Addiction to Masturbation

[jayz101]

I am 17 now and i have been masturbating since about the age of 11. For quite a few years now i have been masturbating almost once a day or sometimes more and can't shake the habit. I also have been hearing that masturbation causes all of these crazy side affects like an enlarged prostate, constipation, and memory loss from online medical forums. I really would like to confirm if this is true because I'm scared and want to know if i should seek professional help!

[Julia M Aharonov, DO]

Depending on your religious practices and convictions there is absolutely nothing wrong with what you are doing. If it goes against your morals, stop. If it does not, don't obsess over it. There are married people who have sex every day, is that abnormal? Daily orgasms, whether you have them with a partner or by yourself does not cause any medical problems whatsoever.
On the other hand, if you feel that what you are doing is affecting your daily function, than maybe it is time for you to see a psychiatrist to see if you need medication for a condition called OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). There are few of the SSRI's that can be very helpful both for OCD and lowering sexual drive. There is no reason you should be disabled by this. Good luck to you.

[imjosh]

Hi, I am 15, and I have been trying to stop masturbating for a few months now. It goes against my morals, but I just can't conquer this addiction. I quit it when I was 13, but I tried it again when I was 14and have been struggling with it since. It gets in the way of my responsibilities, and it really makes me feel disgusted of myself. It is causing damage, and I'm ashamed of it and always having to hide it. I really want to quit, more than anything else. I just can't stop; I need to figure out how to get around it. I am always have to hide my browser history, and I just can't keep my hands out of my pants. I want to be able to please my future wife someday, but I feel like my own selfishness will ruin my performance.  I really need to quit. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
-Josh