Masturbation: Cause & Effect of Escapism

By: Allan Elutin Ecleo

Just this week, somebody posted on Facebook relating about his struggle with masturbation and pornography.  I’ll conceal his identity in respect of his privacy.  His actual post says like this:

Sixth commandment says,” Do not commit adultery,” which is affirmed in the New Testament, “But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28)

Some people may have been evasive when talking about masturbation as others find it as taboo but remember that the concept of this word could even be found in the Scripture, particularly with forbidden acts as stated in the opening statement (the two preceding verses) which serves as a caution.  If we’ll try to dig deeply on this, this covers masturbation because in the process, anyone who after hearing from neighbor who does it (personally that’s how I started as I reached my 4^th year high school), after watching pornography on the web, or after noticing teens who enter a motel, or come across with partners who are kissing in the public, the mind naturally reacts to either emulate that encounter, and the outlet would be masturbation. 

In 1993 The Janus report New York , of the women who took part in national survey, 89% of them had reported masturbated at some time while 95% of men admitted to masturbating at least once.

In a separate survey in the United States, by the age of 16-17 over half of males and about a quarter of females admitted they masturbated at least once in the past month. According to the research, masturbation is most common for both men and women in the 25-29 age groups. At ages 25-29 just over two thirds of males and just over half of females masturbated at least once in the past month. Many people in their 50’s, 60’s and 70’s masturbate at least occasionally.  

In a research, it says that masturbating to ejaculation can cause temporary negative side effects in the brain. Brain is the most important organ of the body and if someone experiences these effects after each ejaculation yet masturbates to ejaculation every day, a temporary effect can become quite unsafe.

Both pleasure and pain take place in the brain. If one masturbates without a brain one will get no pleasure and if one burns his hand on a hot stove without a brain one will feel no pain. As pleasure is subjective so is the pain.

Based on disclosure, doctors, counselors, psychiatrists, and other health professionals often receive complaints of negative side effects that people get from masturbation, as follow:

Excessive masturbation affects brain differently than having actual sex

Having sex with a woman supposedly affects the brain in a different way than when alone and masturbating. It has negative side effects on the brain, body, and behavior that affect one’s results not only with women and dating but with everything else that one does daily.

Oxytocin is commonly called the “love hormone” or “cuddle hormone” which plays an important part in intimacy between two people. It is thought to be released during bonding – hugging, touching, and orgasm in both sexes. In the brain, oxytocin is involved in social recognition and bonding, and may be involved in the formation of trust between people and generosity. It is released into the brain four (4) times as much when having sex than masturbating.

Researchers once assumed that biomakers are no different during solo sex than they are during intercourse, which are refuted by Doctors Stuart  Brody and Tillman Kruger telling that orgasm during intercourse releases four times more Prolactin than masturbation. Since Oxytocin appears to trigger the release of Prolactin, it’s quite possible that Oxytocin released by intimacy accounts for the higher Prolactin levels during intercourse.” 

Prolactin was once thought to only be found in females to trigger breast milk production and all that, but not only is it found in males, it is essential to their sexual health.

The hormone Prolactin makes one feel satiated by countering the effect of Dopamine, which is released during sexual arousal.

Masturbation affects the brain differently than having sex.

Brain scans have been conducted on those with porn and masturbation addictions and the reward centers of the brain are actually changed.

Scientists believed that human brains were fixed, their circuits formed and finalized in childhood, or “hardwired”. The  brain is "neuroplastic", and not only can it change, but works by changing its structure in response to recurring mental experience.

The neuroplasticity talks about pathways in human brain that are literally formed through persistent behavior. When the behavior discontinues for a long enough period of time, the pathway seems to reduce or fade.

Dr. Marty Klein discloses that when sex addicts are involved in sex (for example, when watching pornography), the part of their brain that lights up (the mesolimbic pathway) is the same part that lights up when a heroin addict injects heroin.

Research finds out that when someone is doing drugs or addicted to drugs, almost the exact same parts of their brain are being affected as someone who’s masturbating.

Excessive masturbation (& Porn) affects the dopamine levels in brain which leads to addiction

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (a chemical released by nerve cells to send signals to other nerve cells) and it plays a huge role in the part of human brain that is responsible for reward-motivated behavior.

Masturbation is a form of a reward-motivated behavior because one is rewarded at the end.

Taking drugs, gambling, eating, having sex, and seeking approval are examples of other reward-motivated behaviors that cause dopamine to flood one’s brain. Dopamine floods the brain and makes one feel REALLY GOOD when doing these. It’s like giving the brain a giant piece of candy especially masturbation.

Thus, many turn to be addicted on masturbation because just like drugs, the more one masturbates, the more the brain becomes “used to” and benumbed to the effects of Dopamine and the more one needs/craves just to “get off” and keep that wonderful feeling flooding back.

Dopamine is the “go get it” neurochemical essential for libido, risk-taking, stimulus, concentration, and expectation and excitement. In other words, a drop in dopamine signaling is associated with weakened libido which is a possible cause of sluggish erections, reduced risk-taking and increased apprehension, combined with a tendency toward angry overreaction.   Any of which dwindles eagerness to commune, inability to focus, which can account for concentration and memory problems, and lack of stimulus and healthy anticipation, which can lead to laziness, delay, and even play a role in depression. Conversely, when dopamine and related neurochemicals are suitably in harmony, feelings of well being are more graceful from sexual attraction, socializing, to concentration focus.

