Can you masturbate too much?

If you’ve ever masturbated, you might have asked yourself: Am I doing it too much? First things first: there’s no “right” or “wrong” amount of masturbation. You can masturbate once a year, once a day, or even multiple times a day. Masturbation is natural, healthy, and comes with a bunch of benefits. Unfortunately, society loves to shame us about it and spread myths, like “masturbation will make you go blind.” Spoiler: it won’t.

The Conversation Around Masturbation

When people ask, “can you masturbate too much?” the conversation is often geared toward penis owners. Google it, and you’ll see article after article from men’s health magazines. For vulva owners, the conversation often shifts to sex toys and vibrators. Society loves to tell vulva owners that using a vibrator will desensitise their clitoris or damage their nerves. This is a complete myth. Unless you’re physically hurting yourself, there’s no permanent damage from masturbation or vibrator use. If you do notice numbness, it’s probably just overstimulation. Taking a short break or lowering the intensity usually fixes it. Remember: the brain plays a huge role in orgasms, so anxiety about “desensitising” yourself may actually be the real reason you’re struggling to climax. Mindfulness and tuning into your body are key.

When Masturbation Becomes “Too Much”

So, can you masturbate too much? Yes, but only if it negatively affects your life or body. Examples include:

• Skipping work, meals, or daily tasks to masturbate

• Cancelling plans with friends or family

• Becoming extremely irritable if you don’t masturbate

• Feeling consumed by thoughts about masturbation

• Experiencing guilt, shame, distress or disgust afterwards

• Feeling distressed if you cannot masturbate

• Masturbation causing physical harm

There’s debate about whether excessive masturbation counts as an addiction, a compulsive behaviour, or neither. Honestly, it doesn’t matter. If masturbation is harming you, seeking help is valid and important.

Physical Concerns

Pain during masturbation is a sign that something is off. Overuse can cause friction burns, irritation, redness, swelling, or even small tears in the foreskin or vulva. Lack of lubrication makes this worse. Repetitive use of the same motions or porn may also make it harder to orgasm with a partner. Some people develop what’s called the “death grip,” where they’re so accustomed to a strong hand technique that penetrative sex doesn’t feel as good. Adjusting your technique, taking breaks, and experimenting with different sensations can help.

Masturbation and Porn

Excessive porn use can reinforce habits that only work in solo sessions. You may need more extreme porn to get aroused; this can be a slippery slope. You may also find it is harder to be aroused during partnered sex due to the lack of visual stimulation that porn can provide. Porn should enhance, not control, your sexual experience.'

The NoFap Community

Some people turn to the NoFap community when questioning their masturbation habits. This is a peer-support platform designed to help people address sexual compulsive behaviours. On Reddit alone, the community has over 1.1 million members, with additional groups across various platforms. While NoFap often targets cisgender heterosexual men, many members are from diverse backgrounds.

NoFap promotes abstinence from masturbation and sometimes porn, claiming benefits like increased energy, confidence, or mental clarity. However, there’s no strong scientific evidence supporting these claims. In fact, for some people, participating in the movement can increase shame or anxiety about sexual desire, which isn’t healthy. The takeaway? Use the community critically, and remember that masturbation is natural and normal.

Bottom Line

Masturbation is only “too much” if it harms your physical health, mental health, or daily life. Otherwise, it’s a normal, healthy, and pleasurable activity. If you’re struggling, a sexologist or medical professional can help you find ways to masturbate in a healthier, less stressful way.