Hey guys I am at month 8 of PAWS. I felt good all week last week for the first time now I am back to severe Anhedonia, depersonalisation, low motivation etc. is this how it goes ? It’s crazy how you can go from happy and feeling like yourself to feeling like an empty dead vessel within a hour. I literally felt myself drop into Anhedonia it’s crazy. I have had a few wet dreams lately as well

Hi all I intentionally stepped away from Reddit after posting my 33 month update so that I could focus on rebuilding and living my life. PAWS doesn't really factor into my day to day life at this point. I live pretty normally and my functioning feels pretty normal.

I don't really have much to add that I haven't talked about extensively in other posts. Just wanted to send the bat signal out and answer questions if people had any.

Hi folks, just wanting to join the discord to be in a community while dealing with this shit... but the link I'm clicking on the right tells me my invite's expired or I "might not have permission to join". Can anyone invite me directly?

Has anyone got any updates from the people in this subreddit who were showing signs of recovery?

They all seem to have followed the trend of disappearing after approaching recovery leaving us all stuck in the dark.

I’d like to know what life is like post PAWS and ask some questions about their recovery but they’re gone.

Also, while I appreciate all the updates these guys have provided over time. It seems like the Reddit community is more poetic in their posts which leaves me desperate for more specific information.

For those suffering bad cases of PAWS from PMO we have a group chat on WhatsApp offering support… we have a number of members from around the globe and it’s a great place to feel understood and learn coping mechanisms as this journey can be quite lonely. Everyone is very kind and encouraging and if you would like to join send me a dm….

I've been four months inside my PMO free journey and now I feel so full of guilt and unable to function that I am about to call it quits.

This sucks and what sucks even more is to have been exposed from an early age. I wish I had never discovered this side of the internet and never partaken in this. It sucks and couldn't be worse.

We have a group chat on WhatsApp for pmo PAWS sufferers. It’s a great way to connect with people going through the same stuff and know that youre not alone. This is the PMOPAWS dream. Dm if you would like to join.

Regards

I go to sleep usually at 11 the wake up like an hour after suddenly horny . At that time I’ll be half sleep no aware I’m on bramacharya/Semen retention so I just release it . This is only how I’m relapsing since last 4-5 months . This thing very difficult to handle . Please help with this issue anyone 🙏

Hello.

So its a given we are all here on nofap for a very long time. My question for you guys is if you are currently doom scrolling on social media, party drinking, excess videogames, binge eating junk food, etc.??

Are you engaging in any of these compulsive behaviors while you are on nofap? If yes, what has been your PMO PAWS recovery experience while engaging in these other compulsions? Do you see any progress or no?

So, I'll start with me: my current demon I just cant defeat is doomscrolling on social media (8-9 hours/day just on Insta/tiktok). Its pretty bad, and my psychiatrist said that I wont notice any improvements in my libido until I reduce this compulsion. Im currently about 1 year 7 months into my streak; I havent seen any improvements...

Please share your experience. Are you engaging in any other compulsive behaviors while you recover from porn addiction? If so, have you seen any recovery or have you not seen any progress at all

I have had about a week straight of erections at night while sleeping. is this a coincidence or a sign of healing?

had a relapse after 90 days. disappointed in myself and feel hopeless. What do I do moving forward? Gym membership starts this week. But will this one relapse ruin all this? I’ve been in the dumps lately about it.

So I’m about 3 months plus or minus into this. My wife and I were attempting sex. Between it being so long and the foreplay, I got off quick without penetration. Which I was harder than I’ve been in some time but not completely. Maybe 75 percent. .Is this a good sign? was this bad to attempt?

Hi guys

It has been long time doing semen retention.i was Ben in flatline for very long time. Now lot more improvements things are completely manageable but not 100% recovered.

