Masturbation is normal — and healthy! — so it’s no longer faux pas to talk about it anymore. That said, just because guys are more open to spilling the details about their stroking it out loud doesn’t mean that masturbating can’t lead to some bad habits. Yes, guys, there are signs that you might just be doing it too frequently.
Lucky for you, we found a recent article over at Men’s Health that breaks down some of those unhealthy signs, so you can better educate yourselves on when you should take a little break for a few days or so. Sure, masturbation can’t be deadly, but when things go from normal to excessive, it can be damaging in ways you might not think about.
You think about it all the time
It’s one thing to think about masturbation when you’re watching porn or are in the shower and feeling a little frisky, it’s another thing when you’re so distracted by the thought of doing it all the time. That’s right, if you’re one of those people who just can’t get stroking it out of your mind, you may have a serious problem. What’s worse is if you ignore social acceptance of it and start yanking it in public places or spots that could lead to arrest.
You feel unfulfilled afterwards
Masturbating once a day is completely normal and healthy. Heck, even doing it more than once is OK every so often. A problem can persist when a guy feels unfulfilled after stroking it, however, leading to doing it more frequently in order to fill some sort of sexual void. If you need to ejaculate more than a few times a day, you probably have a problem.
You hurt yourself
Hurting yourself from masturbating isn’t common, but it can be when a guy’s doing it too much. From rashes or peeling of the skin, to a more serious disease called Peyronie’s — which is when plaque builds up in the shaft of your penis from too much pressure while masturbating — if there’s pain that’s involved with your masturbation routine, you need to cut back. Likewise, if you’re finding that you need more than just stroking it to get off, like kinky stuff that could lead to too much pain like choking yourself, the habit may be too much for you.
You can’t stop
Like other bad habits, when a guy tries to stop masturbating but can’t, things have already gotten a little bit out of control. Addictions are real, and excessive masturbation can certainly be one of them. It may sound silly, but admitting you have a problem doing it can be the first step into getting some serious help in order to stop.
Your sex life suffers
We’re not saying you have performance issues, so to speak, but masturbating too much can lead to some poor habits in the bedroom with a partner. Things like certain sexual fantasies to hand movements, when these things aren’t being done during sex, it can lead to a bad experience. When you rub it out over and over to certain situation, it trains the brain into certain habits, and if you can’t get hard or finish the job with a girl during sex, it’s a sign you’ve got a problem.