Masturbation and anxiety

[riprock]

Sorry if this post offends anyone, i made it once before, but just found some new information about it.... if anyone has any thoughts that would be great

I'm 21 so i guess i'm expected to have raging hormones, but i masturbate usually twice a day then have sex on the weekends. i've seriously not gone like a day without masturbating in the last 5 years as it's become more of a habit / part of my daily routine. I usually cant sleep at night unless i do it as it relaxes me and makes me super tired. The last 2 nights i've not masturbated and my sleep has been really terrible, but i've felt alright the next day

anyway , i found this article  ( http://www.sexualrecovery.com/resources/articles/understanding-compulsive-masturbation.php)

Quote:
Frequent masturbation and ejaculation stimulate acetylcholine/parasympathetic nervous functions excessively, resulting in the over production of sex hormones and neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, dopamine and serotonin. Abundant and unusually amount of these hormones and neurotransmitters can cause the brain and adrenal glands to perform excessive dopamine-norepinephrine-epinephrine conversion and turn the brain and body functions to be extremely sympathetic. In other words, there is a big change of body chemistry when a client compulsively masturbates.

For the client engaging in compulsive masturbation, they often experience problems with concentration and memory. This is a dangerous side effect of compulsive masturbation and signals that the brain is being over drained of acetylcholine. This behavior can also drain the motor nerves, neuro-muscular endings, and tissues of acetylcholine and replace it with too much stress adrenalin which is where memory loss, lack of concentration, and eye floaters come from. To fight these symptoms, the chemical levels in their body needs to be balanced.



any thoughts?

[Dabruby2016]

Yes I masterbate no I have anxiety problems too but it,s managed by medication for ex: cetopram and anti depressant and anxiety medicine for like depression and anxiety

[JapJapJap]

Christian here too, same issue with masterbation, it totally breaks me down, no idea why, it just does, and i get a massive freaking anxiety attack afterwards...my body is wierd...Like I get these odd spasm and i get tremors, and my heart races, and for the next week my body has highly sensitive reactions to my digestive/disposal system(********). In my opinion..DON'T listen to everyone else, DO what you know YOUR body needs. Stop and fight compulsive masterbation with all your soul, if it causes you any harm. For all we know, God made us like this to encourage us to do something better with our lives, (not including women/children in our lives) *shrugs* I don't know.

[HerrJorn]

Well what the heck everyone else is talking about it.

I'm a devout believer in Jesus Christ. I'm also an alpha male with high confidence, quick wit, good looks and a of love femininity that would put Solomon to shame (inside joke).

I decided to quit MB/fap on a whim. I never had the issues of "addicts" and thought of it as a message. My friend was an porn/fap addict and went to rehab for months and is still going to meetings, he is nothing like me but to bear with him I secretly stopped to sympathize with him.

It's been FASCINATING! At the same time I got into some small legal troubles (stupid thing about a rifle) and started having anxiety in the form of a pounding heart. But I relapsed after 3 (long) weeks and felt great the next day.
Oh crap. My anxiety is due to no-fap.
Yes, I'm resetting, as the no-fap community puts it. I'm told my brain chemistry will adjust in time but it ***** so far and I'm 3 weeks back since my last fap and my anxiety is so bad that I started taking Xanax at night or I can't sleep. I don't drink or usually take meds to that means something.
Today I'm wondering if I have to fap just to be normal but the community says the brain has to adjust itself like comming off any other addiction.
I don't like being a slave to something so I'm toughing it out. Though I love looking at pretty women I don't need it get the O. I'm now also on house arrest so talk about the worst time to have idle hands.
Hang in there.

[Lostboy17]

Hey guys I need help I love mastrubating and I can't stop and not long ago I had anxiety and when I jerk off and ejaculate my anxiety level rises and I wonder if its normal or not ?

