Masturbation Addiction

What Is Masturbation Addiction?

Mental health professionals use two primary sources to diagnose people with masturbation addiction: the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), and the World Health Organization’s International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11).

The DSM-5 does not currently recognize masturbation addiction as a disorder, but professionals often diagnose it as a form of behavioral addiction or impulse control disorder, which are mental health diagnoses. It is listed as a diagnosis in the ICD-11 as a compulsive sexual behavior disorder, however.

To meet the ICD-11 criteria, masturbation addiction must:

• Occur for at least six months.
• Cause distress in personal, family, academic, professional, or social functioning.
• Show a pattern that involves one or more of the following:
  • Engaging in masturbation is a primary focus in a person’s life, taking priority over health, personal care, responsibilities, and other activities.
  • Trying to quit or reduce masturbation on numerous occasions without success.
  • Continuing to engage in masturbating despite adverse consequences.
  • Continuing to engage in masturbating despite feeling any satisfaction in it.

Completing a comprehensive assessment with a licensed mental health professional for an accurate diagnosis is crucial. Some people may self-diagnose themselves as having masturbation addiction but may not meet the criteria.

What Are The Signs You Are Addicted To Masturbating?

Because everyone is so different, from lifestyle to overall health, the signs of masturbation addiction will vary. Many factors contribute to why someone develops an addiction of any kind. There are some common signs of masturbation addiction.

Behavioral signs of masturbation addiction:

• Masturbating several times a day
• Masturbating to virtual material repeatedly and frequently
• Spending a lot of time planning how to engage in masturbation
• Using online or in-person sexual services, such as chat rooms, phone sex, strip clubs, or multiple partners
• Becoming reckless or risky in fulfilling the urges to masturbate
• Engaging in sexual behaviors that cause distress to another person, such as exhibitionism, voyeurism, sadomasochism, or pedophilia
• Isolating and avoiding activities with family or friends
• Misusing alcohol or drugs

Psychological signs of masturbation addiction:

• Engaging in masturbation even though it goes against moral, religious, or societal values
• Feeling shame and guilt but still being unable to quit
• Experiencing an increase in anxiety, depression, or other mental health symptoms
• Having obsessive thoughts regarding masturbating

Physical signs of masturbation addiction:

• Showing less concern about self-care or personal hygiene
• Appearing disheveled
• Lacking sleep
• Losing or gaining weight unintentionally
• Being unable to concentrate or focus
• Sores, marks, or abrasions on hands, genitals, or other body parts

Any changes a person exhibits that differ from how they usually think or act can signal something is wrong. Helping them seek appropriate treatment for their masturbation addiction when the first signs appear will increase their chances of successful compulsive masturbation recovery.

What Are The Risks Of Excessive Masturbation?

Excessive masturbation can be risky to a person’s physical and psychological health. Physical risks may include the following:

• Injury to the genital area, hands, or other body parts
• Loss of time and productivity
• Financial losses and debt
• Legal issues if masturbating in public or other illegal ways
• Increase in co-occurring disorders, such as substance abuse
• Jeopardized well-being

The riskier a person’s behaviors become to fulfill their urge to masturbate, the higher the risk to their physical health. They may also experience psychological consequences, like the following:

• Broken relationships can lead to separation and loneliness
• Embarrassment when friends and family learn about the addiction
• Shame and guilt of not being able to stop masturbating
• Views of sexual satisfaction with partners becoming unrealistic
• Warped perception of sexual intimacy that can lead to breakups
• Loss of self-esteem

Some people may use masturbation as a way to self-medicate or cope with past trauma or negative lifestyle factors. However, doing so will only increase the physical and psychological consequences.

Masturbation’s Effects On The Brain

Masturbating is a way to feel pleasure. When someone feels pleasure, it sends signals to the brain that activate opiate receptors, increasing the release of feel-good chemicals like dopamine and oxytocin. When someone continually activates the dopamine or oxytocin pathways through external activities, they also reduce the brain’s natural ability to release the chemicals. This will lead to the brain craving or producing urges to continue the external activities, in this case, masturbating.