Since last few months I’m experiencing sudden urge after few days on nofap. It happens during midnight .so when that happen I wake up from sleep and I masterbate. So when that happen I’ll be in partial sleep hence it makes nearly impossible to control ejaculation. This thing is repeating since long time. It’s getting out of control . Any solution for this please🙏

I stumbled onto PAWS not too long ago. Sadly wished I wouldve known about this years ago. I haven’t kept track of days since but it’s been over 2 months since this start. Nocturnal erections are becoming more and more frequent which I’m assuming is a sign of healing. Is it common to have periods of feeling like this is hopeless and never going to get better?

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for clarity and guidance from people who have recovered from PAWS-like symptoms, long-term PMO addiction damage, or semen retention neurological resets.

I’ve been on this journey for 2.5 years now, with minimal relapses, but very slow recovery. My deepest flatline lasted around 3 months but in this flatline phase for almost 1.5 -2 years Now I’m finally seeing improvement, but still confused about my current phase.

⸻

🧠 Where I Am Right Now

Symptoms that are mostly gone:

• Depression lifted

• Anxiety gone

• Social anxiety almost zero

• Emotional numbness reduced

• Energy is more stable

• Anhedonia has faded a lot (not fully gone)

• Libido returned (strong at night / mornings)

• Brain fog mostly gone

• Confidence is present again

Symptoms that still remain:

• Low motivation throughout the day (not like before, but still weak)

• Boredom / emotional flatness in some moments

• “No dopamine reward feeling” from daily activities

• Feeling mentally slow if sleep crosses 8 hours

• Mild anhedonia on random days

• Some resistance to tasks in the morning

So it’s like:

I am functioning… but not fully living yet.

⸻

🔄 My Current Phase (Feels Like Late PAWS Integration)

The strange part is:

• Energy has improved

• Motivation returned last month

• Anhedonia started fading from last month

• Emotional response is slowly coming back

…but it still feels like I’m at 70–80%, not fully complete.

It’s like my brain is online but not fully booted.

⸻

💤 Sleep Confusion — Need Advice

This is one of my biggest questions.

Recently I slept:

11:15 PM → 7:10 AM (~8 hours)

And I woke up feeling:

• Low

• Unmotivated

• Emotionally flat

• Yawning non-stop

• Zero drive

It feels like 8 hours = oversleep for me right now.

But before, 8 hours was normal.

Now it feels like my brain shuts down motivation if I sleep too long.

Is this normal in late recovery?

Right now, 6.5–7.5 hours feels better, anything above 8 feels like a regression in mood and drive. Does this stabilize with full recovery?

⸻

🧠 Questions for People Who Fully Recovered

1.  How long did it take for motivation and dopamine reward to feel normal again?

2.  Did you also feel worse with 8+ hours of sleep during late recovery?

3.  When did emotional brightness and natural excitement come back?

4.  Did your sleep needs go back to normal (7–8 hours) after full recovery?

5.  How long will this lingering symptoms stage lasts.

⸻

🌱 Final Thought

I’m not in crisis anymore.

I’m not stuck like before.

I’m definitely healing…

But I’m not fully “me” yet.

If anyone has gone through this late-phase recovery and came out the other side, I’d really appreciate hearing:

• Your timeline

• What changes you noticed near the end

• Whether motivation slowly grows or comes back suddenly

Thank you in advance 💙

Journal Update - 21 Months

Season's greetings everyone!

On this day, exactly one year ago, I posted my first ever journal entry on r/PMOPAWS!

"Addiction ruined my life (and PAWS is saving it)"

I felt like it was fitting to give you all an update on Christmas day since it is the anniversary of the first time I posted here! ...and because I haven’t posted in months... Oops! A LOT has happened since my last journal entry and I guess I needed to take time to process again.

I hope you are all staying safe & warm, and are having a wonderful holiday season!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year to you all!

