by biohack9 » Mon Dec 23, 2019 3:07 pm
Sparkle I so empathize with you, but why would you think that so few people get libido/ED issues? It's actually a very common symptom of PAWS. I've been researching this extensively, and it can take over a year. There is even a post in this very thread that said 14 months, and the OP said he wasn't really comfortable until a year and then it still wasn't perfect.
The other thing that it could be is porn induced ED, which means you need to stop fapping and/or sex and go "hard/monk mode" for several months to reset your brain. It can also take months and up to a year+. Just another thing i'm doing at the moment to help heal the brain and reward pathways as I did have a major sex addiction in addition to weed addiction earlier in the year. Look up "semen retention" as it has some profound benefits.
Otherwise damn, perhaps we've really messed up our brains permanently and mucked up our sex drives and ED is the new default state. I really hope not, and since you've seen improvements that gives a lot of hope. Are you getting morning woods? Mine seem to be coming back again after 2 weeks of semen retention, but not 100%.
No choice but to keep abstaining and retaining, and see what's up down the road. It could also be related to SLEEP. My sleep has really improved over the past 2 weeks and i'm now getting about 8 hours, sometimes 9, but still getting crazy dreams in the second half of the night. The first half i'm dead asleep. But even with the better sleep, i'm still depressed, unmotivated, and have zero zest for life whatsoever. And I still feel tired in the day even with the good sleep. It's like I just don't want to do anything at all and my brain keeps running on overdrive. More and more i'm thinking I was using weed to self medicate and mask underlying mental health issues that i've been living with my entire life....ptsd, depression, and anxiety. Or it's just getting my REM cycles back and part of this painful PAWS process.
I think i'm now going to implement some longer fasting as an attempt to cleanse.... full day or maybe even multiple day water fasts and see how it helps. I think i'm starting to put a dent in my 15lbs weight gain by making dietary adjustments but this will fast track the process so I can get back to my ideal body composition.
It's not easy man, but at least you have the 10 months behind you.... i'm pretty sure the doctor won't be able to help you much, but it wouldn't hurt to get some blood labs and get your testosterone level checked, not that it means all that much because mine is always high and still I have zero libido. I personally think this is all in our brains with the dopaminergic system and damage from all the thc bombardment over the years. What goes up must come down.
I'm definitely thinking of relapsing if I don't noticed substantial improvements in my mental health in about 6 months or so. This is no way to live, and there is no way i'm going to abstain for 2-3 years like some here have.