As with other addictions, altered neurotransmitter functioning creates an imbalance of feel-good chemicals in the brain, like dopamine and oxytocin. As their levels drop, the brain sends signals to find something to do to release feel-good chemicals. It reminds a person that masturbating can make them feel good again, then makes them crave the action. The cycle can be vicious and, without masturbation addiction treatment, tough to overcome.

Porn Addiction Vs. Sex Addiction Vs. Masturbation Addiction

Masturbation addiction can be closely related to other behavioral addictions, like sex addiction and porn addiction. Therefore, distinguishing it can help someone know which type of masturbation addiction treatment to seek and avoid misdiagnosis.

Porn Addiction

Pornography is easily accessible online and in stores today. Porn refers to sexually explicit images, videos, or livestreams. Common signs of a porn addiction include intense urges and cravings to view porn because it gives them pleasure. Unfortunately, their desire to view porn interferes with their ability to perform responsibly at work, home, school, or socially.

Negative consequences of porn addiction may include financial loss or increasing debt due to paying for online subscription sites, worsening anxiety and depression, isolation, and poor performance at work or home.

Sex Addiction

Someone with a sex addiction cannot stop seeking or engaging in sexual acts. They experience cravings and will go to great lengths to achieve pleasure. Sexual acts may include the following:

• Kissing
• Touching
• Penetration
• Oral sex
• Anal sex
• Fondling
• Rape

Sex addiction can be dangerous for many reasons, including the transmission of diseases to oneself and others. It can result in physical injuries, including rashes, scratches, cuts, and blisters. There may be legal repercussions if the act occurs in a public place, and there is a risk of unwanted pregnancies if no one uses protection. A person may also experience extreme fatigue due to sleep disturbances.

Sex addiction can be detrimental to otherwise healthy relationships, especially when it involves infidelity. Like other addictions, it can deter someone from meeting daily obligations at work, home, school, or socially. Finally, sex addiction can take its toll on a person’s mental health, increasing symptoms and leading to a diagnosable disorder.

What Is A “Normal” Amount Of Masturbation?

There is not a definitive way to define what “normal” masturbation is for every person. Instead, the way to determine if someone is masturbating too much is to analyze how their behaviors affect all the other areas of their life.

One person may masturbate daily or two times a day but still be productive at work, take care of their responsibilities at home, have a healthy social life, and have an overall sense of well-being. Their masturbation does not interfere with their quality of life. These are signs of normal masturbation.

Another person may skip work, family events, or social activities to masturbate. They may spend most of their time seeking and engaging in masturbation. Their masturbating efforts leave them feeling guilty, shameful, or hopeless. An abnormal amount of masturbation can also be defined by how well someone can control their urges at work, school, or socially. If someone cannot wait until they get home and find themselves in the restroom at work or while attending social gatherings, they have an abnormal amount of masturbation. The better a person can control their urges to masturbate, the less likely they are to have an addiction.

How To Overcome A Masturbation Addiction

Overcoming masturbation addiction begins with an assessment to determine the type of treatment that will benefit you the most. There are multiple treatment options you can choose from, including:

• Individual counseling or group therapies consist of behavioral therapies, like cognitive-behavioral therapy and contingency management, to help you change thought processes that lead to addictive behaviors
• Support groups for sex addiction exist online and in the community. Support groups are great for connecting with others who have masturbation addiction and can offer beneficial feedback and advice. Sexual Addicts Anonymous, Sexual Compulsive Anonymous, Sex and Love Addict Anonymous, and Sex and Porn Addicts Anonymous are 12-step groups with online and in-person meeting options.
• Treatment medications can help some people overcome masturbation addiction: naltrexone, which is a medicine that curbs cravings and reduces compulsiveness for masturbating, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which are antidepressants that can treat mental health symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, and impulse control.

Reach Out Today

Online therapy can be a preferred option for someone seeking treatment for masturbation addiction, as it allows you to access and meet with licensed professionals from the privacy and comfort of your home. Explore your online therapy options today and start your journey toward an addiction-free life.