Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsIdentifying Masturbation AddictionCausesImpactTreatmentCoping
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Identifying Masturbation Addiction
Causes
Impact
Treatment
Coping
Just to be clear: Self-pleasure is a very normal and healthy aspect of human sexuality and no one should be discouraged from doing so. It is a perfectly acceptable practice whether you’re in a relationship or not.
However, for some people, the tendency to masturbate can grow to be excessive or compulsive, to the point that the behavior feels to have gotten out of control. In this case, the behavior is sometimes referred to as masturbation addiction.
Masturbation addiction refers to excessive or compulsive masturbation. While it’s not a diagnosable mental health condition,it can have a significant impact on daily functioning for those whose sexual behavior is out of control.
Masturbation,sexual addiction, and porn addiction fall under the larger umbrella category of behavioral or process addictions, compulsive behaviors that share many characteristics of addictions to substances. Still, these terms are descriptive rather than established diagnostic categories.
Sexual addiction is also sometimes referred to as compulsive sexual behavior.
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Signs and Symptoms
While engaging in masturbation regularly does not necessarily mean that you have a problem, any of the following could signify that it’s time to reach out for help:
Since masturbation addiction is not a diagnosable mental disorder in theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,there are no set criteria to determine whether it is a problem for you.
However, a doctor or therapist could ask questions to identify whether it is a problem for which you might need to receive treatment.
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What are the causes of masturbation addiction? Below are some potential causes of feeling the need to excessively or compulsively masturbate:
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A person who engages in masturbation too frequently or compulsively may feel:
Treatment Options
If you find yourself with a masturbation problem that you can’t seem to solve on your own, it may be necessary to seek professional help from your doctor, a counselor, or a sex therapist.
Therapy
Talk therapy may help you to determine the underlying cause of your masturbation addiction, which will allow you to develop strategies to reduce the behavior.
For example, if you are dealing with past trauma, your therapist could help you process the trauma and help you find better coping skills for managing emotional pain.
In addition, if you are using masturbation as a way to cope with life stress, atherapistcould help you with that as well.
It’s important to recognize that you may need weeks or months to work through underlying problems, even though on the surface the behavior may seem simple and straightforward.
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Medication
While there is no approved medication for masturbation addiction, a physician could help you determine if medications might help. Sometimes another mental disorder such as major depression orobsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)is present, which could improve with medication.
Naltrexone, a medication that is FDA-approved to treat opioid and alcohol use disorders, can sometimes be helpful.
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Coping With Chronic Masturbation
If you are unable to seek out therapy at this time, below are some suggestions to help get your behavior under control:
Engage in Activities You Enjoy
Taking time to participate in other activities can help shift your focus from masturbation to other fulfilling behaviors. Some activities to try include:
Join a Support Group
Finding others who are dealing with the same issue as you can be very comforting and validating. For example, you can joinSex and Love Addicts Anonymousor an online forum to meet other people can relate to your struggles.
Consider Reducing Any Stigmas You Feel About Masturbation
Do you perceive masturbation to be shameful or immoral and feel that you must keep it a secret? It may help to examine any religious, cultural, or spiritual influences on your perception of the behavior.
Be Present in Your Personal Relationships
Try to make the effort to go on dates or plan outings with your significant other or family members and friends. This can help to ease the urges you have to be alone to engage in chronic masturbation. This will also help to strengthen your connections with loved ones and build a sense of belonging.
Identify Your Triggers
Do you notice that being bored or being alone leads you to engage in masturbation? Do you attempt to relieve stress with masturbation? If so, you can try to find other activities that alleviate boredom, loneliness, or stress. This way, when you feel these emotions, you’ll have other coping skills to rely on instead.
Additionally, it may help to limit or eliminate sexual triggers such aspornographyand any sexual devices you may have in your home.
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Keep in Mind
If you are struggling with masturbation addiction, know that you are not alone. There are others who are dealing with this kind of addiction too and will be able to understand and validate your experiences.
