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The benefits of NoFap

Porn addiction has so many men living beneath their potential. These tips will teach you the benefits of No Fap so you can get your superpowers

Ed Latimore
Ed Latimore
Writer, retired boxer, self-improvement enthusiast

Success always requires you to pay the cost of admission. This often means giving up things that seem harmless on the surface, but that unwittingly rob you of your potential, one insidious concession at a time.

NoFap, a movement in which men are choosing to abstain from masturbating to porn, is more of a lifestyle than a simple online discussion forum. Men are using NoFap as a springboard to bigger goals and greater fulfillment.

Porn is a $97 billion industry globally.1 Many of its watchers are men in their sexual prime, exploring their sexuality and seeking a dopamine and serotonin release. Men that go NoFap and swear by it wouldn’t quit something that feels good and is available in droves without compelling reasons.

Discover more benefits of NoFap on Mr. Mind Blowing blog.

Even in the years that I was religiously getting drunk, I never actually considered myself an alcoholic. It wasn’t until I realized what alcohol was taking from me in my life that I decided to become sober and stay sober.

If you’re addicted to porn, or a man seeking peak fulfillment in his self-improvement journey, these benefits of NoFap provide a wake-up call.

You get your mind back on your side when you quit porn

If so many porn users watch without addiction, get easy feelings of pleasure, without the hassle of learning pickup, why are men deciding to give up porn masturbation in droves?

It’s the Porn Masturbation Orgasm (PMO) cycle that creates the downward spiral of negative health effects.

The habit of masturbating to porn quite literally changes your brain for the worse:

  • High porn use correlates with decreases in dorsal striatum, the gray matter in the prefrontal cortex responsible for rewards.2 In other words, it makes your brain smaller.
  • Masturbating to porn increases the stimuli needed to get the same baseline of pleasure.
  • Pulling up sexual images on-demand creates compulsive sexual behavior, similar to that of drug addicts.3

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Check out my article on how to deal with the withdrawal symptoms of porn to see how debilitating it can be.

I have the most concern for young men who never knew a world without high-speed internet.

Just 45% of Gen Zers today report having good mental health.4 Anxiety and depression are rampant, and on the rise due to isolation. Porn becomes a coping mechanism during hard times, and this cycle continues.

Going cold turkey with NoFap breaks the habit and allows your brain to reset and regain mental clarity. Once you go on a NoFap streak, you undo the reward system shortcuts that porn use created and become less compulsive. Overworking your brain’s reward system makes it crave the pleasure source and increases negative feelings when you can’t get it.

Here are some brain benefits that come with NoFap:

  • Better focus and attention without brain fog
  • Decreased anxiety
  • More confidence, self-esteem, and self-acceptance
  • Stronger willpower and sense of priorities
  • A higher sense of direction

NoFap can lead to a sexual awakening

It’s hard to have high-level, fulfilling sex when your brain is hijacked by porn.

And sexual dysfunction is on the rise…

…Men under 40 are dealing with sharp increases in delayed ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, low libido, and overall dissatisfaction with sex.5

…Porn is causing more unusual fetishes and masturbation habits, which are harming men’s sex lives.[6]

…Premature ejaculation and sexual hangups from porn can harm romantic relationships.

Abstaining from porn with NoFap is a step away from these sorts of problems. Instead of performance anxiety, you’ll get back in touch with your body and what really turns you on. Instead of scrolling porn categories with no self-control, you’ll stay present and open during sex.

Simple moments like a kiss from a woman should always be enough to get you in the mood. Getting a reboot through NoFap gets you back in touch with your body’s natural state. You’ll be drawn to real-life pleasures instead.

The success stories from men on the No Fap subreddit show just how much of a sexual awakening you can have when you’re no longer addicted to porn.

  • Higher sexual energy levels that lead to more endurance
  • The ability to be present, and not jittery, as sexual feelings arise
  • Better sexual and romantic intimacy, without using porn as a substitute
  • Sexual confidence that allows for more creativity and exploration
  • Increased sex drive that motivates you to talk to more real women
  • Practicing semen retention can bring sexual and spiritual fulfillment
  • Morning and spontaneous erections return

NoFap inspires better habits

The path of self-improvement should always lead you back to your mission. Most NoFappers either have their reasons laid out in the beginning or find a higher purpose on the path. Since I’ve been sober for over 8 years, I’ve built an abundance of good habits that have allowed me to become financially independent, amass a large following, and achieve goals I couldn’t have dreamed of when I was still drinking.

Pairing your NoFap journey with positive life habits that help your mission can make you more formidable and impressive. Many find themselves speaking with more confidence and a deeper voice.

Check out this article for tips on how to be more charismatic when you talk to people.

Repurpose your time and energy away from porn to:

  • Start lifting weights to boost testosterone, muscle growth, and discipline
  • Read books like the Book of Five Rings to instill ideas of presence and mastery
  • Get therapy to deal with sexual hangups and other life problems
  • Practice conversations to become a better communicator
  • Catch up on sleep that you miss staring at blue screens late at night

Pornography addiction exacerbates your worst traits. The personal confidence you get from NoFap empowers you to be your best self. Fapstronauts call the gains from this journey “superpowers” because they’ve experienced this firsthand.

Lao Tzu said it best in the Tao Te Ching:

“Conquering others is power; conquering the self is strength.”

Get your free guide to quitting porn

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Changing your life with NoFap

You don’t get the rewards of NoFap through information alone. It’s a path that requires you to constantly say no to instant gratification and instead raise your standards. Since we’re fundamentally wired to respond to sexual stimuli, it’s also not a challenge you should ever take lightly.

To learn life-changing tips to strengthen your focus and resolve during the process, check out my post on how to start NoFap.

Reading success stories on the NoFap community subreddit can inspire you to take action. You can also use the forum as an anonymous way to keep yourself accountable.

Don’t forget to revisit the benefits of NoFap:

  • Kicking porn addiction helps your brain work more effectively
  • You’ll reverse sexual dysfunctions caused by porn like erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation
  • Your sexual relationships improve
  • You can curb social anxiety and stress
  • You’ll find the motivation to tackle your most important goals

It all starts with doing the work.

References

  1. Enough Is Enough. Porn Industry Archives. https://enough.org/stats_porn_industry_archives. (Accessed April 19, 2022) 

  2. Kuhn, Simone. Gallinat, Jurgen. JAMA Psychiatry. Brain Structure and Functional Connectivity Associated With Pornography Consumption: The Brain on Porn. July 2014.(Accessed April 18, 2022) 

  3. Voon, Valerie. Cambridge University. Neural Correlates of Sexual Cue Reactivity in Individuals with and without Compulsive Sexual Behaviours (Accessed April 19, 2022). July 2014. 

  4. The Annie E. Casey Foundation. Generation Z and Mental Health. October 16, 2021. https://www.aecf.org/blog/generation-z-and-mental-health (Accessed April 19, 2022) 

  5. Park, Brian. Wilson, Gary. Berger, Jonathan. Christman, Matthew. Reina, Bryn. Bishop, Frank. Klam, Warren. Doan, Andrew. National Library of Medicine. Is Internet Pornography Causing Sexual Dysfunctions? A Review with Clinical Reports. September 6, 2016. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5039517/ (Accessed April 19, 2022) 

Ed Latimore
About the author

Ed Latimore

I’m a writer, competitive chess player, Army veteran, physicist, and former professional heavyweight boxer. My work focuses on self-development, realizing your potential, and sobriety—speaking from personal experience, having overcome both poverty and addiction.

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