Naturally, the best way to satisfy the need for sex is to have a perfect sexual relationship. However, not everyone has access to this issue in all life situations. Hence, many people of all ages engage in masturbation and enjoy stimulating themselves. If you are one of these people, you need to know that the mere act of masturbation does not have serious side effects, does not endanger your health and is even helpful in some cases. But under what conditions does masturbation become harmful, and if it has any benefits, what are those benefits? I suggest you read this article to the end to find out what wrong beliefs you have had about masturbation.
What are the harms of masturbation? From legend to scientific evidence
Contrary to popular belief, masturbation in itself does not have any specific mental or physical damage. It is a natural and healthy part of a person’s sexual development, which includes the use of hands, fingers, sex toys or other objects to stimulate the genitals and other sensitive areas of the body.
But when masturbation is done repeatedly, it creates disadvantages for the person. For example, suppose a person is in an emotional relationship. In that case, he may have difficulty having sex with his emotional partner as a result of masturbation. But masturbation in its natural state brings benefits such as reducing stress and improving mood.
What are the benefits of masturbation?
I can guess what’s going through your head while reading this part of the article; you have the right to be slightly surprised because we have always heard about the disadvantages of masturbation and its complications. But in this section, we will introduce you to its benefits. Masturbation is good for you because it has many benefits for your physical and mental health.
Studies have shown that masturbation can:
- Reduce stress and anxiety.
- Improve the quality of your sleep.
- Increase your concentration.
- Improve your mood.
- Relieve your pain
- Enhance your sex life.
- Prevent depression.
In addition to the above, when you reach orgasm using masturbation, your body releases particular hormones called dopamine and oxytocin. Dopamine is often called the “feel-good hormone,” and oxytocin is known as the “love drug.” These hormones increase positive feelings like happiness in your body; they also work in your body to counteract the stress hormone (cortisol).
What are the side effects of masturbation?
Masturbation in itself has no severe side effects. There are many misconceptions about masturbation, but research has not proven any of them to be true.
Some of the misconceptions about masturbation:
Many people think that masturbation may lead to the following problems:
- Loss of vision
- Hair growth on palms
- sterility
- Decreased libido
- erectile dysfunction
- Decreased sperm count
- Shrinking of the penis
- Becoming a mental patient
Although none of the above are side effects of masturbation, some people may experience unwanted side effects.
Guilt after masturbation
You may feel guilty and guilty about masturbating. Still, it’s best to remember that, scientifically, there is nothing wrong with masturbating. However, you may hear misinformation from different people and things that make you feel guilty, in which case you can talk to a sexual health therapist. They can help reduce and eventually eliminate your guilt or guilty conscience.
Statistics of masturbation in men and women
According to a survey reported by the International Association of Sexual Medicine in America, the number of times a person masturbates in their life is more than having sex.
In men aged 18 to 59, the frequency of masturbation varied from once a week to several times a month. Even about 20% of men reported masturbating two to three times a week and less than 20% more than four times a week. Women reported masturbating once a week or less.
If you masturbate more than this number and you are in an emotional relationship, maybe you should suspect a problem in your emotional relationship. But if you’re single, that’s not necessarily because there’s a problem. The number of times a person masturbates varies depending on the situation.
Common symptoms of masturbation addiction:
Masturbation addiction can have different symptoms. Below are some of the most common symptoms that indicate a high probability of a person suffering from masturbation addiction:
- Be unable to reduce or stop masturbation even when you want to reduce or prevent it.
- Feel guilty and very uncomfortable after masturbating. Having difficulty reaching orgasm with your sexual partner due to the loss of genital sensitivity.
- Masturbation becomes so frequent that it interferes with other aspects of your personal life, and you cannot attend to the rest of your work.
- When you are upset or in a stressful situation, immediately go to masturbate.
- You are so eager to masturbate that you can’t wait to go home and masturbate; you are waiting at any moment to find a secluded place to masturbate.
Does excessive masturbation have any side effects?
A lot of evidence shows that masturbation in itself does not have any specific negative consequences for people. However, if it is done excessively, it can cause problems for a person’s physical and mental health. Among these things:
- Emotional and psychological distress
- Redness and swelling of the skin of the genital area and around it
- Creating problems in the sexual relationship with the partner, which may lead to the termination of the sexual relationship after a while.
What can be done to reduce masturbation?
If you feel you have developed a masturbation addiction, the first step is to talk about it with a psychotherapist. You need to know that psychotherapists are strictly confidential, and anything you discuss with your psychotherapist will remain between you.
Treatment options for masturbation addiction include psychotherapy to identify the root cause of the behaviour. You and your therapist can then work together to develop ways to reduce or eliminate masturbation.
Things you can do yourself to reduce masturbation.
Suppose you don’t have access to a professional. In that case, it is better to do something, at least yourself, to reduce your masturbation.
- Avoiding things that trigger you like porn movies. Try to fill your free time with other activities such as sports.
- Try to spend more time in the community and with others.
- Think carefully about how you deal with your discomfort and stress and use new strategies to deal with them.
- Spend less time alone at home or work.
- You can talk to other people who have made the same decision to stop or cut down on masturbation, share your concerns, and learn new ways to manage sex with each other.
Masturbation feels good, and it can be good for you. Ultimately, how much you do this is a personal decision based on your needs. Suppose it doesn’t harm or make you uncomfortable in your personal life, relationship with your partner, or work life. In that case, you can enjoy a perfectly normal activity. Still, if you feel like it’s causing problems in your life, you can ask a Get the help of a psychotherapist to control this issue well and avoid the problems that may happen to you.