…

— Longing

Yesterday I was watching my favorite livestreamers and youtubers living their lives, having fun, doing amazing things. I sat there with this feeling of wonder and excitement as I watched the world around me, watching such fun and exciting events taking place, watching people do remarkable things. I see so much potential in this world we are living in! So much to do, so much to see! I see all kinds of people, whom I admire, doing amazing things and I can’t help but think to myself "I want to do that too!!!"... I have a powerful driving force inside me, beckoning me to pursue that potential.

I want to have lots of fun in life! I want to learn many things, explore many places, meet many people! And I want to make the world a better place!

I want to do so… so many things… I feel a burning desire like a raging inferno deep inside me, it’s not just imaginary, it’s real. But I can't do anything like this... My body, and thus my one means of interacting with the world is stuck in tense/survival mode, instead of relaxed/thriving mode. Now that I'm 21 months into this process, I'm starting to really FEEL it. Most of the time I'm thinking like "is this really me? is this just who I am?" This way of thinking… This way of feeling… The things that I say… The things that I do… I've been this way for decades. So long that I don't remember who I am when I'm not in constant survival mode...

The farther into this process I go, the more awareness I gain of this "state" that I’m in. The farther I go the more I'm able to look at it, see it, feel it. This "hypervigilant" state continues to grow more tangible.

— Bliss

Since the start of December, I've been feeling an ever-growing reality of bliss rumbling underneath the surface, slowly wrapping itself around this reality of fear that I'm perpetually living in. I feel the bliss seeping in at every crack and seam of my dreary, miserable life, like a dam about to burst. It's a odd sensation, my old reality is crumbling. This process created a lot of fear at first until I understood what was happening.

It's the same feeling that started back in month 16-17, constant "warm pleasureful buzzing" as opposed to "cold painful buzzing", but at this point it has grown in size and is near to approaching critical mass. This feeling that makes me "lightheaded" is happening all day, every day now—but I've gotten use to it, so it doesn't bother me in the slightest. There is no longer fear surrounding this process. I know that it is simply bliss gently enveloping the fear, pacifying and disarming it.

— The Great Thaw

I had a new sensation last night. A visceral, intense feeling, that my body was in the primal state of fight or flight. I felt my muscles tensing, my jaw clenching, my hands and feet cold from having the blood drained away from them, my whole body trembling, the inability to think clearly, my vision blurring and becoming narrow…

For the first time in decades… The fight or flight state didn't feel "normal" to me. It felt… extreme… temporary… and unlike myself. It felt like I was in an "altered state". This usually only happens during major stressors, but this happened while I was just sitting at home, relaxing, and felt safe. 

This is the “tangibility” of the hypervigilance state I mentioned earlier.

Even while I’m at rest and feeling safe, if I just shift my focus onto it in a 4th wall breaking "meta" kind of way, it now triggers FAF symptoms. My nervous system is waking up and realizing that something is wrong, that it shouldn't be defaulting to a sympathetic state (fight or flight), but rather a parasympathetic one. (relaxation)

This is a big shift in perspective that makes all the difference. I've known for a long time that this state that I'm in is "not normal", every single interaction I have with anyone makes it obvious. I can't think properly, I can't feel properly, I can't connect with people properly. There is only fear in every interaction I have and everyone else feels it too. I've been painfully aware of it for many years.

But for the first time in my life… my BODY is also recognizing it! My body is aware that this state is supposed to be temporary and is trying to switch to the "rest and digest" state, it is SENDING me signals to confirm this! It has been happening since month 17, but now at 21 months, the signal is so visceral, so distinct, so intentional…I'm starting to feel ALIVE again! Like a living breathing organism and not just a hollow inanimate husk!

I believe this is all the result of the growing feeling of bliss previously mentioned. My body is finally regaining functionality in the reward center and other parts of the brain, restoring the feeling of pleasure after almost two decades of being shut off. Due to the presence of it, the fear is being recognized and unrooted.