[Javier17]

I am not going to write a long message trying to PERSUADE you. I am simply going to tell you something you should know. You cannot just stop. When you feel depressed- it doesn't work just saying stop, you cannot stop an addiction behaviour which aims to minimize the anxiety and suffering. Willpower does not cut it. It is like hitting a head of one of those worms from the board game (know what I'm talking about?) and see another elsewhere pops up. It is just like that; either you stop masturbating and continue to feel the anxiety and depression, OR you will replace the addiction with another one. So I suggest you look into Internal Family Systems Therapy. Here are some absolutely amazing videos you should watch and get back to me : http://www.youtube.com./watch?v=Pd8AvecXpy8
Study lesson 1 on the Break the Cycle website : http://sfhelp.org/  which gives you the entire Internal Family Systems Therapy as self-help.
And lastly, this video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E88q5z7WvSo

After watching these 3: Tell me what you think now?

[Dragomar]

Holy crap where did you quote that from? Maybe thats whats been causing this depersonalization ! I have the same symptoms as you but I'm 18...

I'm going to use this immense willpower everyone keeps telling me I have and stop...

[leokalm]

Im not sure if this is directly relevant but I seem to be having the same fears as you. I had some form of major "attack" about two weeks ago, which was triggered during a masturbation session. The symptoms of the attack have taken over 2 weeks to "dissipate" and have still not completely gone. The real killer is every time I become aroused the "pleasant" feeling I usually feel is somehow translated into anxiety/panic, forcing me to avoid any kind of stimulation. Needless to say its utter torture, im not sure if its a psychosomatic link or linked to internal chemical levels. Sometimes it seems much worse than others and sometimes I become extremely aroused for no real reason at all. Its quite worrying for someone who has masturbated freely and without guilt for a long time. Has anyone else had any experience with something similar?

[tvm123]

As per my knowledge it will not harm you .But do not make a habit on that that's it.

[jus2say]

I am also a Christian. I have no medical Insight. But I have the same love hate relationship with masturbation. My reading on the subject leads me to believe that as far as God is concerned, masturbation is one of those areas where the bible is not specific. There is no occasion where masturbation itself brought God's wrath. This leads me to believe that the act is neither good or evil but the motivations or the heart is the deciding factor. Just throwing this out there from one OCD Christian to the next.

[caryh30]

I am currently suffering Anxiety due to health issues and life stress.  I'm aware of what is causing my issue, yet the problem persists.  I found this program and it seems promising.  the idea of resetting your body back to a normal level of anxiety or getting rid of it entirely.  I don't sell this nor am I affiliated with this product.  Just another person that wants that "invincible" feeling back.

http://www.linden-method.com/?hop=zalez1984

[nick99747]

I am a Christian and have to deal with a long list of scriptures
that leave little doubt about whether not  masterbation is a sin.
I love to masterbate because of the level of pleasure that it offers.

Sin or not, afterwards, I get depressed and angry and can not remember anything. It really is not worth it regardless of how good it feels during the
session. The anxiety wears off in about a week and then I am ready to go again.

[nick99747]

I am too old and close to meeting my final judgement to have a masterbation
problem. I have quit at least a 1000 times in my life and vowed to stop. I have
never in my adult life masterbated  and not had depression afterwards. To make things
worse, I am bipolar. I am a Christian so I also have the commands of Scripture
to deal with.  All this being the case, masterbation is so enjoyable for me that
once I have any physical contact at all with my genitals, the process starts and
can last as long as two  hours. The ejaculation experience is incredible as I
get a double does of the chemicles that run through your brain at ejaculation.
Then, the fun is over. Almost Immediately afterwards I go into deep depression
and realize that as good as it was it is not worth the final results. I do not watch
ponography but have a lot of it in my memory from when I did that rushs forward
during my masterbation sessions. I once heard it said that you can not "unsee"
anything. So if you are young (which means under 75) and having trouble with
masterbation, I encourage you to get it stopped by what ever means you can find.
most of the negativev of the side affects that you read about will have their own
deamons for you to battle with. You may not believe in deamons now but if you can
not stop the habit, you will eventually. As long as you "suffer" afterwards, there is still
hope for you to overcome but you have to make serious decisions and find some way
to stick to them. I am going to masterbate now but will promise this will be the last
time. Honest!!  This is going to be good.

