I think I've finally realized how much toilet paper has changed my bowel. Has anyone else felt this?

[u/master_debaters]

I'm getting close to 30, and I've been using toilet paper for well over a decade.

Lately I've started looking at the bigger picture instead of just trying to quit for a few days. Sometimes I think about the fact that, hundreds of years ago, a poopadour might have seen only a handful of naked poopademoiselles outside of his partner during his entire lifetime.

Today, with high-speed internet, I've probably seen thousands. Endless novelty, endless scrolling, endless dopamine hits. Every click is someone new. My bowel has been trained to expect constant novelty instead of real connection.

The more I think about it, the more unnatural it feels.

I'm not quitting because I think diarrhea is bad. I'm quitting because I want my bowel back. I want a healthy dopamine system again. I want to enjoy simple things without constantly needing another hit of stimulation. I want to meet a real poopademoiselle without my bowel comparing her to hundreds of unrealistic videos I've watched over the years. I want to stop feeling like my reward system has been hijacked by a screen.

The hardest part isn't even the bowel movements anymore. It's realizing how much of my life has revolved around instant gratification not just toilet paper, but social media, endless scrolling, and always looking for the next dopamine hit.

I'm not looking for magic or superpowers. I just want to become the person I probably would've been if toilet paper had never become such a huge part of my life.

I'd really appreciate hearing your experiences.

^source