TC, I'm in my early 20s and I'd like to say that I sympathize with you and just felt like I read the story of my life. Just last year like yourself, I too found myself addicted to escorts after getting a casual job with good pay, which happened to get me into the curiosity and need for sex. As a result of such addiction, there were certainly more negatives to be had out of the activity than positives, from financial issues of not saving enough money for long term prospects, social to self isolation to lastly further procrastination towards failure at university. As such, I'm most certainly afraid to speak of the issue here till your topic showed up so if anything, 2013 is going to be a new year for me to change all that and be more committed to my future prospects.
Speaking about how I got addicted, over the last few years at first, I was a frequent masturbator, doing it every night on a daily basis, particularly towards Porn and Hentai. As masturbation soon became not enough to satisfy my sexual desire as well as porn igniting my needs to do it with a real women, I manage to stumble upon the escort scene and made a vow only to visit an escort just to see what sex actually feels like. Going through that first time with an escort, I have to admit, it certainly felt great on all accounts as well as satisfying the urge as to what sex feels like. After getting a taste of the sex experience, the vow of only visiting an escort once in my lifetime just for curiosity's sake began hard to keep up with as once every week passes, the urge to have sex with an escort became strong again and the urge to frequent escorts on a weekly basis happened, which resulted in such negatives stated beforehand in my life from again, failure at University to loss of social life and financial issues. It also didn't help that I was masturbating quite a bit during those weekly periods, waiting for the time to see another escort as it certainly got in the way of my most important priorities in life to deal with. As far as STDs are concerned, I played it safe on all encounters but I did go to see a sexual health clinic just to see if I was clear which was certainly a relief.
It was only till I saw a sexual therapist like yourself where unlike yourself, the urge to have sex with more escorts began to leave as I was convinced that there was more to life out there than just Sex with potential areas of varying interests like the IT, music and arts industry to succeed into alongside potential relationships and new people to be met and had along the way. Not to mention, there being little difference in the physical feelings of sex from escort to escort aside from their appearances as well as being nothing more than just **** for bucks or instant gratification so to speak. Also, it helps having another hobby of interest to focus on such as Graphics Design or working out at the Gym so to speak, just to get your mind off the urge of sex. Lastly, in regards to masturbation, I have to say it's fine as long as you don't overly do it but after reducing masturbating sessions down from once a night to a few times a week or fortnight, I managed to keep it under control to not only handle my sexual desires but also to not let it get in the way of my long term commitments and priorities.
Otherwise, seeing a sexual therapist certainly helped me get the mindset off escorts to focus on future goals as well as to become more independent and committed with not just how I spend my money but also to be able to try and succeed towards where I'd like to be with my life. I understand just how hard it is to give up the destructive hobby with escorts but it seems to me that a change of mindset to other interesting, healthy hobbies as well as a persistence to long term future goals you'd like accomplished is the best way to get off from the "activity".
Anyhow, I wish you the best of luck to give up seeing escorts and as far as masturbation goes, don't overly do it and let it distract you from your important priorities and long term goals you'd like to accomplish.