I promise.

[Grandtiger]

I am a Christian too.  Having been brought up in the Catholic Church, going through puberty was a nightmare, living in fear of hell for merely touching myself!  But then later in life, Christ rescued me through His Word, and freed me from religion and guilt.  Masturbation is conspicuous by its absence in Scripture.  Leviticus lists all imaginable sexual sins, and masturbation is not even mentioned.  At worst, a man who had an "emission," involuntary or otherwise, was merely ritually unclean for the rest of the day.  Besides, we can enjoy ourselves for hours on end without having an emission, and therefore able to repeat the activity as often as desired, and if we do ejaculate, then it's no big deal.  I consider masturbation a wonderful gift of God so we can gratify ourselves without sinning.  "We are fearfully and wonderfully made, and that my soul knows very well" (from Psalm 139). When we are free in Christ, we are free indeed! So masturbate to your heart's content and praise God for this indescribably pleasurable gift.

[Paxiled]

Just so you know, this post is 6 years old -- let's hope the poster has gotten over it by now.  You might be new here.  If find your theology interesting, though -- you seem to be saying Christ freed you from Christianity.  Pretty cool.  I like that.  Sounds more like Buddhism than Christianity, but again, pretty cool.  enlightenment of you.  Not sure you've got the Jewish stuff right, but who cares?  I'm with you, these rules were probably devised to differentiate tribes from other tribes and to promote procreation so they would get more followers.  Life is hard enough without eliminating the parts of it that feel really good without hurting anyone.  Peace.  

[vadagov]

Id like to chat with you about the anxiety issue. I believed the masturbation is the cure to anxiety, why is that wrong to believe?

[wuckie]

i honestly do not understand what all the worrying about masturbation is about. it is actually a natural thing. twice a day does not sound excessive to me. not from a young and healthy male. some people just have a stronger sex drive than others. it sure beats taking all these stupid pills that are so damaging to the body. and have such horrible withdrawal symptoms. i am just going off effexor . stopped completely 3 -4 wks. ago. wish i had never ever taken the damn things. if you have issues about anything it would probably help you to have a chat or 2 with a therapist. but watch out about taking any rxs. for anxiety. try otc meds. 1st. just chill . wuckie

[anxiousetofindansweres]

I just went to the site on sexual compulsive behavior that riprock posted and honestly, It may change my life. I can not thank you enough. I do not masturbate 20 times a day and never have, but an addict is an addict I know that, If you need a case of beer a day or just 5 it dosent really matter, the point is, is that you need it, and you need to figure out why. As for riprock I think you are on the right track, and my gut feeling was confirmed by what I read on the site. That your beliefs are the issue that started the whole problem or at least they play a major role. keep on this track.

[anxiousetofindansweres]

