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Masturbation is a natural and safe activity that a man can do to feel pleasure and relieve sexual tension.
It’s a perfectly normal and healthy undertaking that both boys and men do.
In moderation, the act poses a minimal physical risk. In fact, masturbation has health benefits such as lowering blood pressure and mitigating the risk of prostate cancer by 20% for men who masturbate more than 21 times a month.
Regardless, excessive masturbation can be a harmful habit to a man’s relationships and everyday life. If compulsive masturbation interferes with their daily routine, some might suffer from psychological and physical distress.
Can Masturbation Too Much Cause Problems?
More often than not, you’ll be the first to recognize whether masturbating is negatively affecting your life. Even if you masturbate daily or more than twice a day, if you don’t feel that it’s severely hurting you, you’re probably fine.
However, if you notice that your mental health has worsened because of masturbating too much, you may have to address the issue firsthand.
Here are some of the signs that you may be suffering from a masturbation addiction:
- Masturbation and pornography take up hours of your day
- You feel ashamed and guilty after masturbating
- Your personal life at work and school is suffering
- You spend more than you need to on sex toys, erotic aid, and pornography
- Ejaculation is harder to achieve
When masturbating, your mileage may vary. Some people can go for weeks without masturbating, while others require to indulge in self-pleasure a few times a day. But one thing’s for certain: most people—men and women—regularly masturbate.
A recent study reported that 95% of men masturbate regularly. According to certified sex addiction therapist Dan Drake, masturbation is not a problem unless it affects your regular life. If it doesn’t, then you don’t have to go cold turkey just yet.
However, if it does, you’d want to talk to a men’s medical health center about it.
Is It Healthy to Not Masturbate?
Despite the plethora of anecdotal evidence (such as the NoFap movement) claiming the positive effects of abstinence, abstaining from masturbation is neither a good nor bad thing. On one hand, abstaining from masturbating increases sperm count and testosterone levels by 45.7%, according to one study. As low testosterone levels are often associated with anxiety and depression–masturbation comes with better health conditions, sexual health, and an overall improvement in mood.
The key is to do it in moderation. If you want to stop masturbating to promote your mental and emotional health or have a good time with your real-life partner, feel free to do it. If you’d rather stay away from a porn addiction that can hurt you and your partner, you can also choose to stop for the sake of your partner.
Physical Problems When Masturbating
With a gentle technique, masturbation won’t lead to adverse physical problems.
However, stroking your shaft with too much pressure can lead to some physical health issues.
Friction Burn
One minor physical risk of masturbating too roughly can lead to a friction burn. Rubbing the penis too hard can cause it to turn red and swollen. This is due to the friction that creates a burning sensation to the skin.
If you’re familiar with what a heat burn looks like, a friction burn closely resembles that. Your penis will also feel warm to the touch.
The good news: a minor friction burn can heal over time. It’ll usually take about a week to recover until you can return to an active sex life again.
To speed up the healing process, you can wear loose undergarments. This will decrease the frequency of the penis hitting against stronger fabrics, which can be painful.
Aloe vera and petroleum jelly also provide cooling comfort to the skin of the penis.
If your penis starts showing pus, you most likely have an infection. In cases such as this, consult your doctor. Your clinical counselor will provide relevant medical advice and recommend an antibiotic cream or ointment to help you heal.
Penile Fracture
Masturbating too hard can result in an even worse condition called a penile fracture. A penile fracture is a condition where a tear forms in the tunica albuginea, a tissue that protects erectile tissue and promotes its rigidity.
A tear can rupture the blood flow to the penis. The symptoms of a penile fracture typically include:
- Sudden loss of erection
- An audible popping sound followed by pain
- Dark bruising in the injury
- Blood leakage from the penis
- Bent penis
This type of injury can be problematic for your urethra, or the channel where urine flows. The penile fracture mostly occurs during sex in a women-on-top position, but traumatic masturbation and self-pleasuring can also cause it.
If you suspect you have a penile fracture, this condition is diagnosed as a medical emergency. It will need immediate treatment and surgery to prevent any permanent sexual and urinary damage.
Emotional Risks When Masturbating
Relationship Problems
Masturbating too much can affect your sex life in negative ways. While it’s a healthy activity, porn coupled with masturbation can lead to a less enjoyable time in bed with your partner.
In addition, utilizing specific hand movements will train your brain to orgasm only during those moments. This starts affecting sex and can cause sexual relationship issues.
The treatment for this is by stopping masturbation for a week or two and allowing your body to reset. This way, you can get your body excited about sex again.
Work Problems
If your mind can’t stop thinking about masturbation, and it’s starting to affect your working life, this is a strong indication that you’ll need to curb your addiction.
It’s okay to go off at certain times of the day. But if you find yourself masturbating at the office restroom or minutes before a meeting, you might want to revamp how you approach masturbation.
Shame and Guilt
Whether due to religious or cultural reasons, feeling shame after masturbation is something some people suffer from.
It’s ideal to try talk therapy about the way you see masturbation. Professionals that specialize in ED and sexual health are helpful to consult.
Takeaways of Masturbating Too Much
Masturbation isn’t inherently bad. It’s a healthy, natural, and mood-lifting activity.
But if you rely on it too much, or go at it too rough, you’re increasing the risk of its adverse effects on your sexual and daily life.
Studies show that 92% of partners get turned on when their partner shows vulnerability, so don’t think you’re doing yourself a favor by repressing your addiction in privacy.
If you’re suffering from erectile dysfunction or low testosterone, call the team at Prime Men’s Medical Center in Jacksonville now to schedule an appointment to have a consultation with their experienced and specially trained medical staff.
