Excessive Masturbation

There is nothing unhealthy or sinful about self-love or "solo sex." It is a normal form of sexual expression that is a great release for stress and erotic feelings. And it's available to you anytime.

The practice offers an alternative to sexual intercourse, if a man is not ready for relationships, protecting himself from STDs, dealing with unwanted pregnancies or lacks a partner.

There is a difference between healthy masturbation and excessive masturbation. Excessive masturbation is usually a smoke screen for psychological problems. Like sexual addiction, it is an extreme activity which typically masks difficult emotions like depression, self-loathing, anger, fear, guilt and shame.

Some have said that excessive masturbation can lead to lower back pain, stress and anxiety, thinning hair, groin pain and pelvic cramps. There are even claims that excessive masturbation can effect the delicate neurotransmitters which influence brain chemistry.

These claims are not true. What is true is that excessive masturbation may cause some physical health problems and certainly psychological harm if a person is also suffering from sexual addiction.

Consequences Of Excessive Masturbation

Any natural and pleasurable function can be abused by a person--particularly if they have an addictive personality. Many people have a tendency to over-eat and over-drink alcoholic beverages, which can be physically harmful. What are the physical results of excessive masturbation? Obviously some chaffing could occur and some cramps might result if muscles have been overworked. Some skin conditions could develop, perhaps even broken blood vessels, though this would probably only result from unusually rough sessions.

If a man masturbates to the point where it hurts, or irritates the skin, and he cannot stop, there is a problem. Such behavior requires professional help and depends in large part on the person being able to acknowledge the problem.

What's important to consider in this situation is if the excessive masturbation is something fairly recent, and if some sort of psychological issue could be the cause. While normal masturbation would not qualify as a sexual addiction, if a person is experimenting with dangerous sexual techniques or is tempted to masturbate in public, this would be a telling sign of sexual addiction. When it comes to sexual dysfunction then it is possible that excessive masturbation could have negative effects on a person's sex life. If a man masturbates quickly and focuses exclusively on his own pleasure for many years, he may find it difficult to sexually satisfy a partner. This could cause premature ejaculation or even delayed ejaculation, if the one individual was exceptionally rough with his own body.

What To Do If You Have A Problem

If you choose to masturbate then take care of your body. If your skin starts to chaff stop the sexual activity for a while. Use lubricant and try not to be any rougher with your own body than you would if you were having gentle sex with a partner. As long as you are not straining, then the only concern would be if masturbation were starting to affect other areas of your life. If you are concerned that excessive masturbation will cause sexual dysfunction later on, work on trying to improve your sexual performance. Rather than masturbating 10 times a day as quickly as possible, try to prolong the session and focus on building your sexual stamina.

However, if excessive masturbation points to a sexual addiction, then it is important that you receive professional counseling from a sex therapist. A sex therapist could help to treat the addiction so that you can return sexual activity to its proper place, and not endanger your life or other relationships.

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tova@sextherapylosangeles.com