What To Do After A Porn Relapse?
So, you're trying to give up porn and now you just had a nasty relapse, huh?
Well, first of all, don't be too hard on yourself. Even though porn relapses can be nasty, they are still a part of the journey.
In this post we are going to take a look at a few things that you should consider when it comes to…
What to do after a porn relapse – but also what not to do after a porn relapse.
Let's jump in right away…
Avoid The Temptation To Make Your Next Clean Streak TOO Hard…
If we've been doing somewhat good the days or weeks leading up to the relapse, after we're done wiping us off in front of the laptop, there is often a temptation there to make the next streak even better.
That's all fine and good, but here you have to be careful not to overcompensate.
Sometimes we feel so bad after a porn relapse that we start thinking something along the line of…
…“If I, as a consequence of this relapse tonight, make my next streak 100% perfect, then the relapse was not for nothing”.
And so we start incorporating things like…
- More physical exercise
- More cold showers
- More mediation
- More intermittent fasting
- More journaling
…etc.
All good things to be sure, but again, not if you suddenly start going too hard with them.
I recently made a video on my YouTube channel, sharing a story from my own rebooting, where I did this exact mistake…
…and what happened as a consequence.
In the video I also share a couple of helpful tips on what you should do instead, when planning your next no porn streak.
Note: the thumbnail say's “NoFap”, but what that really means here is giving up porn.
Watch the video to discover the danger behind making your reboot too strict
I hope you found the video informative. The tips in the end are really something you should keep in mind after a porn relapse.
Let's keep going…
Analyze how the porn relapse happened?
Another thing you want to make sure you're doing after a porn relapse is to sit down, with a pen and a piece of paper, and write down how the relapse happened.
Now, I know from personal experience that this is something that we just don't feel like doing after a relapse. But trust me when I say, it is very important.
Write down the following…
- What steps lead up to the relapse? (triggers, cravings – sequences leading up to the relapse)
- What was your emotional state like earlier that day?
- What can you do if the same sequence happens again to prevent a relapsing in the future?
As you can see, this takes some self reflection as well as some creative thinking. But I'm sure you can see how helpful this will be…
…if you actually write it down, that is.
Just going through it in your head is not enough…
I really need to stress the writing down part. Just thinking it through in your head is not enough.
Another thing to point out here is that, oftentimes, the beginning of a relapse happens much earlier than you'd think. I.e. the seed of relapsing can be planted earlier that day, even though it was until late evening that you act on it.
This is why I said the writing down part takes some deep self-reflection. But again, it is incredible helpful for getting to know yourself.
Self-knowledge is one of the best things to have when wanting to overcome an addiction, or even a bad habit.
You can >>Download<< my Quit Porn Guide for FREE right now!
Immediately do something that moves you towards your goals…
Another thing to do right after a porn relapse is to immediately do something that moves you just a bit closer to your bigger goals in life. No matter how seemingly small that action is right then and there.
Now, you may think that this sounds strange and unnecessary, but trust me when I say, it is not!
By instantly dong something healthy like this it's like you mentally set the tone for your next streak. This will help to prevent you from going into a relapse cycle, where you keep relapsing several days before you get the ball rolling again.
It really helps. So, just do it!
After a porn relapse, make your brain's dopamine system recover faster…
A lot of guys are asking me if there are some specific things they can do in order to help their brain recover faster.
Well, actually, there are.
So, I have embedded another video for you to watch right now, but here I once again need to remind you of the mistake I pointed out in the first video.
The video you're about to watch contains things that, while being incredible helpful for your brain, will still backfire on you if you start doing too much of. Simple because if you do too much, you'll just end up quitting and probably add a few new relapses on top of it. Not to mention you'll risk burning out.
In other words, balance is the key…
How to recover faster after a porn relapse…
I hope you found the video informative.
Just remember to not make your rebooting schedule too demanding, like I talked about in the first video at the top of the page.
I really need to stress that.
Get support form like minded people…
Another thing you could consider to stop porn relapses altogether is joining an online course that also has a great support group.
One such course is Dopamine Discipline, which uses the power of something called habit construction therapy (HCT), to help guys quit relapsing to porn.
HCT seems to be especially effective when it comes to quitting porn, and by signing up you also get access to a private Facebook group -with like minded people- who are all on a journey to quit using porn. You also get your own little accountability group that will help you and support you on your journey. And that you can offer your support to as well, of course.
If interested in this you can click here to sign up to a FREE webinar, where Josh Hudson, a licensed therapist and the creator of the course, tells you more about how it works and then take it from there.
Discover more about the course >>by clicking here<<
Thanks for reading.
I wish you all the best on your journey!
-Scandinavian Bob-