I want to say I respect everyones opinion but I can sympithise with riprock trying to figure this out and only getting replies from people who don't have this issue. They are trying to convince you its ok to masturbate and that the anxiety is not coming from masturbation but I can tell you I have the same problem and it is coming from masturbation, i know in my mind there is nothing wrong with masturbation. I am 47 I first masturbated when I was in first grade and have been hooked ever since. in my teens it was several times a day maybe 5, now its a couple times a week but the anxiety is always there. I plan my life around it. I don't masturbate within 3 days of an upcoming event where I will have to focus or be on my toes so to speak, or be in a social situation that is important. could be a date, interview etc. why? because my mood is altered, I can't focus as well, just not myself, make poor decisions. This issue is life altering, but others realy don't get it. I have read these forums for the last couple hours and I think I may be getting somewhere in at least finding others with the issue and who knows. But for those who don't have this issue it seems they just try to tell you its ok to masturbate, I can appreciate the posititve reinforcement and in reality there may be something to a deep seated guilt or shame issue that is in your subconsiouse even though your mind knows its right and ok to masturbate. As a kid I always remember being imbarrassed and that know one can ever know that I masturbate. Over the years I have learned its no big deal but you have to respect the power your subconsiouse has over how you feel. If I have sex with a woman the complete opposite happens I feel relaxed and happy, I have to surmise that my anxiety is coming from a deep seated belief I have about masturbation. This belief may cause me to have anxiety because I am masturbating, and release chemicals in the brain when I orgasim. I am a firm believer that the anxiety and mood that result are caused by a mix of psycological factors and brain chemistry, Each of these can affect the other. For me I just started looking into this issue because it has had a devistating effect on my life, social and otherwise. I don't know the answer right now but I know the hightened anxiety after I masturbate is from the orgasim and is chemical. Now if the chemicals released durring orgsim are different becasue of a fear or anxiety before and durring the masturbation then that is one thing. but for myself I am going to look into what can be done to unseat the deep seated beliefs I have or if I have a chemical imbalance that makes me succeptable to mood altering chemicals. Even when I have tried antidepressants I get an extreme anxiety reaction and cant take them. This to could be a result of having watched my sister go through some seriouse breakdowns and be given drugs to keep her under controle. I developed a real fear of drugs used to contole mood. I have never done drugs and I take no medication and never have. But from a very objective point of view I have beliefs about drugs and masturbation that go back to childhood. Didnt plan on being so long winded but its hard to relay 40 years of hell in a paragraph. To riprock, I say you should consider a psycological component as well as a chemical one, maybe treat both ask youself if you have ever had the belief that masturbation was wrong even if you now know it is right. What about when you were 10, who knows what effect things like this have on a 10 year old, beliefs can be very deepseated.  

[donna80]

Please don't blame masterbation on causing your anxiety it is so not true!

If anything, When you masterbate you tense ALL your muscles in your body (sometimes without relasizing, hence the jelly legs), And then when its all over, your body relaxes again, just like your body would do, if you attended those therapy sessions where they teach you deep breathing etc.

It is the most natural thing to do in the world,just like being tickled and laughing!


I to suffered from GAD from taking drugs, i used to take everything, then one night BANG first ever panic attack, well more of a high feeling and fear od dying, was like it for weeks and weeks, never touched drugs again! (this was 10 years ago), still suffer with GAD, And the odd panic, Tried meds, But they are not for me!

Now i just eat healthy, cutting out all aspartame, fat, greece, msg and processed foods. And masterbate/have sex on a daily basis.. I love it!

[silent_watcher]

HI! AS I KEEP ON RESEARCHING ON THE NET IF MASTURBATION DAMAGED THE BRAIN THAT RESULTS IN ANXIETY, I FOUND IT -YES!!!
5 TIMES I READ A STORY ABOUT GUYS WHO MASTURBATE AND HAS ANXIETY DISORDER. YOU ARE THE 5TH GUY! AND I AM THE 6TH GUY!!! I MASTURBATE FREQUENTLY SINCE I WAS 10, NOW IM 23. I HAVE OCD, I HAVE REPEATETIVE, SENSELESS TOUGHTS, SO MANY SENSELESS FEARS. I FEAR I'LL BECOME GAY, UGLY, DIE, AND MANY OTHER THINGS. I WAS ABLE TO COPE WITH MY SENSLESS FEARS BUT I AMS TILL NOT COMPLETELY HEALED. I REALLY FEEL  AM NOT MYSELF, I FEEL WEIRD. I KNOW SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH MASTURBATION. IF U WANNA TALK TO ME ABOUT HOW I COPE WITH MY ANXIETY, EMAIL ME ***@****

[Naina79]

I am a big fan of sex and masturbation for maintaining overall health. I agree with most of the replies. It doesn't hurt to experiment not masturbating but don't torture yourself. People are meant to pleasure themselves for a reason. I had a boyfriend that masturbated six times a day and then had sex with me every night. He had a problem but if you are only doing it twice a day and it's not getting in the way of your normal functioning and daily activities then enjoy!

[riprock]

Hi there, yeah i remember your username as well. Sometimes for me i feel like i need to just try some meds as i never used to be an anxious person, and then just one day after drugs, everything went downhill and i was a different person entirely.  I just got prescribed zoloft so im considering trying that to see if it can stop all of this.

