There have been misconceptions about masturbation; whether or not it is really as beneficial as scientists say it is. Well, masturbation can help relieve stress, help you learn more about your sexual preferences and could improve your sleep quality.
Masturbating a few times a week is totally normal, but it could be a problem if it gets in the way your social life, responsibilities, and your job. Also, if you find it hard to resist the urge to masturbate then you’re most likely addicted.
Just like alcohol addiction or tobacco addiction, being addicted to masturbation can significantly affect how you see yourself and other the world. It could make you lose your self-esteem and self-confidence. In addition, you might withdraw from your social circles to find more time to masturbate.
Sometimes, people who masturbate indulge themselves in sexual fantasies. Doing this would heighten the sensation during the act, but it will also make it difficult for them to get a partner later in life and if they do get a partner, it would be difficult for them to sexually satisfy their partner.
Another downside of frequent masturbation is skin irritation, swelling of the penis, loss of sensitivity.
How To Stop Masturbating Permanently – 6 Steps That Work
1. Stop Watching Porn
One of the first steps to quitting masturbation is to avoid pornographic movies, images, and websites. Of course, this will be really difficult to do as many TV programs have taken a step further in promoting nudity and sexual activity. You can bar these shows and movies by tweaking the parental control settings on your cable.
You should also block your access to pornography by using filters on websites and electronic devices. One of those filters is Google safe search which blocks sensitive content. You should do the same on your social media accounts.
By blocking your access to these materials, you’re more likely to remain in control of your urges. At first, it would be extremely difficult to let go, but as time goes on, it will become easier for you to control the urge.
2. Do Other Things
When you stop masturbating, you create a void. You should fill that void with as many activities as you can or you risk falling back to masturbation. You could take up a new hobby or learn a new skill, but whatever you do, make sure it brings closer to other people.
Also, developing new goals can help you refocus your energy and look forward to life.
3. Spend More Time With Others
One of the downsides of frequent masturbation is withdrawal. To find time to masturbate, you had to withdraw from your social circles and sometimes this could make you lose confidence in yourself.
To counter this, try spending more time with people. Spending time with others could help to redirect your focus and make you less interested in masturbating.
4. Go For A Walk
Going for a walk is one of the best ways to relieve stress or clear your head. It could also help you stop masturbating. Whenever you feel the urge to masturbate, try taking a walk and exploring your environment. Also, you could try to meet up with someone on your way. All these activities will help to redirect your focus and make you less interested in going back to your old habit.
5. Meet With Supportive People
Frequent masturbation could be a symptom of an underlying problem. It could be as a result of
- Mental health condition
- Poor sexual communication
- Relationship
- Low self-esteem
It will help to first address the reason why you masturbate before trying to stop masturbation itself. Depending on the reason, you might have to see a therapist or join a support group. This will help you deal with the problem that fuels your addiction.
6. Reward Yourself
Masturbation is a habit that has its own reward. Orgasms and the release of feel-good chemicals make most people who masturbate want to indulge in it over and over again. So whenever, you successfully resist the urge to masturbate, you should reward yourself.
By rewarding yourself, you will rewire your brain to focus more on the rewards of avoiding masturbation than the rewards of masturbation.
Final Thoughts
If you follow the steps above you should be able to quit masturbation permanently. Remember that masturbation is totally normal and nothing you should be ashamed of, but when it becomes too frequent and affects your normal life, then you will have to reduce the frequency of your masturbation and focus more on your goals.
