How Much Porn and Masturbation is too Much
You might have started masturbating more than usual during the pandemic. Lockdowns came and went, but the frequency of self-pleasuring solidified. Maybe you’re starting to worry about it? Don’t panic, you’re not alone.
There is no actual standard for these things. Data from the International Society for Sexual Medicine shows some people just masturbate more than others. Some people masturbate one time or more a day. Others do it weekly, and still others – never. Just over a quarter of men in their 30s masturbate once a week to several times a month. Frequency is determined by age to a great extent.
Has It Become a Problem?
The frequency is not a problem until it starts impacting your life negatively. Here are some emotional and physical signs that you might need to give it a rest.
You Suffered an Injury
Some people do it so often that they give themselves an injury. It could be as mild as skin chafing or a bit more serious, like the buildup of scar tissue in the shaft due to exercising too much pressure.
You Choose It Over Friends
You’d rather watch porn at home than go out with friends. It’s happened more than a few times, and they’re starting to get mad at you.
You Have Work Problems Because of It
It’s probably become an issue if you’re struggling to get things done at work because you can’t stop thinking about porn and masturbating. For example, someone was late for work or a meeting because they were masturbating in the toilet.
Actual sex is a Tragedy
People who are used to porn tend to use a certain type of stimuli, like special hand movements combined with specific porn categories. With time, this combination loses its appeal, and they start looking for further, more powerful stimuli. They can develop impressive skills in this direction. For example, they might learn to cut out certain scenes that arouse them immensely and make compilations of similar scenes back to back. In other circumstances, editing skills of this sort might look great on their resume. They have no intention of making money off of them. They’re for their own personal use.
The feeling always remains that you’re missing something, so you might try to meet potential sex partners. Once you make it to bed with someone, you can’t get aroused. You have to think of porn. This is how the full-blown porn addiction manifests.
Erectile dysfunction is the most common consequence for men. For women, it’s vaginal dryness.
Masturbating the Right Way
The fact is that porn is everywhere. It’s excessive and it’s never been so easy to access. There are all imaginable genres of porn. It’s easy to get overly used to it, but like any other addiction, it will run you down eventually. It’s only natural to lapse into it because no external control exists when it comes to porn consumption.
The Control is up to You
Taking a week off completely will definitely be helpful. If you manage to go without it for a week, don’t jump right back into it. There are far healthier and more enjoyable ways to do it regardless of your preference. A stroker or sleeve will feel just like the real thing and you’re less likely to hurt yourself or get tired. The same goes for anal masturbators. In fact there are masturbators for all needs and sizes. Here’s a good selection that’s sure to delight you if you are into anal storkers.
Your physical pleasure isn’t the only reason to invest in self-pleasuring devices. A study showed men who used such devices were likelier to perform testicular exams on themselves. It could be a coincidence, but either way, it can help detect testicular cancer and similar conditions before it’s too late.
Everything in Moderation
Don’t feel guilty about masturbating, but don’t overindulge in it either. It has many benefits when exercised in moderation. It can make you more productive, improve your mental and physical health, and refresh and energize you. Here is a brief overview of its pluses.
Orgasms Release Feel-good Chemicals
In general, the better we feel, the more we get done. When you come, the chemicals released improve your mood, which could reduce stress and procrastination.
Your Mental Health Benefits From It
If you do it in the evening, it can help you sleep better. It releases oxytocin and endorphins: relaxing, feel-good neurotransmitters. If you do it in the morning, you’ll benefit from the increased release of energizing neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, the proverbial happiness hormone.
An orgasm can be like a shot of strong coffee. It gets you ready for the day and clears the mental clutter. This is all the more reason to avoid excessive masturbation.
It can happen that we feel like doing something even less after masturbating, i.e., the opposite of what was claimed above. If that’s the case with you, do it to reward yourself. Make sure you’ve finished the task first. If you’re irritated or tired and it will help you feel better, go ahead by all means. It’s a free form of entertainment that a lot of people anticipate with great pleasure.
Makes You Physically Healthier
Numerous studies have shown that masturbating reduces the risk of some types of cancer and of heart disease. It strengthens the pelvic floor muscles and contributes to erectile strength by working on the smooth penis muscle.
You can count cortisol among the chemicals orgasms release. This hormone helps you deal with stress and regulates your immune system.
In sum, it’s a great natural way to regulate physiological processes and might even alleviate depression.
All of its benefits work when you do it in moderation. Since you’re reading this, you might be concerned about going overboard. Here’s what to do:
Lie down on your bed, sit down, go to the bathroom, or take a shower. Give your imagination free rein. Think about your favorite porn star if you must. This is a healthy and more interesting way to masturbate. The idea is to stop doing it in front of the device.
Guilt is a Useless Emotion
Guilt has helped few people improve their lives. It’s pretty useless. Instead of giving in to this feeling, stick to once or twice a day at most.
