Masturbation is the simplest method by which adolescents explore their sexuality, 80-100% of young people practicing it around 14-16 years, and in some cases even from 10-12 years.
In the opinion of sexologist Gabriela Marin, masturbation can become, over time, a self-medication mechanism (auto-medication) to deal with stress or unpleasant situations. When masturbation becomes a favorite habit of getting rid of problems and bad things, it can turn into a pattern of addiction.
“Masturbation becomes a problem, even a pathological one, when it acquires an exclusivist, obsessive-compulsive character, or when it occurs on the background of an exaggerated conflict state. Both men and women can compulsively masturbate with or without pornography. Some can masturbate daily, quickly, as a routine, or spend hours in a row masturbating, accessing pornography or fancying. Masturbation addiction leads to feelings of guilt and lack of intimacy. It can also lead to the demobilization of the person from his current activities, removing him from the opposite sex, or causing anxiety caused by the feelings of guiltyness “, says psychotherapist Gabriela Marin, an expert in the psychology of couple relationships.
The sexologist does not tell you whether he is moral or masturbate, but whether he has become a harmful addiction
Many people, particularly young people, are reticent in consulting a specialist when he finds that compulsive masturbation has become a barrier to the well-being of the couple. The main reason put forward is that the psychologist could judge them for this behavior or put him under the sign of “immorality”. “A good sexologist will never appeal to morality in the treatment of sexual problems or of masturbation. A good sexologist will respect the beliefs and values ??of the client while working to reduce shame and lead him towards a healthy sexuality. There are also more complex cases where people are dependent on masturbation, but also pornography or porn sites, and then the person may be addicted to pornography and the internet. The psychotherapist’s job is to offer him the right treatment depending on the degree of addiction”, said psychotherapist Gabriela Marin.
Recovery means total renunciation of masturbation?
“For a masturbating addict, a period of abstinence is recommended. As a rule, avoid total abstinence or “black post”, as they like to say to young people. Always, extremes can be more damaging than addiction itself. As in the case of a food imbalance or when we work too much and extenuate, so is the case of sexual imbalance. Our body will need rest, it needs to regenerate its functions. During recovery, sexual activity with a person is recommended as long as the person is distracted from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Also non-sexual activities are recommended, which would keep it away from desire. Often bad times, fear or anxiety determine the need for masturbation as a controlled release of sexual energy, “explains sexologist Gabriela Marin.