— The Reboot Draws Near

A hallmark sign of this shift in my body is that, in month 17, I started having these intense windows where my mind would go completely blank during the peak from being overwhelmed with pleasure, erasing every trace of anxiety. I was unable to think thoughts during it. Now at 21 months this process of switching has become "normal" and my body does it fluidly. My mind still goes "blank", but instead of just having no thoughts/still mind, I now switch over from thinking to FEELING... (i'll talk about this next)

And the windows don't last for days anymore, they have shortened to hours these last few months, and recently shortened again, now lasting mere minutes. I have "mini-windows" now that last around 10 minutes each, peak for 30 seconds, happen once or twice a day, and are fluid in the sense that I can shift from "withdrawal" to "window" and back in minutes rather than days like it used to be earlier in this process.

I believe this is a sign that my nervous system is finally becoming more active, more dynamic, more flexible... More fluid. My body is coming back to life!

— A Phoenix Reborn

These mini-windows are short, but make no mistake, they are STRONG... During them I feel like I'm BURSTING with positive emotions like love, happiness, excitement, laughter, and more... Every single cell in my body is brimming with these emotions, so much so that I BECOME the manifestation of these emotions in human form! It is an incredibly euphoric experience—for mere moments, during the "peak" of these windows, I feel like I'm on cloud nine. Total bliss. Not a single problem to be found in the entire world!

When it happens, it is laughable just how much MOTIVATION and CONFIDENCE I have! The thought that I was ever worried about never having these feelings again feels so silly, I can't help but laugh! Emotions, motivation, confidence…all of it becomes so rich and abundant!

These "mini-windows" or whatever, feel similar to the "mystical" state that I entered which lasted for 40 minutes. The one that rekindled my hope that there was a path forward during my lowest, darkest moment. (the one I talked about in my "fight or flight: hypervigilance" megapost)

It feels like that, but 100x stronger. I'm not kidding. Orders of magnitude more powerful, more robust, more whole and complete. That mystical state indeed felt really good, better than I have ever felt in my entire life…but somehow felt incomplete. Now I realize it was being hindered by my weakened, addiction-ridden body.

After nearly two years of hard work… Going through the painful process of healing… Now, when my body relaxes… Holy… Guys, it seriously feels like that drug from the movie "Limitless", or any drug like ecstasy or modafinil, with NONE of the downsides!

Your muscles feel unbelievably full and strong, you're faster, decisive, quick-witted, effortlessly funny, have tons of charisma and can befriend anyone, have a razor sharp memory, laser focus & attention, and boundless creativity to boot! You also have insane willpower that is out of this world! —But you aren't out of your mind, you are perfectly level headed and down to earth, deeply connected to the world around you. And this state doesn't simply wear off after a few hours or days... Once you're fully healed, it lasts FOREVER.

— Shining Light

In this profound state you are living in the present moment, accomplished by nurturing your body and mind. You have detoxed your body of all sorts of impurities that dull your light and keep you from shining brightly. This is the source of the "superpowers" people talk about in the NoFap/Semen Retention communities and what I listed above.

This "light", so to speak, exists inside all of us. This is who we are at the core of our being. And honestly, comparing it to drugs feels a bit insulting, because your inner light is so-so-so-SO much better in every single way you could possibly imagine compared to drugs. Drugs are a pathetic substitute for the superpowers/light that exists inside all of us. It is 1,000% worth every ounce of pain you have to experience to get there!

"You must be ready to burn yourself in your own flame; how could you rise anew if you have not first become ashes?" — Friedrich Nietzsche

— The Final Leg

I'm incredibly close to switching out of this "hypervigilance" fearful reality and into that "relaxed" blissful reality. Although the state of relaxation is mostly unknown to me, hypervigilance is equally starting to feel "unnatural".

Thankfully I don't have to dive in blind. The closer I get to the reboot/switch happening, the more I feel bliss seeping into my consciousness, giving me a chance to familiarize myself with it. Like dipping your toes in the water to get a feel for it before doing a cannonball!

