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Would obsessive masturbation be considered an addiction?

Discussion in 'Off-topic Discussion' started by emilioguy17, Aug 11, 2020.

  1. emilioguy17

    emilioguy17 New Fapstronaut
    NoFap Defender

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    When ever people talk about addiction its always about a physical substance or something you can see like love or playing video games. But you never really hear masturbation being an addiction and a problem to ones self. I would guess this is because masturbation is such a normative thing in society and considered to be a healthy action to do by health care experts because it helps clear out your privates area. So, seeing that society doesn't think of masturbation as a problem what would it really be called, and how would one go about getting help with recovery if all the recovery(rehab) centers are for drug usage? Where would one go for a emergency issue with this matter? Because theres no one that you can openly disclosure about this with out getting shun down.
     
  2. Literally my case.

    Society doesn't get to decide what is right or wrong for me.

    The biggest problem with people is that they believe that the number of people who support a point are proportional to its correctness; this is false is all aspects except religion and politics.

    I am quite open about nofap with a lot of people, friends and otherwise. Some of my friends are even on nofap. Stop giving a shit about others' opinions so much, because that's the same thing which leads to this belief:

    You and I know this isn't true.
    That's enough to fuel my passion to quit.


    Is it enough for you?
    You will face this dogma your whole life. Learn to know that your opinion is enough sometimes, especially when you have the evidence to prove it (to yourself).
     
    ItsOkay and emilioguy17 like this.
  3. Psalm27:1my light

    Psalm27:1my light Fapstronaut

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    Csat counselor, sa/saa/slaa groups.
     
    Deleted Account likes this.
  4. mouton1998

    mouton1998 Fapstronaut

    You can believe whatever you want about masturbation; if you're 100% sure that one of the causes of your psychological illness is masturbation, then I think you're absolutely right to avoid it. You, like me and many others here on NoFap, are not part of the majority of the population, who unlike us do not have a toxic relationship with masturbation or porn.
    I have read articles about the problems of an excessively frequent masturbation, which is, in fact, described as a mental pathology (for example: https://www.researchgate.net/public...essive_Masturbation_Treated_with_Aripiprazole), but more as compulsion (see @engelman answer) than as an addiction, which are two completely different things.
    There are tons of psychologist and psychotherapists specialized in sexuology, who have been trained to treat disorderes like chronic masturbation. Obviously no one forces you to go to them; if you think they say BS you can try with other methods.
     
  5. BlueBallsOG

    BlueBallsOG Fapstronaut

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    Society isnt always right, coke was used regularly in the 1800s and everybody thought of it as some medicinal thing to help with colds and stuff. Also marijuana was put in cough medicine for kids, which was considered normal. And smoking was also concidered normal up to rhe 1950s, a lot of people even thought it was healthy.
     
  6. Raven King

    Raven King Fapstronaut

    Just put the word "obsessive" in front of any activity and it is a problem. The problem is that you cannot control it. Obsessive internet/smart phone use is also a problem. I started MO years before I started watching porn, so I can relate to this problem. It is a escape mechanism used to deal with discomfort. If you want to stop it you have to recognize your triggers.
     
  7. ShadyPerson

    ShadyPerson Fapstronaut

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    I've understood that in medical terms it would constitute as a compulsion, not an addiction.
     
  8. ad·dic·tion
    /əˈdikSH(ə)n/
    Learn to pronounce

    noun
    1. the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity.
      "he committed the theft to finance his drug addiction"

      Masturbation is under the category of being an “activity”. I assume your use of the word “obsessive” would imply the inability to stop on your own.

      In my case, I would say it clearly has been an addiction. We come to sites like this, and groups that discuss it for hours and hours at a time, because we know that it’s unhealthy and detrimental to our wellbeing.
     
  9. Basically, if you can stop Masturbating today, and never need it again (as in crave it, constantly think about it, feel bad and depressed without it, etc. etc.)... Then it's not an addiction.

    But, in case of almost everyone here, you would find that they are unable to do so, hence the PMO addiction.
     
  10. Usually it's a PMO addiction as opposed to an MO addiction. Big difference.

    The main problem is porn, in the vast majority of cases. Stop watching porn and it's much easier to stop masturbating.
     
  11. thinking_differently

    thinking_differently Fapstronaut

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