Lost Sheep wrote:Simbarn wrote:Can I ask, what is the problem with masturbation?
Pardon me for stepping in to your question.
As I understand it, the main problem with masturbation is that it develops practiced (synaptic?) responses in one's brain, essentially "teaching" your brain sensual/sexual response patterns that may be in opposition to coital sex, thereby inhibiting your enjoyment of coital sex.
There are also some who advocate limiting the number of times a man ejaculates, believing this will enhance the ejaculations that he does have.
Also if a steady partner does not like you to have sex without her/him, it can give rise to relational problems.
Also, in this thread, Simbarn posted this (in part)
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=15216&p=134967#p134967Simbarn wrote:(edited for focus)
The body releases a surge of Prolactin immediately after ejaculation. This is the major player in the refractory period.
Indeed, that was my post!
Thank you lost sheep. That does give me more information as to why some people believe in the no-masturbation proposition.
I personally doubt this as if this was the case we would see a very large cohort of young men who don’t enjoy coital sex. Most young men masturbate regularly, 3-4 times week.
Most young men enjoy coital sex a great deal. The two practices are entirely different. Learning how to enjoy sexual pleasure on your own is a integrative part of learning about your own sexual response.
It is also IMO and important part of keeping the penis healthy and functioning as we age.
I have masturbated a normal amount all my life and I can say without hesitation that I enjoy penetrative sex in a much more intense manner and in a different way to that which I enjoy sex with myself.
I have never had a partner that had a problem with my masturbation habits, most probably because they have been mostly males. Women seem to be more inclined to have this issue, as many are not comfortable or have hang-up’s about their own masturbation habits. Younger women less so these days.
In the past some young men caught masturbating by their mothers were made to feel they were doing something dirty or unnatural, this no doubt could cause sexual issues for these young men later on.
Becoming obsessive about masturbation is a different thing. This then becomes a compulsive obsessive disorder and occurs far more infrequently than normal masturbation practice.
I read the OP’s mantra about not masturbating for 10 years, which is repeated in almost every post he makes. One can be obsessive in either direction.
I do agree, that if you refrain from any sexual outlet for a period of time, ejaculate quantity and orgasm intensity can increase. This by no means suggests it is “healthy” to do so. The refractory period does become longer as we age, it has nothing to do with how often we masturbate. The amount of smooth muscle in the erectile tissues, the health of the endothelium, the amount of prolactin we release at orgasm, the sensitivity to norepinephrine in the adrenergic receptors and oxidative damage has far more to do with this than pseudo-scientific twaddle about masturbation practice.
It has been shown that testosterone levels increase slightly if males refrain from sexual activity. It seems quite obvious why this happens. The biological urge to have sex is heightened (which higher natural T levels encourage) to ensure the continuation of the species, something that has eventuated due to millions of years of evolution.
Young men have in the past been made to feel uncomfortable about masturbation due to religious dogma and I would have hoped that we have become more aware of this now and have been able to discard these unhealthy beliefs.
There is no scientific proof that “normal” masturbation practice causes any physiological harm nor psychological harm to one’s self, in fact it is the belief that it does do harm that causes the problems.
The mind is a very powerful, if you believe that not masturbating is good for you or that not doing it will cure your ED issues, then probably it will not be good for you or may help your ED, however, IMO, only because you “believe it” and for no other reason.
It’s called the placebo effect.
One thing I know for sure, we are here for such a short time and we have this wonderful thing attached to our bodies called a penis. Enjoy it while it lasts. I certainly intend to, whether it be on my own or with someone, or with a number of people!