What Happens If You Masturbate Too Much

Masturbation is a sexual activity involving stimulation of your sexual organs to achieve orgasm. It is different than sex as it does not require the necessary presence of the other sexual partner. We say necessary because masturbation can both be an individual or accompanied activity, I.e., when you and your partner indulge in it together at the same time. It is a very normal activity and, in most cases, even healthy to indulge in. But like sex, there are some factual research and some societal taboos around it too. Questions like, is it good to masturbate or not? Is it wrong? Can it lead to prostate cancer? And importantly, What happens if you masturbation too much? We will try and address most of these here.

• IS MASTURBATION A DISEASE?

So, if the concept of masturbation as a disease sounds bizarre to you, then you are already in the right direction. But we will draw on the history and beliefs of the people who think otherwise to both make you aware and contest them.

Masturbation was accepted widely as a disease only after a book named ‘Onania’ was published anonymously in Holland. Reassured further by another famous work by S. A. Tissot on onanism. Tissot held this belief that sex and masturbation were a cause of debilitation. This belief was generated from his theory that the loss of one ounce of seminal fluid was equal to forty ounces of blood. Other medical conditions believed to be emerging from masturbation were headache, loss of hearing, vertigo, epilepsy, and blindness, among others. These views were still prevalent in the twentieth century. These were finally put to rest in 1972 when the American medical association declared masturbation as normal and even healthy in most cases. Yes, still pretty late, but better to be late than never.

• BENEFITS OF MASTURBATION

Masturbation is a physical activity that involves the working and release of numerous hormones. These chemicals help in multiple ways to make the experience pleasurable. They help you release sexual tension, stress, feeling of happiness and also treat insomnia.

• SEXUAL HEALTH AND RELATIONSHIPS

In most cases, we can find that regular masturbation is a healthy activity to indulge in, especially when the sexual tension is high in the body for ovulating women. High, unreleased sexual tension can cause a lack of concentration and irritation for some people. For adolescents, it can help identify their sexual preferences and identities. It is no secret that people sometimes suffer to understand their sexual preferences and struggle with their partners. If you are comfortable and know your body, it can thus lead to better communication with your partner.

• FEMALE V/S MALE BODY

Male and female sexual body parts are different, and so does their bodily response. While there are general benefits for both of them, females can benefit from a release of menstrual pain through masturbation. It can even help reduce the risk of cervical infection.

For men, it can help release the old sperm out with low motility. It can be helpful for people who are trying to have a baby and increase their chances.

• SIDE EFFECTS OF MASTURBATION

Most negative connotations revolving around masturbation come from personal constraints which do not have any factual ground. But it remains true that masturbation is a physical activity and involves the most sensitive part of the human body. The parts are most commonly associated with reproduction. So the main concern that mostly surfaces the discussion around its negative effects is its effect on reproduction. Thus it becomes essential to research and openly talk about masturbation to prevent any negative health hazards and misconceptions.

• ADDICTION

As said earlier, masturbation leads to the release of multiple chemicals. One of the most important chemicals is endorphins, responsible for releasing feel-good and pleasurable chemicals in your body. It also works as a natural painkiller. Like this, Endocannabinoids is another chemical, which in women, helps to reduce menstrual pain. These associated benefits might sound good but are the major reasons for masturbation becoming an addiction.

• RELATIONSHIPS

Masturbation, like any other form of relaxation, is healthy as long as it does not interfere with the other parts of your life. It is when it generates some violent, especially partner-oriented behavior, that it becomes harmful. Excessive masturbation can cause compulsive sexual behavior, the inability to control your sexual impulse. It can result in compulsive and threatening experiences for your partner, rising from the lack of your control.

• MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

Finally, these can lead to mental as well as physical side effects. As we discussed, it can lead to exhaustion to perform daily activities, resulting in slightly aggressive behavior on the part of the person experiencing this. Excessive masturbation can also irritate body parts. And if done wrongly, it can also harm your physical organs, for example- the penis, which in most cases can only get repaired through surgery.

• MASTURBATION AND PROSTATE CANCER

We kept it separately from positive and negative side effects due to the dubious nature of the research around it. The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland in male bodies responsible for the proper functioning and circulation of sperm in the body. Prostate cancer can be a slow or fast development. It includes symptoms such as trouble urinating, blood in semen or urine, bone pain, erectile dysfunction, among others.

There isn’t unarguable proof that ejaculation or masturbation can reduce the risk of this yet, but most seem to favor this theory. This further depends on the age of the person. Due to the negative mental and physical side effects, some believe that excessive masturbation can lead to prostate cancer, but there is no factual ground. So it is better to keep a lookout for any symptoms and maintain a balance.

• CONCLUSION

Finally, the question that remains is how much masturbation is too much? As discussed earlier, it has both positive as well as negative side effects. And can also lead to serious health issues in some cases. But there is no definite answer to this question. It solely depends on your capacity to control your desire and maintain a balance in your life. To be sure, keep a lookout for any of the above-mentioned negative side effects; until then, you are in no immediate danger.