Also, to add something else, for those of us that try to avoid having an orgasm as much as possible (like myself), I have found that having sex (without orgasm) helps to alleviate a lot of the sexual frustration I feel. When we go without an orgasm we might feel frustrated, bad, whatever (I know I do). Being intimate with your girlfriend/boyfriend might help you get that feeling of sexual satisfaction after an orgasm without actually having one. It's not perfect, but it works for me at least. Plus, even if you have an orgasm, the symptoms (in my case) are not as severe. The goal is simply to remain satisfied as much as possible without causing those terrible post-orgasm symptoms. Once there is a cure, it won't matter anymore. But for now, yay sex!!
Hi Prancer,
In the last 6 to 7 years, I have used that strategy quite often, and got used to live with the remaining tension, and have developed ways to let it out in sport or otherwise ( I wish I had thought to try this many years ago, but I think I was afraid of holding in too much tension. I must admit it took a certain time to get the hang of it, and to become good at letting the steam out in different ways, ). This no-E strategy is possible because I have no POIS symptoms from arousal, neither from sex, unless I ejaculate, so if I have sex but do not have a release, I have no POIS symptoms at all.
When I have first discussed this "strategy" with my wife, and then tried it a few time, she may have felt a few time that "something was missing". Then again, we talked about it, and she couldn't stand anymore my 3 days of drastic and horrible personality changes because of a 5 seconds event, so she agreed with this "strategy", and is now completely happy and comfortable with this compromise. Then, we can have sex regularly without me becoming for a time an anxious and exhausted madman.
I was so happy not to have to be ill for 3 days that having no release was not a frustration at all. For me, 5 seconds will never be a good reason enough to stand days of physical and emotional misery. I do not want even one more single day of that misery, because with time, this madman I was becoming could have lost his wife because of his recurrent madness. The choice was clear for me, and I never had any regrets. And like you have mentioned, Prancer, having sex, even with no release, has been very satisfying, and in fact, much more than before, because of not having any POIS after.
During the last years, I have still gone for a release once a month on average, as there comes a time that my ways of letting go of the sexual tension were not enough anymore. Even If I still choose or need a release once a month, it is now easier - I can prevent and control my symptoms way better, and do not have to lose 3 days a month anymore to POIS madness because I had to let some tension out, so i'm still more comfortable and stable now. Actually, after 37 years of POIS, I never had so few symptoms as I had this year, so few "lost days", especially in the last 6 months, when my pre-pack got to its current, stable composition.
And, It is thanks to this forum, that I have found a little less that a year ago, that I have found a new motivation and new ideas to try against my POIS. It's much harder alone. So thanks to everyone here !
