Few memes and internet challenges have taken on life quite like No Nut November. What started in 2011 as a simple joke about abstaining from self-pleasure has become an internet-wide phenomenon, with thousands upon thousands of people participating every year.

Many of these participants, known as "cumrades" in their own circles, can be found on subreddits like /r/NoNutNovember, boasting over 85,000 members at the time of 2020's event. They even have a fantastic website which doubles as a shitpost and genuinely informative explanation of the annual event. No Nut November is more than just a meme now, it's an entire social movement that looks to help those in need boost their self-control and beat their addictions, and maybe even gain "superpowers" in the process … at least according to some. We spoke to over a dozen No Nut November participants from /r/NoNutNovember to get a better look into why people participate in the challenge and to see how it's going for them about a week in.

Is this your first time participating in No Nut November?

Banana_Crusader00 It's my second time. Last year I managed to finish the challenge. I was really proud of myself. I managed to keep a promise made to myself, and those are not always easy.

AdrianoWerneck I did the challenge in November 2018, the entire year of 2019, and now I am doing it again. I survived them all. Wasn't that difficult to be honest. The first week is the hardest, but then it becomes chill. I felt accomplished, but the best part is being able to show off the flair to other people who are also trying to win.

creemeemeemee It's my 3rd year now! First-year, I only got about 3 days in. Last year I made it to day 24.

FrothySolutions I participated and beat it for the first time last year.

LatteLoli I have been participating since 2018 but haven’t succeeded before. I managed to get to day 6 last year. So I’m close to beating my record and not my meat.

skelespartan I've participated I believe 4 years now. 2017 I had a difficult time staying focused. 2018 came and I didn’t. Same with 2019. I completed the challenge both years and will do so again this year.

Cansun0 It's my second year. I was successful in my first year.

Eraxd12 I have done this several times in the past and do not plan on quitting. I was successful on 5 out of my 6 attempts, and this is the seventh.

yayimagoose211 This is my first time. I had kinda practiced a few years before now, but this is the first time that I am really trying.

VelvetRose24 This is my third year participating. I have been successful in all of my previous attempts, although it has been quite difficult.

Spook404 I've attempted it 3 times before. I only lasted about 5 days on average. But I imagine I'll be successful this time … or at least more successful.

NoNutNovemberOrg I first tried NNN in 2018 because I was interested in NoFap, and I was aware of the meme. I failed both times because of my ex-girlfriend, this year I am single so I'm sure I can manage. I actively tried NoFap for almost 3-4 years, but being in a relationship of 7 years never let me go past 40 days.

SmartFelller This is my first year taking it seriously. Last year I tried to see how long I could go, but I didn't last very long. This year I'm still going strong.

What inspired you to take the challenge?

Banana_Crusader00 Memes. All those jokes about 'transcending into the fourth-dimensional form of life, levitating, turning stones into ash just by looking at them … I wanted to be a part of this. Last year, it was also because my sex life was going to be a lot quieter. My girlfriend was taking medications and her libido was supposed to drop for a while. That made me wonder, "Why bother her when I can pick up the challenge and have some funny times." This year, a few of my friends decided to join. I couldn't let them venture into this wild and harsh world without a veteran, could I?

AdrianoWerneck I enjoy the challenge itself. It also makes me feel mentally stronger. I feel I have more control over my own body

creemeemeemee Originally it was the meme, though some pressure from friends did help.

FrothySolutions I did it because I have a low sex drive. I wanted to see if I could awaken it by abstaining a whole month. I often go several days without doing it, but I don't think I had ever gone a whole month before. So I thought, "If I go the longest I've ever gone, that should awaken something in me." But it didn't. I flatlined, and I was disappointed.

LatteLoli Memes. Nothing but memes.

skelespartan I was in a dark place and wanted to prove to myself that I was stronger than my body. The emotional high you get after winning is second to none.

Cansun0 The challenge and knowing that I'm not addicted to porn is the biggest part but my cumrades are a big help every day.

Eraxd12 I wanted to prove that I had complete control over myself, and it sounded like a fun challenge.

yayimagoose211 I'm doing it for multiple reasons: to practice self control, and to help promote the rising porn-addiction epidemic. I also get to help people fight their porn addictions. It's honestly pretty inspiring for me. I love doing it.

VelvetRose24 Problems with porn and masturbation addiction. When I found out about NNN, I saw it as an opportunity for self-improvement. After completing the challenge initially, I noticed that I wasn't much of an addict as I was before. It made the struggle worth it to me.

Spook404 It's supposed to be fun, or a test of will, which interests me.

NoNutNovemberOrg I do NNN because I want to change up my lifestyle and I believe abstinence is a great tool to achieve a lifestyle change.

SmartFelller I felt like I was looking at too much porn. It was so hard last year to even go a few days. It felt bad. If I can go a month without masturbating, it would tell me that I'm not addicted.

How's it going so far?

Banana_Crusader00 This year I started at a new university, so plenty of attractive women around me. Hard to keep my mind and body at standby when I see them every day. That is not an excuse though, I'm not going to fail! Over my dead body!

