Is Masturbation Good for Your Mental Health?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPleasuring Yourself Can Be an Excellent Stress RelieverYou Won’t Need to Worry About Unwanted Pregnancy or STDsSelf-Pleasure Can Help You Connect With Your Own BodyYou Only Need to Focus On Your Own PleasureEngaging in Masturbation Can Be EmpoweringIs It Possible to Masturbate Too Much?

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Pleasuring Yourself Can Be an Excellent Stress Reliever

You Won’t Need to Worry About Unwanted Pregnancy or STDs

Self-Pleasure Can Help You Connect With Your Own Body

You Only Need to Focus On Your Own Pleasure

Engaging in Masturbation Can Be Empowering

Is It Possible to Masturbate Too Much?

Masturbation is a term that refers to a person stimulating their own genitals in order to become sexually aroused, and often, to achieve orgasm. If you’re someone who enjoys pleasuring yourself, you may be wonderingif masturbating is good for your mental health. Long story short—it’s very good for your mental health. Read ahead to learn exactly why that is.

Masturbation and Your Marriage

It’s known that engaging in sexual activity can be a good way to relieve some stress. Think of it this way, any kind of sexual activity counts as physical exercise and we know that physical activity has a plethora of benefits. Masturbation is no different.

Having sex or engaging in self-pleasure reduces stress hormones (like cortisol) in the body and, consequently, improves your mood.

An orgasm, as you might have guessed, will boost your mood even more. When you climax during sex or masturbation, the body releasesoxytocin. This release of oxytocin is what causes you to feel that post-orgasmic bliss. Research shows that those blissful feelings can last long after you’ve had your orgasm as well.

One of the most lovely benefits of masturbating is that you don’t have to worry about getting pregnant or contracting an STD.

If you’re someone who getsanxiousor nervous about getting pregnant or getting an STD, masturbation is your best bet because it’s impossible to give yourself an STD or get yourself pregnant.

Keep in mind though, that if you’re using sex toys, you’ll always want to be sure to clean them between each use.And if you’re masturbating with another person, it’s possible to contract an STD if you’re touching each other. According to Planned Parenthood, as long as you wash your hands after touching someone else’s genitals before touching yourself, you’ll be just fine.

Masturbation can offer a healthy approach for people to learn more about their bodies and how to enjoy sexual pleasure in a variety of ways.

When you pleasure yourself, you learn what turns you on, what feels good, and what doesn’t feel good. Taking the time to explore your own body can inform you of what really works for you in the bedroom. Then, if and when you decided to engage in partnered sex, you’ll be able to show another person how to please you.

Engaging in solo masturbation is the perfect time to be selfish. How great is that? You only need to focus on what feels best for you. There’s no need to worry about what someone else is thinking, what feels good for them, or what they need.

When you masturbate, you get to be the star of your own show. So, relax and give yourself the pleasure you deserve.

While masturbation can come withshamefor some, it can also hold possibilities for sexual empowerment.

Further research highlights the impacts of sexism andmisogynyon one’s ability to enjoy sexual pleasure with others,which is why masturbation may offer a rare opportunity for marginalized genders to meet their own needs.

In a 2016 study, eight women with physical disabilities were interviewed regarding their sexual experiences, sexual abuse, and the benefits of masturbation. Researchers found that “masturbation enabled participants to reconcile themselves to earlier negative experiences (e.g.,sexual abuse) and to promote their sexual autonomy.”

Especially in the context of physical disabilities and past sexual abuse, masturbation offers a relatively safe option for people to move forward from negative experiences and feel empowered to reclaim their bodies and enjoy sexual pleasure.

While masturbation isn’t inherently harmful in any way, if solo pleasure begins to get in the way of your daily responsibilities or you find that you’re masturbating compulsively—it’s possible you’re dealing with masturbation addiction (a form of sexual addiction).If you’re masturbating compulsively, speaking to asex therapistwho specializes in treating sex addiction can be helpful.

The only other thing to keep in mind is if you masturbate often or masturbate too rough, you might experience discomfort, chafing, or soreness.So, be gentle with yourself and take your time. It’s just you, so there’s really no rush!

What This Means For YouAs these studies on masturbation highlight, it can provide a variety of benefits, including sexual pleasure, joy, distraction, and even allowing some people to reclaim their bodies following negative experiences likesexual abuse. These all reflect positive mental health impacts.Especially for those who may have been raised to view their sexual pleasure as taboo, masturbation may provide a rare opportunity for them to get to know their bodies in a loving way. Like most things, your perception of a particular activity can impact your ability to engage in and enjoy it, so it can be helpful to unpack the stigma regarding masturbation so that you may enjoy its benefits.While masturbation is not inherently harmful, any activity should be reassessed if it has a substantial negative impact on yourrelationshipsor other areas of your life, as can be the case with any sexual behavior. This may be reflective of asexual addiction, which may require treatment.