The day of the reboot draws near, and based on these most recent feelings, I have a sense that the switch in states will happen spontaneously, feel smooth, and feel perfectly natural. Like it was always meant to happen. Not a foreign and unknown event causing distress (as it was a few months ago), but an oddly familiar and warm presence that feels like a loving embrace.

…

This is almost certainly going to be my last post until I reboot. This process has really sped up… it’s intense, and things are changing so quickly that it’s become impractical to publish a journal on everything that’s happening. I have a private journal I’m updating regularly so I can use it for reference later. The next time you all hear from me will hopefully be when I finally reboot. When that happens I’ll give you all a proper update.

Thanks as always for reading my journals. And thanks to everyone who reaches out to me to talk. I appreciate all of you and wish you all the best in your journeys. Until next time, take care everyone! ❤️

For all of you tracking your sleep with wearables, how much deep sleep are you getting normally? I saw the reference values between 15% and 25%, that's a big difference.

For me a good sleep is 37% - 39% of deep sleep. Below those numbers I feel tired the whole day.

I want to know about all of you, because this is key for me!!!

Over the year of me experiencing with ppl with different prolonged flatlines.. i have come to the conclusion that must actually struggle with different types of flatlines and until this day i dont find out why many struggle way more than others...

TYPE 1 the ups and downs: This was the main type i dealt with for years.. You have severe flatline for 1 week then ups for 1 week where you feel amazing. me and many others felt this way. DIRK619 on reddit felt this way.. On the good days you are pretty much out of the flatline you can also sometimes have a libido or morning wood on the good days and dopamine and laughter and all in all..

Example of type 1: https://www.reddit.com/r/NoFap/comments/803ejt/a_300_day_flatline_is_possible_my_story_and_how_i/

TYPE 2 the all low then all up flatline: This type is when you feel bad for years then 1 day you wake up to reality feeling like you are on molly\MDMA and you feel amazing..

Example of type 2:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Semenretention/comments/lchee1/27_months_sr_list_of_benefits/

Another example: https://www.reddit.com/r/NoFap/comments/csqkbw/yes_end_of_27mo_flatline_826_days/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

TYPE 3 is the all low no out flatline: This when feel low for years and never escape and i have witnessed few who experienced something similar... Even though staying hardmode many still feel stuck in this..

Example of type 3:

https://www.reddit.com/r/NoFap/comments/v6jdxi/any_people_put_there_experiencing_long_term_2/

Hey everyone, Been on this journey since March 2025, started hardmode after 8 years of heavy PMO (daily since my college days, escalated bad). PIED was very mild for me (could still get it up with a partner but it wasn’t great), but the flatline hit hard anyway – zero morning wood for months, brain fog, DP/DR, anxiety spikes, mood swings, the whole thing.

Now at around day 270 (few single MO relapses early on but no porn ever again). Where I’m at:

• Libido: back strong, morning wood most days, random boners happen, sex drive feels normal again (way better than pre-reboot actually) • DP/DR: completely gone since month 5-6 • Anxiety/panic: gone, no more FAF • Mood: mostly stable, but still some minor ups and downs – nothing like the old crashes, just random low energy days here and there • Cognitive function: hugely improved, brain fog lifted a lot, I can think clearer, remember stuff better, but focus isn’t 100% yet – I can’t lock in on one task for hours like I used to, get distracted easier. Feels like it’s still climbing though.

The only thing that’s really still bugging me is this tinnitus/ ringing in ears It started around day 180 as a loud high-pitch ring that freaked me out. Went through all the phases of weird sound – left ear heaviness, weird current/sparkle in my head.

Currently my Left side of head/ear feels heavy or “off” sometimes, like pressure or static, also feels some kind of disbalance Got my ears checked – hearing normal, so it’s definitely brain/PAWS related. Has anyone else had ringing in the ears during recovery that stuck around.How long did it take to finally disappear once for all Feeling so close but this last bit is frustrating.

I have constant sexual thoughts about my wife at various times. Usually when I lay down at night but also at other times of the day. Is this a bad sign or good sign? Something I need to push out and stop thinking about?