AdrianoWerneck It has been pretty easy so far. I manage to not bust a nut even when I am having fun with my girlfriend. I like this way of living.

creemeemeemee Not particularly difficult, though some urges have come up. The community and Discord are really helpful when someone asks for help!

FrothySolutions So far it's as easy as last year.

LatteLoli Not having much difficulty yet but I’m sure that harder days are to come.

skelespartan It’s going great so far. The temptation stems from boredom, so I like to keep myself busy. So far, not even one uncomfortable moment!

Cansun0 The first week was the worst week last year and it has not gotten easier just because I completed last year. My cumrades are all creating new tactics to overcome the desire to nut. There are many phone calls or messages at night and most of them go like, “Dude, it woke up and I can't get it to go to sleep,” or, "it's natural to nut, so let's just forget this ever happened” then the other cumrade tries to calm the struggling cumrade down.

Eraxd12 To be honest It's not been hard to do this yet, considering this is the calm before the storm. I'm feeling all right.

yayimagoose211 It's going okay so far. I'm finding it pretty difficult. When you've been nutting for so long your brain gets wired to do it.

VelvetRose24 While I have been doing great in not feeling any urges, personal life struggles that have plagued me since September have drained my motivation. On the bright side, I'm glad to see my mental health improve. The people in the subreddit have really motivated me to continue.

Spook404 It's only difficult at certain hours of the day, like when you're used to nutting.

NoNutNovemberOrg The biggest difficulty so far has been people who post NSFW pictures to troll people on the NoNutNovember subreddit, and since I moderate I have to go through and delete them lol. This year has been a lot easier though because I have 2 years of experience failing.

SmartFelller It’s going good! I have a friend who’s helping me stay accountable.

Do you have any strategies to fight off the urges?

Banana_Crusader00 Workout! Quick workout session! 100 pushups, 100 situps, 10km run as Saitama once said! But to be serious, one should try to "transfer" blood from their horny sphere to other muscles. Walk with a dog. Cooking. Nothing on the internet though, too easy access to porn. Too close to tissues.

AdrianoWerneck I choose to ignore them. I know they will fade after a few minutes, so I focus my mind on something else. Being in a group or sub also helps a lot. The desire to win a flair also works as motivation.

creemeemeemee The main one I push for is doing push-ups or taking a cold shower, though depending on how extreme it could result in going onto some bad subreddits. One is r/sounding which I can not recommend at all. Ever. Don't even look it up.

FrothySolutions Urges are just about nonexistent for me, except I guess not nutting is affecting my sleep schedule. It's hard to get to sleep and stay asleep.

LatteLoli When an urge comes I always find something else to do. Tidy, make memes, study, etc. Subreddits like r/NoNutNovember are huge motivators for me.

skelespartan I run through the squares of 2 (4, 8, 16, 32 …) to take my mind off it.

Cansun0 First we text then call our cumrades (there are 6 of us). If there is no answer, the struggling cumrade can call no matter the time (I have been called at 3 a.m. before). Other than that we got some new tricks. To fight the morning wood we get those blue ice bags and put them on it. We have all deleted our porn stashes and even disabled NSFW on Reddit.

Eraxd12 I'm just taking cold showers and working out more, it seems to work well.

yayimagoose211 I try to remember why I wanted to do this in the first place. When I get an urge, I find a way to distract myself like working out or going out somewhere.

Spook404 Sheer will, but I don't recommend that. I recommend avoiding anything sexual during those hours. In my case, I kind of have a backlog of watch-later,
so November is a good time to catch up.

NoNutNovemberOrg The problem is that urges always come, and depending on what mood you're in, you're more likely to give in. So you always need different strategies or just a really strong or motivated mindset. Since it's still early, I still have a lot of motivation, but later on, I'll have to restore that motivation because my discipline is shaky.

SmartFelller I came up with a plan. If I fail NNN, I have to send a link of the video or picture I lose to my mom. I haven’t told her that, but it’s a really good inspiration to not lose.
The most difficult thing is going on the internet at all. The NNN subreddit actually does a good job of providing the memes I want while also inspiring me to stay strong.

It's still early in the challenge, but are you feeling any of the supposed benefits of No Nut November, or do you find the benefits to be a meme?

Banana_Crusader00 I'm 100% sure that if they feel anything, it's placebo. Or just memes. I've played sports 3 times a week for quite a while now. No exercise, no treatment can boost stamina in 5 days. If that was the case, that would be the first tip given to a newcomer, AND all the sportsmen would-be monks. Clarity … in a sense. After a while of refraining from bombarding the brain with dopamine through nutting, one starts to perceive things differently.

AdrianoWerneck Mostly myths and exaggerations. I spent a whole year without nutting, so I know about it.

creemeemeemee A lot of it is a meme, but I do find myself having more focus throughout the day, and a bit more clarity mentally!

FrothySolutions I didn't feel any benefits.

LatteLoli It’s not all memes. I’m finding it easier to concentrate on things and feeling more motivated.

skelespartan Perception is reality. My belief is that you feel better mentally, which leads to some physical benefits. When you truly feel unashamed, not constantly guilty, it shows in your body.

