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Masturbation is one of the things that we enjoy, but completely take for granted. All you need is privacy and inspiration, and you’re good to go. You probably never had to think twice about giving yourself a tug. As men, we’ve learned to accept our need to relieve ourselves of the sexual tension. It’s natural, personal, and a necessity. It’s such a non-issue for men that we don’t even make it a conversational topic. All it does for us is to satisfy an urge, and nothing more.
Sometimes, our urge to please ourselves goes beyond what’s normal. Instead of the occasional self-play, some guys feel compelled to masturbate for the most trivial of reasons. Some men feel the constant need to feel sexually stimulated, and that creates a lot of problems.
The American Psychological Association does not consider masturbation to be an addictive behavior. Rather, they refer to the excessive need to masturbate as “compulsive masturbation” instead of addiction. It falls under compulsive sexual behavior, hypersexuality disorder, and out-of-control sexual behavior (OCSB).
According to studies, men masturbate, on average, 3-4 times every week. Sometimes, you hit the 7-day streak without really giving it a second thought. Some guys have gone 7 days without them realizing that it’s been 7 days since they enjoyed doing the deed. When you masturbate to a point that it causes damage to your physical health, sexual performance, and even your work productivity, you’ll know that it’s too much.
It’s not how frequently you masturbate that makes you a prime candidate for a man who has compulsive masturbation, but the driving factor behind the act. If you feel compelled to masturbate, without regard for the pleasure and satisfaction you get from masturbating, then you may need to seek professional help. It’s not uncommon for men to talk to counselors about behavioral disorders and addiction, and masturbation is no different.
Let’s be honest – we’re better off pleasuring ourselves if it really boils down to just getting off, but having another person with you in an intimate situation adds to the pleasure and satisfaction. The problem with excessive masturbation is that you may get too used to the pleasure that you give yourself, and be bored when you get into the act with someone else. People who compulsively masturbate may want to go solo instead of being with someone, and that could lead to intimacy issues, anxiety, depression, and social awkwardness.
The penile shaft can take a lot of punishment. It doesn’t bruise as easily as any other muscle in your body, and you can pretty much do whatever you want with it, as long as you give it time to recover. Compulsive masturbation could greatly increase your risk of penile injuries. Frequent masturbation causes the desensitization of the penile shaft, and the lack of sensation may compel you to exert excessive force to feel a release. Frequent masturbation could also injure the skin from the friction, and it could increase your risk of infection.