A Practical Way to Quit Porn (As-Salamu Alaikum)

As-salamu alaikum. I was exposed to porn around age 12 and have managed to reduce it a lot. Sharing what worked for me - simple, everyday steps that lower desires and make it easier to regain control. Not a quick fix, but stick with it and it helps a lot. 1) Avoid close friendships with the opposite gender when it fuels temptation. This sounds obvious, but if you’re addicted porn quickly makes you sexualize people - especially attractive ones. Being close with them makes fantasizing easier and pulls you deeper. Solution: Limit those relationships. Keep contact to what’s necessary. If they’re Muslim you can say it’s for your deen if needed. Don’t let Satan fool you into thinking casual friendships are harmless when they lead to thoughts you can’t control. 2) Stop entertaining lustful thoughts. Thinking about sexual images is more powerful than you realize. Every time you indulge the thought, your defenses break down and urges grow. Solution: The moment a lustful thought appears, catch it and cut it off. Distract yourself - watch something, go do a task, or perform wudu. I use a panic routine: do wudu and tell myself not to relapse. If you act fast, the feeling often fades within 10 minutes because you didn’t let it expand. Morning erections - don’t edge, don’t dwell, wait it out. 3) Lower your gaze. One look can cause a lot of damage. In person it’s straightforward; online it’s trickier. If anything suggestive appears, scroll away immediately. Don’t give attention. 4) Make salat al-tawbah whenever you slip. You might fall sometimes, but praying to repent after each slip and reflecting increases shame before Allah and helps you stop over time. Learn Islamic guidance on controlling desires - there’s useful advice in the texts. 5) Never give up. Being alive means you can repent. Don’t buy Satan’s lies like “just one more time” or “it doesn’t matter.” When you catch yourself, snap out of it and do something to break the momentum. After repenting, do sayyid al-istighfar, ghusl if needed, and follow with dhikr or Quran. Make extra good deeds - Allah is Most Merciful. 6) Remember death and accountability. Before committing a sin imagine dying without having repented. Would you be at peace? Shift your desire: either be a desire for people or a desire for Allah. When my aim was closeness to Allah I felt content; chasing desires for people never satisfied me. Learn more about Allah and your duty; knowledge increases fear of Allah and makes sin uncomfortable. Overall method: denormalize porn and masturbation. The more you treat them as abnormal and harmful, the easier it becomes to quit. Use multiple approaches at once - lowering gaze, catching thoughts, repentance, and remembrance of Allah - to weaken the habit. It may take time - for many people it can take up to a year or less depending on effort and trial and error. You will slip sometimes; that’s part of the process. Keep craving the regret that pushes you away from relapsing and build the habit of quitting. Life is short - avoid zina and actions that lead to depression and loss of blessings. May Allah grant us strength to resist this filth and guide us to purity.