Eraxd12 This is mostly just a placebo, but the only effect I've noticed is that food is just … tastier.

yayimagoose211 I feel a lot more confident. Clarity kinda comes with that. But I know that as time goes on, my confidence and other good emotions will come.

VelvetRose24 I find myself to be more focused on my everyday activities, and I've also found myself to be using my time more wisely as compared to spending it nutting.

Spook404 Definitely a meme. I mean for some people with addictions I can see it aiding them, but in my case, it's just a meme. Except for the levitating, that part's real.

NoNutNovemberOrg It really depends on the individual. If someone who was really addicted were to quit, they would feel some benefits within 5 days because they were so dependent on it. For me, it takes longer to show, but my voice deepens after 20 days and that's really significant for me because I have a soft voice. Your mind can trick you into thinking you're experiencing them. So I can't tell you it's true or false, because, for me, extra clarity and stamina take longer to come by, usually around 2 weeks. The memes might seem too blown out of proportion, but that's how memes work and they aren't completely false!

SmartFelller Umm, no. To be fair though, I haven't engaged in too many strenuous activities. So I haven't been able to test my stamina. I should have written down how I felt before I started though. I couldn't say if I feel more clarity.

Some participants seem to treat No Nut November as a bit of a protest against porn addiction. What are your views on pornography, and do you see it as a negative thing?

Banana_Crusader00 My personal opinion is that it's a drug. Not directly of course. While watching adult content, the brain gets an enormous load of dopamine and serotonin. Those two hormones are highly addictive. That's why people enjoy extreme sports, too. The problem is, that with porn the amount of those is just off the chart. Personally, while i wouldn't encourage it, I don't think it's negative. Used in reasonable amounts, it may help people function and live a better life. Watching every day, or even a few times a day may have catastrophic results.

AdrianoWerneck It can easily be addictive, but it is not a big problem if done with moderation.

creemeemeemee I feel that pornography is a dangerous thing to get into watching because the temptations only grow to watch more. I've struggled with these so NNN is a good time to take a break and reevaluate it all.

FrothySolutions I don't have any strong feelings about porn. I'm not really sure why I'm doing this now, I guess I just wanted to see if I could do it again, or if last time was a fluke. I woke up in the middle of the night and it was November. I thought about nutting o get myself back to sleep, but then I thought, "No, let's give November another go."

skelespartan Porn is proven to change your brain structure and interfere with the dopamine pathway. It’s highly addictive and can lead to massive problems in people’s lives.

Cansun0 I'm neutral. There are definitely bad side effects (addiction and waste of time or people paying just to watch porn) but … actually now that I think about it there is no defense for porn.

Eraxd12 It's alright, but it can (and very frequently does) cause addictions and other problems. It should be moderated.

yayimagoose211 I've watched it for years, and over these past few months, I look at myself and at porn and I don't see a good correlation. I saw studies online showing the more you nut, the more gray matter forms in your brain. Not only that, but I see how it's ruined some celebrities' personal lives. Terry Crews, for example. I understand why people do it, but it's bad for your brain. It's not something that you can just cut from your life in a snap. It's something you have to work at.

VelvetRose24 I am neutral in regards to how I view adult content, but I think it can be overwhelming. I see it as an overall negative thing for people.

Spook404 I wouldn't say it's fighting an epidemic, but the industry is definitely way larger than it should be. If teens grow up learning everything they know about sex from porn then that's obviously not good.

NoNutNovemberOrg I truly wish I never had a view on porn and never actually watched it. I started when I was like 14 and watched it for a decade. Like 90 percent of viewers, it totally ruined my view on women and sex. I have to go through years of un-learning and re-learning now. Porn would definitely be my biggest mistake. Besides the time and energy, I wasted was the guilt and regret. At some point, you're not even doing it for pleasure anymore, it's literally your escape, and at some point, you want to escape your escape, there's no denying it anymore. Coming back from something like that is like trying to quit crack or heroin.

SmartFelller I don't like how the porn industry takes advantage of women, and I don't like how I still consume what they produce.

Do you see yourself participating in No Nut November in the years to come?

Banana_Crusader00 Depends on my relationship status. If I find a gorgeous lady with a high libido, I don't see why I should. I'm not going to ruin my relationship just for the sake of a challenge. I proved myself last year. I'm going to prove my self-control this year. If I'm single next year? Why not.

AdrianoWerneck Definitely. The lifestyle is permanent for me now.

creemeemeemee Yeah! I feel as long as there's some sort of community participating, I'll join along!

LatteLoli Definitely. Even if I succeed this year I’ll keep going and attempt to help those that are trying to beat this month for the first time.

skelespartan Yeah, i’d like to. I like the challenge.

Cansun0 If I'm single you can bet I’m gonna be doing NNN.

Eraxd12 Of course! I have already done this several times and have no plans on quitting.

yayimagoose211 I plan on participating for as many years as I can.

VelvetRose24 Definitely. It's done more good to me than bad for sure.

Spook404 I see myself doing this for many years because it's fun.

SmartFelller Yes. I think that it's a generally good thing for me.

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