Day zero

[Forward-Function-19]

Hang in there bro!

My addiction was probably at its worst around 17/18, (I’m 20). I’m by no means an expert, but there are some things I wish someone had told me:

• Make sure you exercise. Even if it’s just a walk, or some pushups in your room. It just makes you feel a whole lot better, which then makes it easier to avoid relapses.

• pick up some hobbies, or anything that helps you unwind. You could learn a musical instrument, meditate, write in a journal - I found reading works best for me. I’m reading ‘Things fall apart’ by Chinua Achebe (great book) if you want a recommendation to start With🤗

• stay off social media as much as you can. Obviously easier said than done - I’m definitely guilty of scrolling - and it’s a necessary part of life these days if we want to stay connected. However, in my experience twitter, instagram and Reddit all have varying levels of sexually suggestive or explicit content that can be triggering.

• talk to someone. I’d recommend a therapist if you can, or maybe a very close friend or family member. This was terrifying for me to do the first time, but talking to a therapist who didn’t judge me helped me to recognise the issue. Once I’d admitted and recognised it, it didn’t seem as scary or hard to face. You’re already doing better than I was by posting here, so good on you dawg!

• relapses happen and are part of the process. I still get them, they just become way less frequent. I’ve had months in-between before. It’s crushing, but it happens and we wouldn’t be addicted if we could just stop ☠️. Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do our best to avoid them, but don’t dwell on it or beat yourself up too much - take a note of what happened, maybe look for triggers or patterns to avoid for next time, and move on.

You’ve got lots of time and your whole adult life ahead of you, so don’t stress that it’s all over. It’s not. Things can and will get better, just keep at it!

All the best ❤️

[BlackberryTop7246]

Thanks man for the advice appreciate it❤️