Excessive masturbation kills dopamine receptors 

Given that addictive behavior and too much of anything overstimulates human brain and desensitizes the brain to the effects of Dopamine, it leads to something called “downregulation” of the Dopamine Receptors.

Dopamine Receptors are the “sensors” in human brain when Dopamine is released. They “detect” the Dopamine that makes human feel really good.

Over stimulation, or excessive masturbation causes these “sensors” to be overworked than functioning their job as good as they used to. They become “numb” and less sensitive and receptive to dopamine, also known as “desensitization”.

Once human become “desensitized”, only the addictive behavior gets him off or “hits the spot”, which only gets worse in the long run.  When one keeps on masturbating and pounding these dopamine receptors over and over to try to get them to have life and feel something, they start dying off. The more human kills these dopamine recepctor, the crazier and more addictive one’s behavior can get.

Excessive masturbation kills interest in daily normal stuff

It can lose interest in having sex with women. Some guys are so addicted to masturbation turning them not be interested anymore with their wife. Since masturbation is the only thing that gets them off, they would rather sit and masturbate to images and videos of women than with an actual woman. A lot of marriages have end up in separation because of this.

Likewise, this loses interest in things like academic success, achieving things in life, and reaching goals. (I can attest on this because starting from grade five to high school I've been a consisten honor student, but this fall off starting on my fourth year until college because of concentration that dwindles).

One can be left feeling “all used up” and uncreative

Since human brain theoretically only creates so much Dopamine, using it all up on excessive masturbating to fulfill brain’s craving for pleasure and satisfaction can leave feeling “all used up” and feeling worthless.

Dr. N.K Lin  an expert in sexual health and therapy says that since dopamine is the precursor to the stress hormone epinephrine (adrenaline), excess dopamine results in the adrenal glands overproducing epinephrine and putting the body in a prolonged state of  fight-or-flight stress. At the same time, norepinephrine is synthesized from dopamine and released from the adrenal medulla into the blood as a hormone, along with the stress hormone cortisol. Epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol fuel the fight-or-flight response, directly increasing heart rate, triggering the release of glucose from energy stores, and increasing blood flow to skeletal muscle. All of these have a severely taxing effect on the body.”

This taxing effect on human body makes one feel unmotivated, tired, depressed, and full of anxiety. Human brain goes through a lot during periods of excessive masturbation and feel worn out after. One is left not wanting to do anything productive and many just want to sleep all day than the feeling of a real winner.

Excessive masturbation can make one feel like a loser

A few minutes after ejaculation, one feels like a loser sitting beside for committing such. No one would feel embarrassed after being caught if he feels like a winner on such commission.

Masturbation can make one feel like a loser because of doing this thing that intended for couple but not alone.

Excessive masturbation can create strong feelings of guilt or shame 

99.9% of men are aware that masturbation is something that is done not in front of other people for fear of them thinking as a loser, or a weird pervert.

For those who are out of control with masturbation habit, it’s always in the subconscious. It’s like being locked in a jail cell of guilt and paranoia that stalks.

Out of Control Masturbating Can Kill Your Interest In Being Social

When meeting and dating with women, or simply interact with people that one likes, the brain releases Dopamine leaving the feeling of a sense of pleasure.

If one unintentionally desensitize one’s brain and Dopamine Receptors to the effects of Dopamine by chronic masturbating, then one might find being social, making friends, having conversations, and meeting women to be boring, uninteresting, unrewarding, and  just end up staying at home all day -masturbating. “Watch your thoughts, they become words.  Watch your words, they become actions.  Watch your actions, they become habit.  Watch your habits, they become your character.  Watch your character, they become your destiny.”  - Lao Tzu

One experiences less satisfaction from the small things in life

The brain releases dopamine throughout one’s entire day.Strolling, trekking, playing sports, or doing anything enjoyable causes the brain to release Dopamine so human can enjoy those activities. If Dopamine receptors are weaken/dead and cannot sense normal levels of Dopamine, one cannot find as much fulfillment in doing ordinary things that make people happy but find them dull, boring and unrewarding.

Excessive masturbation can decrease testosterone levels 

Testosterone plays a key role in the development of male reproductive tissues like testis and prostate, promotes secondary sexual characteristics such as increased muscle, bone mass, and the growth of body hair. It is essential for health and well-being and prevention of osteoporosis. FURTHER, it is very significant in sexual functioning.

Conversely, a research in 1992 discloses about examination of four couples on days that they did and didn’t have sexual activity. Based on finding, testosterone levels increased on nights after sexual activity and did not on nights where there was no intercourse.

In 2003, a Case Study unveils about a study on the effects on males in abstaining from masturbation and testosterone levels. Based on output, testosterone levels amplified gradually between days 1 through 5 when abstaining from ejaculation. On days six and seven, the testosterone levels saw a huge spike of up to 147% increase in body testosterone levels. The testosterone levels returned to normal after day 7.

Testosterone is needed for energy, memory, concentration, self-esteem, self-control, lean muscle tissue, strength, physical stamina, depth and bass in voice, composure, masculine behaviour, dominant behaviour, red blood cell production, bone density and strength by producing blood cells in bone marrow and bone formation, protein necessary for NORMAL SEXUAL BEHAVIOR – a healthy sex drive, producing hard erections, a healthy metabolism – burning fat, liver function, prostate health.

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