cravings for the rest of your life.
However, since they never really go away, they can easily be reactivated if you start doing something stupid after you have recovered from your addiction. For example, this is why most sober alcoholics do not even allow themselves one single drink, as that would most likely fire up the sleeping sensitized pathways again.
The only thing you can really do to weaken the sensitized pathways is to pursue patience and; don't feed the addiction!
Here's a quote from a guy, giving a perfect example of “sensitization” in action…
Whenever I watched TV and I saw some soft kissing, it's was like something inside me started screaming to run to my computer and open up the real deal. In the beginning of my reboot I really had to be careful with this. Now, 142 days in, it still happens from time to time, but the screaming voice is much weaker now. -subscriber emailed-
Yup, that's indeed very typical and it truly is sensitization in action.
Let's move on to hypofrontality…
More About Hypofrontality
(How to reverse it & How Long it Takes)
If you watched part 2 on top of the page, you discovered that hypofrontality means less blood flow to the front part of your brain, the one right behind your forhead, named “prefrontal cortex” (PFC).
Since your PFC is the part of your brain that is responsible for planning and self control and pondering consequences of your actions, it goes without saying that a poor functioning PFC will increase your risk of relapse.
I mean, come on, less self control in combination with strong cravings, of course that's going to make many guys relapse.
How to reverse it:
One word…meditation!
Well, there are other things as well, like for example just the fact that if you don't act on your triggers, you will automatically strengthen your PFC, but if I had to pick the most effective “PFC builder”, it would be meditation.
Meditation and physical exercise will probably help in speeding up your recovery from hypofrontality. And unlike sensitization, this brain change is fully reversible…
…great, huh?
How long does it take to reverse hypofrontality?
It completely depends on the individual, his circumstances and his lifestyle.
I can say that I personally started to see big improvements in my own self control pretty quickly.
Whenever I made it pas the first two weeks I started to have more control over my impulses and was able to not let me get dragged along as easily by negative emotions, cravings or flickering thoughts.
That said, your hypofrontality continues to heal long after the second week mark.
It may continue to get stronger for many months, and if I remember correctly, I have a vague memory if Gary Wilson telling me that it can even continue getting stronger, to the point of outperforming people who never had an addiction in the first place. But since I'm not entirely sure, and since I can't seem to find that study at the moment, don't quote me on that one.
If it really IS the case that the PFC can become stronger in a recovered addicts brain, than in the brain of those who never had addiction problem, how could that be?
You can >>Download<< my Quit Porn Guide for FREE right now!
Building a powerful prefrontal cortex…
Well, it makes sense in a way when you think about it.
Every time you say “no” to a craving, which you have to do in order to overcome an addiction, you are actually strengthen your PFC. And since you have to say “no” so many times in order to get out of your addiction, your PFC has gotten a superb workout for a long period of time.
Granted, you started form a lower level as well, but still, to end up above “baseline” is pretty impressive.
Here's a quote from a guy describing hypforontality pretty well…
In the first week of my NoFap streaks I have little control over myself. If I get cravings for junk food, 30 minutes later you can find me getting busy with a burger and some donats. I also hate doing all the daily small things, like brushing my teeth and washing my face. But my willpower always increases once I get past the first 10 days or so. -From comment section under my YT video-
More About Desensitization
(How to reverse it & How Long it Takes)
I gave you such a detailed presentation on desensitization in the two videos at the top of the page, that I will not go into much more detail about it in text from.
How to reverse it…
Here are some things that may help speed up the upregulation of your dopamine receptors, and thus also reverse your desensitization…
- High intensity interval training
- Cold showers
- Intermittent fasting
- Being out in the sun
- Socializing
- CDP-choline (iver the counter supplement)
If you want to try a CDP-choline supplement, which I talked about, and that can potentially help upregulate dopamine receptors, then you can click here to check pricing on a good brand on Amazon.
Just remember, you don't need supplements in order to heal. Sure, it might speed things up, but again, it's to be considered helpful tools only.
How long does it take?
This too is highly individual, but from everything I have read as well as seen in my now almost 10 years in the PMO addiction community I would say it takes anywhere from 2-9 months to reverse desensitization.
Unlike sensitization, desensitization is according to my understanding fully reversible.
Just be patient and don't take the fasting or the physical exercise to the extreme…
…more is not always better.
More About Stress System Malfunction
(How to reverse it & How Long it Takes)
The malfunctioning stress system is one big reason why guys who are glued to their seat, squeezing all their “man juice” into some kleenex in front of their laptop, often suffer from social anxiety or anxiety in general.
It is also a big reason why stressful things in your day to day life tend to make you relapse.
The dysfunctional stress system is screaming for you to “act out” in order for it to calm down.
How to reverse it…
You reverse this brain change simply by NOT responding to your craving. Then the stress system will learn that there is no more porn coming, no matter how much noise it makes.
It is screaming for those super stimulating adult sites, with you switching from scene to scene with multiple tabs open on your computer. And what you can do instead is to give it something completely opposite…
…meditate.
You can hardly find anything with less stimuli input than meditation.
When the stress system no longer get what it wants, it will slowly, but surely go back to being a more normal “kinder” stress system.
Discover a >>good online course<< for quitting porn right now…
No PMO And The Brain Changes
Final Words
I hope you found this post informative.
Remember now that just staying away from what you are addicted to will reverse your brain changes, so it's not like you have to do the tips I shared.
They are just there IF you feel that you want to be proactive and do everything in your power to help things along.
Thanks for reading!
-Scandinavian Bob-
P.S. Need my help? you can reach out to me here.
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