Does masturbation cause anxiety? (3 ways to manage)
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The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter. The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.
In this article, we will be exploring the topic: does masturbation cause anxiety? We will examine the various reasons that cause anxiety in individuals due to masturbation, the benefits, and side-effects of masturbation, and how to deal with masturbation induced-anxiety.
Does masturbation cause anxiety?
Masturbation is present, a widely accepted sexual practice that is known to be healthy and common around the globe. It’s a natural way through which people explore their bodies and find pleasure. however, it is also a fact that some people experience mental health issues as a consequence of masturbation such as feelings of anxiety, guilt, or other mood disorders.
This happens because all sexual urges and interests stir up anxiety in some people at all times. These people have a strong tendency to experience feelings of apprehension, or severe worry when you are about to engage in any kind of sexual activity or when feeling aroused.
Studies have been able to find out that it’s mostly young men who masturbate frequently. Additionally, men who masturbated frequently were reported to have higher levels of anxiety. This kind of anxiety stems from the predominant feeling of guilt. Feelings of guilt usually arise out of beliefs and norms that are tied to cultural, religious, or spiritual views that view masturbation as an offensive, filthy, and undesirable act. Certain cultures and religions consider the act of masturbation as immoral and almost a sin. In such cases, those people who indulge in the cat find their level of anxiety rising alarmingly leading to other serious issues such as sexual dysfunction.
Anxiety while masturbating can also arise out of a particular style or type of stimulation that is involved in the act. People who experience anxiety due to this reason might not be anxious during intercourse. However, they might find the aspect of self-pleasure discomforting and taboo.
Masturbation induced-anxiety – ways to cope
Firstly, to alleviate the anxiety that is induced by the act of masturbation requires complete awareness and a major shift in the thought process and core beliefs one holds, surrounding the act. This will help in reducing the amount of anxiety expereinced while masturbating and make it a positive experience. Here are some ways that can be used to manage masturbation induced-anxiety:
Educate yourself
This involves reading up on the concept and act of masturbation from reliable sources, including books, websites, doctors, therapists, and trustworthy friends and family. They will enable you to gain a better understanding of the practice and validate its need and advantages appropriately. They will be able to provide you the validation you seek and let you know that masturbation is completely natural and harmless.
Identify the underlying fears
The best way to start dealing with this kind of anxiety is by identifying the root cause of the development of anxiety. Observe your thoughts and emotions associated with the cat of masturbation and understand what is triggering the anxiety in you. It could be past experiences, religious norms, or self-induced distortions about the act. Whatever it may be, sit with yourself and gain awareness about the triggers. You could also opt for the help of a therapist or counselor to address the issue and eliminate it.
Practice relaxation
This again goes back to restructuring the rigid and unwanted thoughts around masturbation. When you can relax and view masturbation as a fun and healthy activity. On the contrary, when you panic and pile up unnecessary fears about it, it becomes a distressing and worrisome experience.
Choose a partner
If you find it overwhelming to indulge in masturbation on your own initially, you can try asking your partner to lend a helping hand and make you comfortable with the act through foreplay or as part of the intercourse. This will help you gain more confidence and comfort in the process.
Masturbation – why and why not
Like anything else, masturbation comes with benefits and a set of side-effects. The cat of masturbation holds varying value for different individuals depending upon their views, beliefs, and past experiences associated with it. Some people view it as pleasurable and tension-relieving while some others view it as dirty and anxiety-provoking.
Several studies about sexual intercourse and health have been able to scoop out certain benefits of masturbation. Some of them are as given below:
- Relaxing your body
- An outlet for sexual tension
- Stress buster
- Mood enhancer
- Increases your sexual performance
- Helps you know your body
- Alleviates cramps
- Better sleep
Masturbation does not lead to any kind of physical side-effects, whatsoever. It turns harmful, only when you exert excessive pressure or force on your body. The most common side-effects of masturbation are as given below:
- Feelings of guilt
- An addiction that emerges out of frequent masturbation affects your sexual functioning and general mood.
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Conclusion
In this article, we discussed the topic: does masturbation cause anxiety?. We explored the reasons that made masturbation an anxiety-provoking process, the ways to cope with such anxiety, and certain known benefits and side-effects of masturbation.
FAQs: does masturbation cause anxiety?
What happens if a man releases sperm daily?
If daily discharge went on up to fourteen days, continuously, it produced expected reductions in semen volume and total motile concentration but did not result in a significant worsening of parameters of semen health including percent motility, DNA integrity, immature sperm, and end damage from reactive oxygen species.
What are the side-effects of releasing sperm every day?
No study or research is existing that indicates that daily discharge is unhealthy. Frequent discharge has no physical side-effects and as long as it’s not associated with chronic masturbation or porn addiction. On the contrary, it is beneficial to one’s emotional well-being. There is no defined number to decide how often should man discharge. Discharge also comes with a host of health benefits which include lower blood pressure, reduced stress, and increased immunity. When your body becomes aroused, it releases the two main pleasure-related hormones that are oxytocin and dopamine.
Oxytocin is a hormone that is associated with positive emotions, stress-reduction, and bonding. On the other hand, dopamine contributes to feelings of pleasure, satisfaction, and helps to boost your mood, motivation, and productivity while reducing stress and depression. The only condition you might experience from continuous discharge is the refractory period that refers to a time gap between an orgasm and when you feel ready to be sexually aroused again.
What happens if you have too much sperm?
The condition of too much sperm is termed hyperspermia. It has the potential to affect man’s fertility, though not always. Some men who have a high semen volume have less sperm than normal in the fluid they discharge. This ends up making the fluid more dilute. In turn, having a low sperm count decreases the chance that you’ll be able to fertilize one of your partner’s eggs. The opposite of hyperspermia is hypospermia wherein a man produces less semen than usual. The main symptom of hyperspermia is producing a larger than normal amount of fluid during discharge. Those men who suffer from this condition find it difficult to get their partner pregnant. If their partner does become pregnant, there is also the risk of miscarriage involved in the pregnancy.
What are the side-effects of not discharge?
There are several complications and disadvantages associated with delayed or absence of discharge. Some of them are as follows:
Decreased sexual pleasure for you and your partner.
Severe stress or anxiety related to sexual performance
The emergence of marital and relationship problems due to an unsatisfactory sex life
Inability to get your partner pregnant or in ther words, male infertility.
The risk factors that can contribute to delayed discharge are as follows:
Old age. This is one of the most common factors. As men age, they will take more time to discharge.
Psychological conditions such as anxiety, or depression
Medical ailments such as diabetes or multiple sclerosis
Relationship issues such as delayed or poor communication with your partner.
Excessive dependence on alcohol, especially if you are someone who drinks heavily.
Is it healthy to eat sperm?
Yes. there is nothing harmful in consuming sperm as the components involved in the fluid are safe for ingestion. It gets digested in the same way as food. It is only an issue if you are someone who is allergic to semen. In this case, it is not safe to consume the fluid. This allergic condition is known as human seminal plasma hypersensitivity (HSP).
References
https://www.healthline.com/health/masturbation-and-anxiety
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