Reasons Masturbation is Good for Us

Sex is beneficial for our health for many reasons, for example it lowers your risk for a heart attack and helps reduce stress levels. But sex doesn’t mean you need to have a sex partner – whether it be sexual intercourse, nocturnal emission, or masturbation, all are beneficial.

One topic that often gets ignored is that of masturbation.  This is because masturbation is a very taboo topic is some cultures, and especially for females carries a strong stigma.  While many people have masturbated, or do regularly, most don’t discuss it openly. But exploring your own body is not only about self-pleasure, but about utilizing what you learn alone to help you have more fun with a partner.   

We are here to get the topic of masturbation, which is nothing to be embarrassed of, out in the open and onto the symbolic table for discussion.  We’ll give you some fun facts and interesting information that we are sure you probably didn’t know about masturbation.  Keep in mind: masturbation isn’t just for guys. Let’s take a look:

·       The vibrator has its roots in medicine! The vibrator was invented by a doctor as a cure for the mental illness hysteria.  It was invented as a tool so that doctors would not need to use their hands on patients. 

·       We are not the only species who masturbates!  Masturbation is not an exclusively human action, but other species in the animal kingdom do too.  This list includes apes, horses, and birds. It’s perfectly natural.

·       Masturbation makes you happy! Just as sex with a partner releases tons of feel good hormones, so does masturbation.  Not only does it help you to get in tune with your body, but also helps you reap some great mental and physical benefits.  These include feelings of joy, pleasure, stress relief, relaxation and mental clarity.

·       Masturbation is a pain reliever! Self-pleasure and climax can have all sorts of effects on the body.  It has often been reported to relieve the pain of headaches and menstrual cramps, likely owing to this release of hormones as well as the boost in blood circulation.

 ·       There’s more than one type of orgasm!  Well, there are 3 to be exact, in women at least.  The three types of female orgasms are clitoral, vaginal and a combination of both.

 ·       Some sex toys are illegal!  Making sex toys that resemble the penis are actually illegal in Japan.   Because of this, vibrators that did not resemble male genitalia were invented.

·       Masturbation is good for endurance! For men, masturbation can be beneficial in that the self-stimulation allows them to control their body and improve upon their sexual endurance.  What man doesn’t want that? 

Fight the Post-Sex Blues

According to a new study published in the journal Sexual Medicine has reported that a whopping 46 percent of young women (of 200 surveyed) experience post-coital dysphoria, or the post-sex blues.  Post-coital dysphoria is the feeling of melancholy, anxiety, agitation or aggression after sex.  This post-sex sadness can last from five minutes up to two hours after sex, and for some brings on very strong feelings of depression and anxiety.

So why does this specific type of depression happen in almost half of young women?  When we have sex, we expect to be physically exhausted, relaxed and mentally at ease.  But for many, that’s clearly not the case.  Although there is little research as to why this happens, here is what scientist think might be going on.  Depression after consensual sexual activity can happen because something is missing or lacking from the relationship.  Sex is associated with love, caring, partnership among two people and physical desire.  If the right combination of all these things is not there then post-sex depression might ensue.  That means feeling depressed or regretful about the sexual experience you just had.  Some doctors have called it “buyer’s remorse” but for sex.  Having sex can also dredge up other unrelated issues within ones relationship and life.

One way to avoid these feelings is to choose the right partner who is understanding of your mental, physical and emotional needs. You should also be in tune with yourself and any body image of self-esteem issues you may have.  These are issues you may want to talk to a professional about before getting involved sexually with someone. Aside from this, what else can you do to fight this feeling of post-sex blues? If you are feeling depressed after sex but can figure out why, fight it with food!

Certain foods have been scientifically proven to reduce anxiety and boost you mood, so why not try them to see if they can reduce those unwanted post sex feelings.  Here are some of the top recommended foods to combat this feeling:

1.     Pumpkin seeds: Rich in the amino acid tryptophan which helps your brain produce serotonin (your feel good hormone)

2.     Apples: Rich in antioxidants and phytoestrogens, which have been found to increase sexual pleasure

3.     Green Tea: Catechins in green tea increase blood flow and boost the libido

4.     Red Wine: Boosts sex drive and promotes relaxation

5.     Red Meat: rich in iron that can help fight fatigue, making sex more fun

6.     Spinach: rich in magnesium, that decreased inflammation in blood vessels and increases blood flow throughout the body

7.     Dark Chocolate: increases mood-boosting serotonin hormone and lowers stress levels

8.     Red Bell Peppers: high in vitamin C and vitamin A, have been shown to increase sex drive and decrease depression

9.     Salmon: High in omega-3’s which fight inflammation and reduce risk of depression

10.  Black eyed Peas: rich in folate, which has been shown to reduce depression

What's Porn Got To Do With It?

The topic of many a relationship therapy session has surely been porn.  More specifically, how porn may be ruining relationships. Historically, psychological studies have pointed towards porn as a cause of addiction, and also of erectile dysfunction or performance issues during physical encounters with a partner. Similarly, many clinicians claim that watching porn desensitizes the “watcher”, making normal sexual situations fall flat when it comes to getting excited.Investigators of this study, however, say that according to their findings, porn is not the problem.  In fact, watching porn regularly actually increased arousal in study participants.

A new study out of UCLA and Concordia University, tested the relationship between watching porn and erectile function.  This is the first study to analyze this relationship directly, not just draw conclusions regarding the “evils” of film erotica.  Research illustrated that watching sexual films is not likely to cause issues with erectile function, in fact and may even help sexual arousal. The study published online in the journal Sexual Medicine, gives stock to the claim that porn is not all bad.  The study investigators say that this is important because “because clinicians often claim that men get desensitized by watching these films”, and they want to put this myth to rest.  Interestingly, the study found that there is no relationship between watching porn and erectile dysfunction in men who are actively having sex. 

This study illustrates the need to treat sexual dysfunction in men with the ammunition afforded to us as clinicians.  Rather than point to porn as the cause of bedroom issues, finding out the true reason for the dysfunction will aid in its treatment. 

Erectile dysfunction is most likely caused by issues such as performance anxiety, poor heart health, or side-effects from drug use.  There are many treatments from psychotherapy to medications to pumps to surgical implants that can help bridge the gap in the bedroom, without using porn as a scapegoat.