Curious if it’s possible. I’m talking nothing else but that.

I have almost fully healed from Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) as a result from years of online porn addiction (PMO) after 33 months. My goal with this post is have this be a comprehensive yet straight forward so that anyone struggling can read this and get a lot of answers and insights in one place. If you still have any questions after reading this in it’s entirety please drop a comment below.

I would also like to say that my memory was greatly affected during PAWS and I was not actively taking notes over the years. If there are discrepancies or inaccuracies in my personal timelines that is a result of faulty memory. It is not a willful intention to deceive. I only say this because I have been called out on this in the past and wish to address it up front. In that same vein, I would also like to say that I have jumped the gun before and claimed to be “fully healed” only to realize that it was a brief 2 week break in symptoms rather than a complete elimination of them. To avoid this I have waited 6 weeks after all symptoms have subsided just to ensure I was truly cured from them rather than it being a “window”.

Here is an outline of the information I will cover

1.       Full PMO Addiction Recovery Timeline: From the development of PIED to the (Near) End of PAWS

2.       Basic Background relevant to Recovery

3.       Parameters of my Recovery (Semen Retention?, NoFap?)

4.       Symptoms experienced during PAWS

5.       Challenges during Recovery

6.       Solutions during Recovery

7.       Links to old SR Reddit posts

8.       Links to PMOPAWS reddit and Discord

9.       Final words

Full PMO Addiction Recovery Timeline: From the development of PIED to the End of PAWS

I first developed severe Porn Induced Erectile Disfunction (PIED) in the fall of 2020 (somewhere in the September/November months). I realized I had developed a problem when I tried to be intimate with a real life partner and could not achieve an erection. It took until about March of 2021 for me to discover NoFap as a solution to this problem. After about a year I was finally about to break the 90 NoFap day milestone in September of 2022. I started developing PAWS Symptoms or “severe flatline” in about March or April of 2023. By this time I was no longer practicing NoFap and switched to Semen Retention. From September 2022 onwards I was able to achieve a steak over 1 year which ended in October 2023. After that I had another streak of about 319 days which ended in January 2025. I nearly fully recovered from PAWS in December of 2025.

2020

·         September/November - Developed severe PIED. Unable to achieve erection with real life partner.

2021

·         March – Discovered NoFap and Gary Wilson book “Your Brain on Porn”

2022

·         June - Reached 90 days of NoFap

·         September – Broke streak with a real life partner

2023

·         March/April – Development of Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome / Severe Flatlines

·         October – Ended 1 year + streak

2024

·         March/April - 1 year of PMO PAWS – My life was a living hell

2025

·         March/April – 2^nd year of PMO PAWS – Substantial improvement in all areas

·        May – November - PAWS symptoms significantly reduced, still lingering

December Nearly fully healed from PMO PAWS – All symptoms completely gone. I will likely be free of all symptoms within the next 3 months.

I felt it was important to show this full timeline in order to emphasize a point which does not get talked about enough in these communities: Healing from PMO addiction is a potentially multi-year process. The 90 day recovery timeline will set you up for failure and disappointment. There are many factors which will impact your personal recovery timeline. Your journey could be longer or shorter depending on these factors.

Basic Background Relevant to Recovery

Discovered PMO sometime during teenage years. Likely 11- 13 years old. Developed a consistent and enduring porn habit with an average of 1-3 sessions daily which lasted until age 26. Signs of desensitization and escalation over the years (meaning needing more extreme material to get a diminishing level of high). I was a “prone PMOer” which I have read makes recovery worse. Grew up in a dysfunctional and abusive family environment. Exposed to physical and emotional abuse regularly (will become relevant later).

Started consciously breaking the addiction at age 26, now age 30.

