Are you having a bit of problem with the so-called porn flatline?

Wondering why it's normal for flatlines to happen after quitting porn?

Or why some people seem to fall back into another flatline just from being intimate with their girlfriend?

Well, if so, this is the post for you.

Let's begin...

Why Does The Flatline Occur After Quitting Porn?

Scandinavian Bob here, hi.

As someone who has been part of the NoFap and porn addiction community for 13 years, I want to share what I believe is happening with the mysterious so-called flatline.

Over these years, I’ve learned a lot—especially in the last five years, where I’ve immersed myself in reading and listening to pretty much everything I could get my hands on about addiction and the brain.

Now, I haven’t heard of any other rebooting coach or porn addiction expert talk about what I’m about to share, heck not even the great Gary Wilson knew what exactly is up with the flatline, but I honestly think I have solved this mystery.

So please stay with me here because I seriously believe that what you’re about to find out today will absolutely blow your mind.

And if you’re someone who belongs to the unlucky group of people who seem to fall back into a flatline from time to time even after you have gotten your libido back, then this is an absolute must listen for you, because I think I have solved the mystery on why that happens as well.

I’m going to show you exactly in just a second, but before I do, let’s quickly explain what the flatline is for those who are unsure.

What is the porn addiction flatline exactly?

The flatline is a period that often starts a few days after guys quit using porn, where their libido completely drops and seems to vanish. In fact, not only does it feel like they lose all libido—it can even feel like they go into negative territory, you know on the minus side, WAY below their baseline and that can even make it so that the penis might shrivel up a bit and appear smaller, making it feel kind of cold and lifeless - kind of like after swimming in cold water.

But this time it happens because it is as if someone pulled the plug on the machinery driving the libido, causing it to come to a complete stop.

On top of that, there can be emotional lows, reduced energy, and a general drop in mood. However, the complete lack of libido is the hallmark characteristic of the flatline.

Ok, so let's start with why and how I believe this happens. 

Why does the NoFap / porn flatline happen?

And in order to do this I’m once again going to share a familiar graph with you guys, but even if you recognize it please stay with me because I promise you, you will discover something new and exciting about it. 

And that is THIS graph right here, called Richard Solomon’s opponent process theory of emotions. 

This graph was developed by Richard Solomon and John Corbit in the 1970s. 

Now, Richard L. Solomon (1918–1995) was a prominent American psychologist and professor at Harvard University. And he was one smart cookie, let me tell you, 

He studied various phenomena, such as avoidance learning, fear conditioning, and emotional regulation, often using animal models.

And his research aimed to understand how emotions are dynamically regulated and how repeated exposure to stimuli changes emotional responses over time.

And speaking of stimuli, as you can see we have two processes showing in this graph. An  A) process and a B) process. 

After an emotional input there will be a counter mechanism...

Now, Richard figured out that whenever we present the body with an input of some kind, that instantly changes our emotional state. After that activity is done, the body will kick in a counter mechanism that will make you feel the exact opposite way that you did during the A process. 

So, for example, Richard Solomon started thinking about this when he first studied skydivers who were afraid of heights. 

These people felt intense fear and emotional pain during the jump, that’s the A process, but once they landed they went into a temporary phase of almost euphoria and pretty deep relaxation. And that’s the B process. 

And the more he started studying all kinds of things in life he could see that almost everything follows the same pattern. Not just skydiving, but anything that instantly changes your emotional state in some way.

Anxiety drugs and the opponent process...

For example, people who take some very potent anxiety medication feel very relaxed in the moment, but then when the medication wears off, sometimes later in the day or the day after, they can experience rebound anxiety where they now have more anxiety than normal for a while. So again, the complete opposite of the A process. 

Pain killer and the opponent process...

Or people who take strong painkillers for a long period of time can temporarily alter their pain threshold so that once they stop taking those pills they are now more sensitive to pain for a while. 

So, again, they come through a period of time when they experience the complete opposite of what they did during the A process.  

Now remember this works with almost all kinds of inputs that gives us an instant state change.

Cold showers and the opponent process...

So for example, if you jump into an ice cold shower you instantly bring about a state change that is quite painful and also a bit fearful.

But then after your shower is done you suddenly feel good and kind of relaxed.

Much more so that feel then what you did before you jumped into the cold shower. 

Alcohol and the opponent process...

Or let’s take alcohol as another example. Most of you know how good you can feel during that first, initial buzz of alcohol. Again something that causes you an instant emotional state change. 

