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Masturbation: harms and benefits

As recently as 50 years ago, masturbation was considered wrong, shameful and dirty. This applied to both men and women. Johnson and Masters, sexual pleasure researchers, were the first to say 50 years ago that masturbation was actually useful. They conducted many scientific studies: on the benefits and harms of masturbation, on the importance of sexual release, on the relief of muscular and emotional tension.

In this article, I propose to discuss the real benefits and harms of masturbation.

Let's start with the fact that is it normal to masturbate? Of course, as long as this masturbation doesn't become your life's purpose and make you its hostage. Let's distinguish between adaptive and maladaptive masturbation.

Masturbation is a very important part of your intimate life. Unfortunately, low levels of sex education and an inability to talk about pleasure mean that many people simply do not know how to do it. How do they learn? Advice from friends who have already managed to satisfy themselves in one way or another, forums on the Internet, watching porn with actors and actresses. Oh, and the method of "scientific masturbation".

Masturbation can be adaptive or maladaptive. Adaptive - it is the one that gives you pleasure, that teaches you to get pleasure, to develop erogenous zones. It builds skills that can be easily transferred to a partner. This means that you will be able to experience orgasm during sex with a living person.

Disadaptive masturbation is masturbation that results in the inability to achieve orgasm with a partner. What's wrong with that? You create and get used to conditions that are simply unrealistic to achieve with your partner. This type of masturbation includes, for example, what is known as myotonic masturbation. This is often the first orgasm a girl experiences. It is caused by compression of the thighs and buttocks. Squatting, holding a blanket between her legs, doing exercises on the rope, etc. The body has learnt how to orgasm in this way and no longer understands how to react to a partner. If you have ONLY myotonic orgasms in your life, it's time to make a change. If it happens regularly, without replacing all other kinds of orgasms, it's no big deal. Just be careful with it.

Another example is temperature masturbation. For example, when you masturbate in the shower. Basically, if you masturbate in the shower and have an orgasm by stimulating the head of your clitoris, it's no big deal. You may become desensitised for a while, but generally there is nothing wrong with it. But if you like to play with the temperature of the water, it can have irreparable consequences. If the water is hotter than your body temperature, or colder, your partner will simply not be able to make you feel good, no matter how hard he tries.

It is only in these cases that masturbation can harm you, otherwise it is normal and nothing to worry about.

So what are some of the reasons why masturbation can be useful?

The first is self-discovery. You get to know yourself and your body better, find out how you like it, how you want it, what actions give you real pleasure.

The second benefit of masturbation is the orgasm itself. Believe me, your body doesn't care whether you reach orgasm alone or with a partner. During orgasm, the brain produces hormones that are extremely important for our health - dopamine, endorphins and oxytocin. These all work together to make you feel better, lift your mood and reduce anxiety. They also make your sleep sound and healthy. More recently, researchers Rebecca Jenks and Hayley Wright have confirmed that masturbation improves memory and information processing. And Barry Komisaruk claims that it can help prevent dementia.