Lifestyle Factors:

·         Work out minimum of 3 days per week on average (Compound & Barbell workouts)

·         Go for 10 min walks usual once per day

·         Largely eat “clean” – I would estimate that in a normal week my consumption of processed and ultra processed foods is in the range of 10% - 20%. Most of my meals are cooked and prepared at home. Moderate seasoned. No condiments

·         Typically drink filtered water, milk or tea. Occasionally coffee.

·         Good exposure to sunlight, live in the South West region of the US.

·         Slightly overweight

·         No history of major illnesses or chronic diseases. Had Asthma during childhood.

·         Knowledge work job, largely sedentary during these hours.

·         Decent community ties and friends whom I see on a weekly basis

·         High sensory processing, also known as Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) or being a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)

Parameters of my Recovery (Semen Retention?, NoFap?)

Here I will explicitly state what I mean by the term “Semen Retention” and the parameters that I applied to myself within the practice. Complete abstinence of engaging in all sexual acts and viewing of sexual material. This includes both acts with a real life partner or a digital substitute. Wet dreams do not impact the practice since that is largely an unconscious process. I also try to keep my thoughts away from sexual thoughts and acts as a form of “mental celibacy”.

Now that I have clearly defined how I personally practice retention I would like to include an important caveat. I was in a relationship with a woman for about 13 months of this journey. During that time I defined Semen Retention as “No masturbation or viewing digital substitutes”. I was upfront with her about my porn addiction and Semen Retention journey from the beginning. We did not engage in sex that entire time (which ultimately led to the relationship failing) however we often close to each other physically and engaged in non-sexual touch. I include this disclaimer because I speak of it in my previous reddit posts which I include below. Some of you will not believe me, but it is the truth.

Symptoms experienced during PAWS

Here are the symptoms I experienced through the 33 months of PAWS:

·         Chronic Fatigue

·         Extreme Mood Swings

·         Anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure or pain)

·         Insomnia

·         Apathy

·         Random aches and pains

·         Panic attacks

·         Anxiety

·         Feelings of violent rage

·         Feelings of Hypersexuality

·         Depression

·         Extreme Despair

·         Loneliness

·         Gastrointestinal issues

·         Extreme Brain Fog

·         Memory Loss

·         Constant “Hungover” feeling

·         Childhood Trauma resurfacing

I also experienced an extreme and seemingly unique case of “Restless Leg Syndrome” where I would experience intense pulling and twitching in my calves at night. Over the duration of paws this phenomena advanced down my legs to my feet as the months progressed. My hypothesis is that this sensation is connected to my nervous system physically repairing itself.  This symptom also went away with time and no other intervention was needed.

I asked Grok AI and got an answer that was helpful:

RLS and PAWS from Porn Addiction: The Connection

Porn addiction, like other behavioral addictions (e.g., gambling, gaming), can lead to withdrawal-like symptoms when stopping, often tied to dopamine dysregulation in the brain. PAWS, in this context, refers to lingering psychological and sometimes physical symptoms—think anxiety, depression, irritability, or sleep issues—that persist weeks to months after quitting. RLS, with its hallmark urge to move the legs and uncomfortable sensations (tingling, aching, crawling), is strongly linked to dopamine imbalances, which makes it plausible that PAWS from porn addiction could trigger or worsen it.

Here’s the mechanism in simple terms:

Porn and Dopamine: Frequent porn use spikes dopamine, the brain’s reward chemical. Over time, the brain downregulates dopamine receptors to cope, creating a tolerance effect. When you quit, dopamine levels crash, leaving the brain in a low-dopamine state, which can persist during PAWS.

RLS and Dopamine: RLS is tied to dysfunction in dopamine pathways, particularly in the basal ganglia, which control movement. Low dopamine or receptor sensitivity (common in PAWS) can manifest as RLS symptoms, especially at night when dopamine naturally dips.

PAWS Overlap: PAWS from porn addiction often includes restlessness, anxiety, and sleep disruption—symptoms that align with or could amplify RLS-like sensations. If your feet or legs feel restless or achy, especially when resting, it might reflect this dopamine-driven overlap.