And most of you are also familiar with how you feel the day after a night of drinking.

Not that good, right?

Coffee and the opponent process...

Or just how about the temporary energy increase you get if you drink 2-3 cups of coffee, but then you have an energy crash a few hours later. 

Now, after Richard presented his theory,  over the years other addiction experts have found his graph to be very accurate, and there are 3 key things they also have found out about it.

3 Things you need to understand about the graph....

1. The opponent process can take place in different lengths, ranging from just a few minutes to several minutes, and sometimes even months, depending on what kind of inputs we’ve been dealing with and for how long. So in other words, this graph can come in a miniversion, lasting only a few minutes, to a mega version lasting several weeks - and everything in between.
2. This graph can show up in almost everything in life - but it is especially pronounced in addictions. And in all, real addictions the B process will become deeper and longer. 
3.  Again, please remember that during the B process you will always feel the exact opposite of what you did during the A process. 

Alright so NOW, with these 3 factors in front of you here.

Let me ask you…

What state change are you activating when fapping to porn?

 When you are sitting there in front of your laptop and fapping to adult sites, are you then bringing about a sudden emotional state change, yes or no?

Well, obviously yes, you're bringing about instant sexual arousal.

Alright, so since it’s an instant state change it fits very well into the A process of Richard Solomon’s opponent process. 

Ok, so now, let me ask you - if we could come up with a state, that was the complete opposite of sexual arousal, that even goes on the negative side of baseline, what would that state feel like? 

Oh…oh…wait a minute here, wouldn’t that feel, kind of like, a period of time where you are experiencing a complete loss of libido.

And what would be the opposite of that?

And since you even go on the negative side, maybe some guys even would experience a slight shriveling up of their genitals, making it feel cold and lifeless. 

And WAIT, what is that you say, kind of like the NoFap or porn rebooting flatline.

Yes, I believe that’s exactly what we have here. 

Because remember now, in real addictions, the B-process always becomes longer and more pronounced, sometimes lasting several weeks. 

And is exactly what is happening to so many porn addicts just a few days after they stop the A process, in other words, they stop the super arousing porn stimulation.

And did you know that just 50 years ago, before the internet, men did not go into a several week long flatline when they somehow took a break from all sexually arousing things in life. 

The flatline did not exist before the internet...

The only thing that resembled this graph related to that back then was the temporary refractory period that happened immediately after sex, that lasted just a few hours up to a day or two at most.

And Gary Wilson found out that the flatline only seem to happen with people who have developed real addiction related brain changes to only porn and he could not understand why that is.

But if we now again look at what the other brain experts how found, with other kinds of addictions, you know cocaine, heroin, alcohol and on and on, that B process can become a several week long process - then it fits even better in line with a real addiction to online porn.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is what I personally believe that we have here, and it doesn’t end right here, because now it gets even more interesting.

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Why do some people fall into a flatline several times?

There has been this mysterious phenomenon going on for some long term rebooters, where they seem to fall back into a flatline again after having come out of it. 

For example just after having done something natural and non-destructive thing such as being intimate with their girlfriend. 

And I remember listening to the Your brain rebalanced radio show many years ago where guys who were rebooting were discussing this with Gary Wilson as a guest on their show, and all of them thought, now that is a real mysterium.

Falling back into a flatline after orgasm or arousal...

Even Gary could not figure out what the hell is going on with that. That sometimes even just an orgasm with a girlfriend can sometimes send a former porn addict back into a flaltine after he thinks he’s finally done rebooting. 

And of course that would then make guys, understandably worried that, like - what the hell, does that  mean they forever will have to avoid busting nuts forever on going forward, even in a natural setting as when being intimate with their partner?   

And back then I had no clue about this myself either, but then. Something suddenly happened that made ALL the puzzle pieces come together for me. 

A book about addictions made this phenomenon make sense...

About 2-3 years ago I was listening to a book called “Never enough”, a book about all kinds of different chemical addictions and how they affect the brain and body, you know, like cocaine, heroin, alcohol, weed and on and on.

Written by a woman named Judith Grisel.

Now, Judith is a former drug addict who experienced severe addictions herself and as she struggled with substances like alcohol, weed, pills, cocaine, and, as she puts it herself, "everything she could get her hands on."

However, later in life, she not only managed to escape that destructive lifestyle, but she also became a brilliant neuroscientist. She began studying the effects of drugs on the brain and human behavior. In addition, she became a professor of psychology at Bucknell University.

