The Myth of Sex and Masturbation Addiction
I have written before and will continue to write about the myth of sex and masturbation “addiction,” even though most Tumblr users don’t do much reading; they’re just here for the images.
There are a number of you out there who claim to be “masturbation addicts.” I don’t think you know what “addiction” means. First of all, sex addiction (and masturbation is most definitely sex; it’s sex with yourself), has been rejected by the American Psychiatric Association, time and again, because there is no scientific evidence that it exists. Sex is not like alcohol or drugs, no matter how much anyone thinks it is. Sex has no tolerance or withdrawal effects. No one has ever died from being unable to have sex, nor has anyone ever overdosed from sex.
Alcohol and drugs create changes in the chemistry of the brain, while during sex, the brain is working the way it is supposed to.
Does sexual desire affect our judgment? Yes, it does, but this is normal. Human sexuality is designed to make us want to have sex, and everyone has had the experience of wanting sex to the point that they get a little stupid. But it is a far stretch to reach from this mild effect of arousal to suggesting that sex takes away someone’s self-control.
See: David J. Ley’s “The Myth of Sex Addiction” (Rowman & Littlefield).
Now, as regards these men who claim that they masturbate 14 hours a day or more….do they have jobs? Or are they independently wealthy and so, can afford to do nothing but surf Tumblr and masturbate all day? Look, unless you’ve been fired from a job for absenteeism (because you couldn’t resist masturbating) or unless you’ve been evicted for not paying your rent or mortgage (because you spent it all on porn or Albolene), you’re not addicted, Pee-Wee…..you’re just an enthusiast.
Now, I’m definitely more than an enthusiast when it comes to music; I’m an accomplished performer/writer. But still, I can’t imagine doing it for 14 hours at a shot. I’m an enthusiast when it comes to gardening, but Jesus Christ, not for 14 hours at a time. And I definitely love to masturbate, but I do have other things (and other people) in my life to attend to.
Is there such a thing as too much masturbation? Maybe. If your penis starts getting chaffed from not using enough lube, or if your arm starts getting cramped from too much stroking. But as regards the sensations themselves, is there such a thing as too much? Well, I think that people should be passionate about activities they love. That said, I love to eat. I love prime rib. But I can’t fucking imagine eating it every day. By a week’s time, I’d probably be sick of it. There is something to be said for anticipation, and you can’t achieve/experience anticipation without some abstinence. Don’t get me wrong, now. I’m not one of these conservative, right-wing religious nuts. I love my cock. I love to Edge and cum. But I don’t need to do it more than a couple hours a day. Now and then, if I’m in the mood and the porn browsing is good, I might go a little longer, but as I said, I do have other things in my life.
So, if you’re reading this and you’re one of the people who claims to masturbate “all day” and considers themselves an addict, I would say this:
At least I hope you’re telling the truth and not bullshitting, because there’s more than enough misinformation and crap on the internet – especially regarding sex/masturbation. And that’s just the kind of stuff that the conservative, religious wingnuts jump on. They’re looking for every bit of junk evidence that enjoying sex for it’s own sake is bad.
And I would also suggest: try taking a day off now and then. Try – no pun intended – shooting for quality rather than quantity. Sometimes, less IS more.
I don’t reblog much, but I appreciate enough of this message to try and help spread it.