Anti-NoFap Study: My Response (He Is Hero Podcast Ep. 55)

He Is Hero — Be version 2.0 of yourself

English - March 09, 2023 09:50 - 44 minutes - 20.7 MB - ★★★★★ - 2 ratings
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A study released in February 2023 offered some critique of NoFap as a community. The study name is Iatrogenic effects of Reboot/NoFap on public health: A preregistered survey study. Let me respond to some of the ideas from the study.

→ “Pornography addiction” is an unrecognized diagnosis.

I will reply with a comment Dorian made on my blog: “I’ve also been consuming porn for 15 years, now starting my journey. I recognized it as a problem a few years ago, but I’m just now realizing how bad it really is. Until now I’ve made excuses or just pretended it isn’t a problem even though I knew the truth. I’m totally lethargic and demotivated.”

→ Qualitative studies have consistently suggested that “Reboots” paradoxically cause more distress. The distress appears to occur in response to (1) the abstinence goal, which recasts common sexual behaviors as personal “failures.”

Honestly, I don’t think this distress is that bad. In fact, it’s okay to feel distress when you are pushing yourself to improve yourself to get rid of a bad habit. You are getting out of your comfort zone, after all. I’d recommend decreasing the distress by getting support, though.

Part of that distress is indeed unhealthy. You might feel shamed or bullied. You might feel something is wrong with you. But that’s not true. You are a good person. It’s just that PMO addiction is getting the best of you.

Then, it’s key to see the distinction between porn and masturbation. Masturbation is not bad. It’s a natural way to release sexually when you can’t have sex. Sex should be a priority, though.

Excessive masturbation becomes a problem when it’s a waste of time and energy. And a coping mechanism. And an excuse not to be social and seek real sex.

Finally, porn is poison. Kill me, hang me but porn is poison to guys. Porn is bad to your brain just like weed is. You can consume it and convince yourself it’s helping you but on the backend, it’s killing you.

→ (2) problematic and inaccurate Reboot/NoFap forum messaging regarding sexuality and addiction. Participants reported that their most recent relapse was followed by feeling shameful, worthless, sad, a desire to commit suicide, and other negative emotions. More engagement in NoFap online forums was associated with worse symptoms of erectile dysfunction, depression, anxiety, and more sex negativity.

Well, I felt porn-watching was wrong for me way before NoFap became a thing. The problem is not about NoFap as a particular community. I think that overall, they have a positive message. But are there still particular people in a community who are toxic ❓For sure. And that’s normal. Now if you feel your self-improvement goal is not supported by this community, don’t go there. Or filter what they write.

→ Results support and expand previously documented harms and problems with Reboot/NoFap claims of treating pornography addiction from qualitative research.

This is a controversial topic. See some of the studies above that talk about the dangers of porn for sexual confidence in men and the stability of relationships.

Whenever someone takes PMO to an extreme, it’s easy to attack them. Perhaps, the answer is common sense and moderation.

Study link: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13634607231157070

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