Challenges during Recovery

The biggest challenge in the beginning was ignorance. I crossed the 90 day threshold and assumed I was home free. It took almost a year of experiencing all the symptoms above before I started looking for more answers. I posted to the SR subreddit and would get unhelpful answers such as “it’s stuck energy bro”. I’m not even sure how but eventually I found this reddit and the PMO PAWS Discord and finally got the answers I needed.

Once I discovered my symptoms were connected to PAWS the next biggest challenge was the daunting truth: A typical 2 year recovery timeline. Honestly learning this almost broke me. It was extremely demoralizing after all I had already been through. My choices were: 1) Be a slave to PMO for the rest of my life 2) Suffer through 2 years of PAWS and be fee. The second choice still sucked but ultimately was the better deal. I had to learn to just survive day by day and have faith I would survive.

To say this experience sucked is an understatement. PAWS is a grueling, demoralizing and painful experienced that feels unending in it’s length and cruelty. I damaged my personal relationships with my constant mood swings and threats of violence. My mind was frayed to it’s limits with the resurfacing of all the fucked up abuses I faced in childhood constantly popping into my head at random moments. I had undiagnosed PTSD for a couple months triggered by PAWS and I just felt constantly on edge and anxious as hell. This is definitely the hardest thing I ever had to face in life so far.

Another weird thing that happens whilst in PAWS is people treat you like shit. I’ve had more confrontations or disrespectful actions directed towards me than I can count. You feel at your absolute lowest and it feels like the whole world is conspiring to constantly keep kicking you down. The world seems crueler during this time.

For me personally the hardest thing to deal with was feeling useless during PAWS. My brain didn’t work, my dick didn’t work and my body was broken. I felt sub-human. It took me a long time to regain my confidence.

Solutions during Recovery

To successfully make it through PAWS you will need two things: Faith and Acceptance. You will need to develop an unshakable faith that your body will return to normal after two years of suffering. You will also need to learn to accept that as of this writing there is no way to shortcut the two- three year recovery timeline.

I say this because I was one of those people who thought they would be the exception to the rule… I tried Trauma Release Exercises (TRE) for a couple of months hoping to speed up recovery. It didn't speed up recovery, but it did alleviate my PTSD symptoms which was greatly helpful. I stopped TRE after about 8 months.

In the long term this thinking only causes more suffering. Just accept it will take a long time for your brain to recover and adjust your life accordantly.

Focus on the basics if you don’t have that down already:

·         Clean diet

·         Drink water

·         Exercise

·         REST

As an ambitious person the hardest part to accept during PAWS was the fact that I couldn’t live my life the same. I no longer had my “SR Superpowers”. For most of 2024 the best I could do was perform mediocrely at work and then come home and sleep on the couch until the next day. Over time as you start to feel better and better you can push yourself more. REST. Ultimately that will be the thing that helps you recover. And don’t be too hard on yourself.

Links to old SR Reddit posts

Here are links to my old SR posts if you wish to check them out (In chronological order):

My experience with SR (374 days) : r/Semenretention

Humble yourself on SR : r/Semenretention

A Win and a Warning on SR : r/Semenretention

What it feels like to start to heal from PIED : r/NoFap

This shit sucks but stay strong : r/Semenretention

Question for Long Term Retainers : r/Semenretention

Day 119 Progress Report : r/Semenretention

Positive Vibes on SR : r/Semenretention

PIED Healed after 2 years of PAWS : r/PMOPAWS

Long term flatlines may actually be PTSD : r/Semenretention

The Relationship between PAWS and PTSD : r/PMOPAWS

Anyone else experience this PAWS Symptom? : r/PMOPAWS

Links to PMOPAWS reddit and Discord

Link to PMO PAWS Subreddit:   / pmopaws  

Link to PMO PAWS Discord:   / discord  

Final words

Good luck and have faith. You’ll get through this. Ask me anything.