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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.
How much is too much?
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.
What does excessive masturbation do to the body?
Masturbation takes a lot of your time and energy. For some guys, it’s an escape from loneliness, for others, it’s a sad replacement for the real thing. Either way, excessive masturbation takes a huge toll on your emotional health at the very least. Physically, however, getting regular orgasms can do good for your body. It encourages the release of feel-good hormones, it increases your cardio-respiratory activity, it improves the elasticity of your penile tissue, and it gives you a little bit of a cardio workout when you put a little effort into it. The risks far outweigh the gains in this situation. The downside of excessive masturbation could derail your sexual health and could lead you to a downward spiral. Here are some of the consequences of excessive masturbation:Flawed sense of sexual pleasure
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.
Hormonal imbalance
Your hormones control your sex drive, and when you compulsively masturbate, your hormones respond erratically to the act. Testosterone levels are directly proportional to the intensity of a man’s libido, and it’s controlled by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. An increase in one hormone sets off a chain reaction that could decrease or increase the release of other hormones in the body. Masturbating too often could erratically alter your testosterone levels, leading to hormonal imbalance.Prolonged refractory period
Men need an ample period of rest after having an orgasm. During this period, men would be desensitized towards sexual stimuli, and this helps the body recover from an orgasm. This period is known as the refractory period. The brain releases neurochemicals called oxytocin and prolactin after men have an orgasm, and this prevents men from feeling aroused for a certain period. As men get older, the refractory period gets longer. Young adults could experience a refractory period that only lasts for a few minutes, while older guys could have refractory periods that last for days. If you masturbate excessively, you prolong your refractory period, and this could lead to erectile dysfunction.Penis injuries
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.
