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?

[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!