To most, masturbation seems like a part of daily life. It’s natural, stress relieving and “healthy.” It seems like everybody is doing it. However, many are starting to wonder how today’s masturbatory patterns are affecting our expectations and sexual performance in the real world.
Some who suffer from sexual dysfunction find that the more pornography they watch, the more difficult it is to feel satisfied by sex. They feel that sex isn’t necessary for them anymore. They’d rather “not waste time” on a relationship when they can just do it themselves. So what’s the truth about masturbation?
In a recent study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, sex therapists found that men’s recent masturbatory patterns hinder their experience and satisfaction in sex, and ultimately their partners’ experiences as well. Why? Some say porn is to blame, with more viewers exposed to videos considered “unusual” and fantasies that cannot be recreated with a partner. This, the therapists say, is potentially the reason why so many men and women are experiencing sexual dissatisfaction and an inability to reach arousal during intercourse with a partner.
An erection is a conditioned response. Sex therapists explain that men train themselves to only respond to “extreme stimuli.” It then becomes very difficult to even reach arousal, not to mention completion.
How can this be reversed? Many experts suggest that for these cases it will require “masturbatory retraining.” This is necessary to reverse the pattern and allow for stimulation by a partner.
Masturbatory patterns aren’t just ruining sex lives. Many patients complain that irregular masturbatory patterns complicate emotional relationships as well. A large number of men avoid emotional commitment altogether. These men claim they can fulfill their own sexual needs and focus on other priorities outside of relationships.
What does it say when people prefer their own hands to significant others? Therapists claim the only way to retrain the brain is to abstain from masturbation for a month to 90 days. It appears that reversing this problem might require more than a simple break from jacking off or even flicking the bean. Opening oneself to romantic relationships requires a change in mindset.
Are masturbatory patterns the issue of the decade? Probably not, but they may be changing how people choose to lead their romantic lives today. Social isolation and sexual dysfunction are negative consequences. Complex relationships with others strengthen one’s overall emotional health and quality of life. Masturbation itself is not the problem. Almost everyone does it. Excess is almost always unhealthy, and an overindulgence in self-pleasure is no different. If abstinence is necessary to reverse this trend, by all means, put away the tissues and lotion.