What This Means For You

As these studies on masturbation highlight, it can provide a variety of benefits, including sexual pleasure, joy, distraction, and even allowing some people to reclaim their bodies following negative experiences likesexual abuse. These all reflect positive mental health impacts.Especially for those who may have been raised to view their sexual pleasure as taboo, masturbation may provide a rare opportunity for them to get to know their bodies in a loving way. Like most things, your perception of a particular activity can impact your ability to engage in and enjoy it, so it can be helpful to unpack the stigma regarding masturbation so that you may enjoy its benefits.While masturbation is not inherently harmful, any activity should be reassessed if it has a substantial negative impact on yourrelationshipsor other areas of your life, as can be the case with any sexual behavior. This may be reflective of asexual addiction, which may require treatment.

Especially for those who may have been raised to view their sexual pleasure as taboo, masturbation may provide a rare opportunity for them to get to know their bodies in a loving way. Like most things, your perception of a particular activity can impact your ability to engage in and enjoy it, so it can be helpful to unpack the stigma regarding masturbation so that you may enjoy its benefits.

While masturbation is not inherently harmful, any activity should be reassessed if it has a substantial negative impact on yourrelationshipsor other areas of your life, as can be the case with any sexual behavior. This may be reflective of asexual addiction, which may require treatment.

What to Know about Masturbation Addiction

6 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Liu H, Waite LJ, Shen S, Wang DH.Is Sex Good for Your Health? A National Study on Partnered Sexuality and Cardiovascular Risk among Older Men and Women.J Health Soc Behav. 2016;57(3):276-296. doi:10.1177/0022146516661597Cleveland Clinic.Masturbation.Planned Parenthood.Is masturbation good for you?.Bowman C.Women’s masturbation: Experiences of sexual empowerment in a primarily sex-positive sample.Psychol Women Q. 2013;38(3):363-378. doi:10.1177/0361684313514855Fahs B, Frank E.Notes from the back room: Gender, power, and (in)visibility in women’s experiences of masturbation.J Sex Res. 2013;51(3):241-252. doi:10.1080/00224499.2012.745474Morales E, Gauthier V, Edwards G, Courtois F.Women with disabilities’ perceptions of sexuality, sexual abuse and masturbation.Sex Disabil. 2016;34(3):303-314. doi:10.1007/s11195-016-9440-1

6 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Liu H, Waite LJ, Shen S, Wang DH.Is Sex Good for Your Health? A National Study on Partnered Sexuality and Cardiovascular Risk among Older Men and Women.J Health Soc Behav. 2016;57(3):276-296. doi:10.1177/0022146516661597Cleveland Clinic.Masturbation.Planned Parenthood.Is masturbation good for you?.Bowman C.Women’s masturbation: Experiences of sexual empowerment in a primarily sex-positive sample.Psychol Women Q. 2013;38(3):363-378. doi:10.1177/0361684313514855Fahs B, Frank E.Notes from the back room: Gender, power, and (in)visibility in women’s experiences of masturbation.J Sex Res. 2013;51(3):241-252. doi:10.1080/00224499.2012.745474Morales E, Gauthier V, Edwards G, Courtois F.Women with disabilities’ perceptions of sexuality, sexual abuse and masturbation.Sex Disabil. 2016;34(3):303-314. doi:10.1007/s11195-016-9440-1

Liu H, Waite LJ, Shen S, Wang DH.Is Sex Good for Your Health? A National Study on Partnered Sexuality and Cardiovascular Risk among Older Men and Women.J Health Soc Behav. 2016;57(3):276-296. doi:10.1177/0022146516661597Cleveland Clinic.Masturbation.Planned Parenthood.Is masturbation good for you?.Bowman C.Women’s masturbation: Experiences of sexual empowerment in a primarily sex-positive sample.Psychol Women Q. 2013;38(3):363-378. doi:10.1177/0361684313514855Fahs B, Frank E.Notes from the back room: Gender, power, and (in)visibility in women’s experiences of masturbation.J Sex Res. 2013;51(3):241-252. doi:10.1080/00224499.2012.745474Morales E, Gauthier V, Edwards G, Courtois F.Women with disabilities’ perceptions of sexuality, sexual abuse and masturbation.Sex Disabil. 2016;34(3):303-314. doi:10.1007/s11195-016-9440-1

Cleveland Clinic.Masturbation.

Planned Parenthood.Is masturbation good for you?.

Bowman C.Women’s masturbation: Experiences of sexual empowerment in a primarily sex-positive sample.Psychol Women Q. 2013;38(3):363-378. doi:10.1177/0361684313514855

Fahs B, Frank E.Notes from the back room: Gender, power, and (in)visibility in women’s experiences of masturbation.J Sex Res. 2013;51(3):241-252. doi:10.1080/00224499.2012.745474

Morales E, Gauthier V, Edwards G, Courtois F.Women with disabilities’ perceptions of sexuality, sexual abuse and masturbation.Sex Disabil. 2016;34(3):303-314. doi:10.1007/s11195-016-9440-1

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