Ok, now, as I was listening to her book, and I vividly remember this night because I was sitting in my living room eating some warm sandwiches that I had heated in the microwave. 

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I was enjoying some ketchup and mustard to go with that and then, as I was listening to Judith talk, she suddenly started talking about the Richard Solomons graph and how noticeable it is in addictions. 

And by that time I already knew a lot about this graph so as I was sitting there I felt kind of proud of myself, for first having managed to quit my own porn addiction and now also recognizing what she was talking about there, but then she said something about the graph that I did not know. 

And when she said that specific thing, at that exact moment I understood why some unlucky guys fall back into the flatline again, sometimes several times. 

The process can sometimes be activated without the drug...

And here it comes, so listen up now, she said, that studies have shown that for some recovering addicts, and now she was talking about addictions in general, not porn addiction,  The B-process can be activated by the brain just experiencing something that reminds it of their former drug of choice. 

So, for example, let’s say an alcoholic has most of the time been using the same bar that he’s been going to and getting drunk at. 

Well, then if he goes to that same bar a let’s say a few weeks after quitting drinking, to talk to the same friends, sits at the same bar chair and here the same clinking of glasses he can actually experience a milder form of hangover after that, even if he didn’t drink one single drop of alcohol.

And so now some of you are obviously going to say, but how can that be possible without the drug itself?

The B-process is about the body's self regulation mechanism...

Well here’s the thing, because it’s not just the drug that brings about the B-process, remember the B-process it is more so the body’s self regulation mechanism.

In other words it is the body itself that brings about the B-process counter mechanism as a desperate attempt to try to maintain emotional homeostasis in the body.

And so now, with all those triggers, the clinking of the glasses, sitting at the same chair, seeing the alcohol and even talking to the same people there are so many familiar triggers that the brain thinks that the drug is going to come, that it’s on its way - so just to be effective it goes ahead and kick in the counter mechanism in advance.

When she said that I instantly understood that this could be it when it comes to porn addicts falling back into the flatline as well.

The brain is so used to pairing associations with porn that just being reminded of it can sometimes activate the flatline...

Think about it, their brain is so used to pairing porn (which is now the drug of choice with orgasm or even just arousal) so then when they are busting a nut, or sometimes even just being aroused with their girlfriend it reminds the brain of the porn so much that it things the drug is on its way so it kicks in the B-process in advance, even if the drug never came.

And so this also, even further, solidifies my theory that what the porn addiction flatline is, is just a prolonged version of the B-process in The Richard Solomon’s opponent process theory of emotions.

The brain is so used to pairing arousal with porn that now when you do it, even if it’s from natural and healthy sources, it can activate a milder and shorter form of the B-process again, albeit a bit short and milder compared to your first flatline that happened started just a few days after quitting.

But guys, here’s the deal…

Eventually the brain will stop pairing old associations with porn...

Let’s say that same sober alcoholic keeps going to that same bar, not that often, but every now and then without drinking - well, with time the brain will learn that even if there’s smell of alcohol and clicking of glasses the drug is no longer coming in and so eventually it will stop activating the B-process even after noticing strong associations.  

And this is exactly what happens with former porn addicts as well, just as long as they stay away from the porn, so the former drug is no longer coming in - eventually the brain will stop activating the flatline whenever you do something that reminds it of porn, i other words arousing yourself by either a mini slip online of some sort, or even just the feeling of being aroused. 

And here’s the final kicker then…

You can help speed up the process like this...

In order to help your brain stop activating the B-process, in other words the flatline, after you have been intimate with your girlfriend. Well you can help it forget the old porn association by making sure to do plenty of kissing and hugging bother before your love making and also after your love making session, for 20, 30 even 40 minutes.

That way you are helping your brain create new associations to the arousal, teaching it that hey - it is now coming from normal healthy sources that are not as stimulating as the old drug, so there is no need for it to kick in that protective B-mechanism.

Oh, such a long video today, but I have been putting so much work into this and my mission is to help you guys so much so I really hope you can appreciate my work. And if you do, then you can help the algorithm by pressing like, commenting something below and or sharing this video somewhere because that would mean the world to me and that way you would then also help me teach more guys out there. 

And speaking of teaching if you want to contact me for coaching you can always find a link to my coaching page under my videos and if you want to know more about those specific brain changes that takes place inside your brain you can click on this video right here, where you will see what happened to me personally in relation to that  and you will discover something that will absolutely blow you mind. Just click on it right now and you’ll see exactly what I mean.

 -Bob

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