If you are unable to alleviate your urges to masturbate and you are finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate on work and your personal relationships, a trained mental health professional will be able to work with you to help identify your triggers and provide you with healthy coping skills.
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5 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.American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. DSM-5-TR. American Psychiatric Association Publishing; 2022. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787Mayo Clinic.Compulsive sexual behavior - Symptoms and causes.Voon V, Mole TB, Banca P, Porter L, Morris L, et al. (2014)Neural Correlates of Sexual Cue Reactivity in Individuals with and without Compulsive Sexual Behaviours.PLOS ONE9(7): e102419.Zimmer F, Imhoff R.Abstinence from masturbation and hypersexuality.Arch Sex Behav. 2020;49(4):1333-1343. doi:10.1007/s10508-019-01623-8Ryback, R. S.Naltrexone in the treatment of adolescent sexual offenders.The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.2004;65(7):982–986. doi:10.4088/JCP.v65n0715Additional ReadingDas A.Masturbation in the United States.J Sex Marital Ther. 2007;33(4):301-317.Firestone L.Are You an Addict?Fong TW.Understanding and managing compulsive sexual behaviors.Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2006;3(11):51-58.
5 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.American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. DSM-5-TR. American Psychiatric Association Publishing; 2022. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787Mayo Clinic.Compulsive sexual behavior - Symptoms and causes.Voon V, Mole TB, Banca P, Porter L, Morris L, et al. (2014)Neural Correlates of Sexual Cue Reactivity in Individuals with and without Compulsive Sexual Behaviours.PLOS ONE9(7): e102419.Zimmer F, Imhoff R.Abstinence from masturbation and hypersexuality.Arch Sex Behav. 2020;49(4):1333-1343. doi:10.1007/s10508-019-01623-8Ryback, R. S.Naltrexone in the treatment of adolescent sexual offenders.The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.2004;65(7):982–986. doi:10.4088/JCP.v65n0715Additional ReadingDas A.Masturbation in the United States.J Sex Marital Ther. 2007;33(4):301-317.Firestone L.Are You an Addict?Fong TW.Understanding and managing compulsive sexual behaviors.Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2006;3(11):51-58.
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.
American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. DSM-5-TR. American Psychiatric Association Publishing; 2022. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787Mayo Clinic.Compulsive sexual behavior - Symptoms and causes.Voon V, Mole TB, Banca P, Porter L, Morris L, et al. (2014)Neural Correlates of Sexual Cue Reactivity in Individuals with and without Compulsive Sexual Behaviours.PLOS ONE9(7): e102419.Zimmer F, Imhoff R.Abstinence from masturbation and hypersexuality.Arch Sex Behav. 2020;49(4):1333-1343. doi:10.1007/s10508-019-01623-8Ryback, R. S.Naltrexone in the treatment of adolescent sexual offenders.The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.2004;65(7):982–986. doi:10.4088/JCP.v65n0715
American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. DSM-5-TR. American Psychiatric Association Publishing; 2022. doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787
Mayo Clinic.Compulsive sexual behavior - Symptoms and causes.
Voon V, Mole TB, Banca P, Porter L, Morris L, et al. (2014)Neural Correlates of Sexual Cue Reactivity in Individuals with and without Compulsive Sexual Behaviours.PLOS ONE9(7): e102419.
Zimmer F, Imhoff R.Abstinence from masturbation and hypersexuality.Arch Sex Behav. 2020;49(4):1333-1343. doi:10.1007/s10508-019-01623-8
Ryback, R. S.Naltrexone in the treatment of adolescent sexual offenders.The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.2004;65(7):982–986. doi:10.4088/JCP.v65n0715
Das A.Masturbation in the United States.J Sex Marital Ther. 2007;33(4):301-317.Firestone L.Are You an Addict?Fong TW.Understanding and managing compulsive sexual behaviors.Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2006;3(11):51-58.
Das A.Masturbation in the United States.J Sex Marital Ther. 2007;33(4):301-317.
Firestone L.Are You an Addict?
Fong TW.Understanding and managing compulsive sexual behaviors.Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2006;3(11):51-58.
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