I've seen one therapist and he proved to be pretty useless. It just doesnt seem as if someone could help me through talking unless they were inside my head to feel what i was going through . I've always had alot of stress and bs on my plate for my whole life and have dealt with it accordingly. It's the physical symptoms that make life unmanageable for me.

Like i dont feel depressed at all despite the fact that my life ***** right now relative to what it used to be. Bah.... So confused, and my brain is tired.

Thanks again for the reply

[RubyWitch]

OK, now I remember you.
You did a bunch of drugs and believe that is what triggered your anxiety. You have tried to eliminate certain things to see if that would help your anxiety. Now you're thinking your masturbation should be the next item on the chopping block in case THAT is the cause of your anxiety.
It's not, OK? You might as well blame the fecking lettuce on your BLT.
I believe the last time you and I talked, I suggested that you would definitely benefit from therapy and I'll say that again now. Bottom line is you HAVE anxiety. Now you need to find the root cause and deal with it. Masterbating has obviously been one of the ways you've dealt with some of the symptoms, but I repeat, it is not the cause.
Please get into some therapy so you needn't hate writing out the story over and over. The story isn't what needs changing.
Peace
Greenlydia  

[MrGreen]

Nothing like giving your hands a vacation.

[riprock]

Hi all,

thanks for replies. Honestly i feel no guilt over masturbation, i love doing it and have always considered it a really normal behavior. I just  try to find things that may possibly be cause my anxiety and eliminate them as i still haven't come to terms with the fact that i've created this sensitized state for myself.

I hate typing out my story time and time again, but basically i used alot of drugs and alcohol for years and then got into harder drugs, namely ecstasy which lead to me having a panic attack. Been a year since then and it's gotten alot worse, but some days i feel better, i just want to feel like my old invincible self again. I  have GAD mostly, not PD

I've blamed numerous things i eat and do on why ive gotten anxiety but eliminating them doesnt seem to help.... masturbation was just next on the list. I'm still going to attempt taking a break from it to see if i feel any different, but i'm guessing i'll have a hard time making it past like 3 days or so. sad. but true.

Thanks again for replies

[MrGreen]

God gave us hands for a reason. I always wondered why shrinks asked do you masturbate a lot whenever I saw one. It is a regular question they ask. I turned the question round once and asked a female shrink why they ask it. What the connection is. I imagined that a climax was the only thing greater that anxiety. In other words your anxiety would leave you during those moments of self pleasure. She just blushed and refused to answer myquestion. I do agree with Lydia that it would more those people who engage in masturbation up to 20 times a day that would be at risk. I doubt twice a day would be considered much at all. In comparison to some posts we have read. So don't worry your head off. Forgive the pun. Your just a normal male doing what you feel you have to do to relieve anxiety.

[RubyWitch]

Your post will not offend anyone, and if it does, then they aren't mature enough to be on this site. Your anxiety about masturbating twice a day is far more detrimental to your health and well being than the frequency! Twice a day, while perhaps more than most of us could handle, is not, in my humble opinion, of any medical OR emotional concern. You are a very young man with what I am seeing as a very robust and healthy sex drive. If you were maturbating 20 times a day, I'd say you may have an issue, but twice is nothing. Masturbation is a GREAT sleep aid. More of us should try THAT instead of taking another damn pill. It's also great for releaving stress.
I don't know WHERE you found that information on masturbating, but I honestly think they were talking about folks who indulge in the 20 times a day type. Doing "it" THAT often could, I suppose, do something to your hormones or chemicals or whatever they were going on about. A little advice? Stay off those damn "oh Lord, what's wrong with me TODAY" sites! See what you found by going there? Now you're all freaked out that your head (big and little......LOL) are going to explode or something! Hogwash. YOU'RE gonna be the one walking around with a big smile and no anti-stress pills in your pocket!
If you ARE realy concerned and scared about this, see a urologist and discuss this with him. I think you will be very happy with what they have to say and you can get back to whistling while you work.
Keep up the good work!
(I'm killin' myself here!)
Peace
Greenlydia