HomeAnswersPsychiatrymasturbationDoes masturbating affect a person psychologically?

Do reading adult magazines, watching porn, and masturbating regularly affect a person physically or psychologically in the future?

Share

The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Medically reviewed by

iCliniq medical review team

Published At December 12, 2022
Reviewed AtOctober 6, 2023

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

I am a 37-year-old and married. I had a very disturbed childhood with frequent fights and arguments between my parents. Because of this, I felt inferior to others and stayed away from my relatives, neighbors, and friends. I found solace in books and television as they were my only source of joy. Surprisingly I was good in my studies and literary activities, although I had social anxiety and stage fear. I am not sure if my family background has anything to do with the behavioral issues I am facing now, but I felt like mentioning this. The problem is, when I moved from high school to college, I started making a few friends and also developed an interest in reading adult magazines and movies. This started when I was around 16, and soon after, I started surfing inappropriate sites accompanied by regular masturbation. This became a habit, and it gave me enormous joy and peace and continues to do so. I never felt apologetic about what I did, though I hoped that I would be able to stop it after my marriage. But it never happened. I indulge in such habits secretly, even after nine years of marriage.

As I told you, I do not feel guilty about my secret doings as I am not harming anyone, but I sometimes feel embarrassed from a moral perspective that I am leading a double life. I have never had any illegal relations, except watching inappropriate content, sexting, and masturbation. I never consulted a psychiatrist as I feel too embarrassed to open up about this. Is it necessary to get some help? Or is it ok to indulge in such things being a married person, as it is my private space and I am not interfering with anyone's life? Will this affect me in any way, physically or psychologically, in the future? Please help me out of this concern.

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and can understand your concern. It is courageous of you to open up about these issues you have been facing. Having a lot of emotional trauma early on in childhood might have resulted in you finding solace in the habits you mentioned. However, in the current situation, digging into why it happened has a limited role in controlling them. Coming to the aspect of guilt and privacy. What you do in your private space is private, and as long as it is not harming yourself or anyone else, it is fine to do it. Guilt is something that is not always experienced on a personal level. It is a complicated emotion. When you say that you feel embarrassed on a moral plane about these activities, it appears to be some form of guilt only. It depends on whether this discomfort or guilt affects your peace of mind. If so, therapy can be tried. Sex-related fetish over the years almost takes an obsessive nature. It is somewhat like OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) in layperson's terms. CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) can help you more than medications.

Thank you.

Patient's Query

Thanks for your quick response Doctor. It truly gives me a lot of relief. Though the issue doesn't interfere too much with my day to day life at present, I'll consider consulting a therapist in the future. Just to add on something that I missed out to detail in my previous query.. I had recently been involved in sexting with lot of strangers. Also been into surfing contents that are taboo in nature. I'll be embarassed to disclose anything of that nature if I opt to consult a therapist. Is that a normal thing or is that a perversion? I'll be grateful if you could give me an advice on this topic too. Thanks & Regards,
Hello. Therapists are trained people who have seen clients with variable issues. You can safely disclose whatever is bothering you to them. It's not mandatory to right away tell everything to the therapists. it's a process. you take your time and open up gradually. nobody forces you for the same. Regarding the messages, I would advise you to prevent sexting as this has potential to create legal troubles for you in the future. All the best.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Bang Sachi Ashokkumar
Dr. Bang Sachi Ashokkumar

Psychiatry

Community Banner Mobile
By subscribing, I agree to iCliniq's Terms & Privacy Policy.

Ask your health query to a doctor online

Psychiatry

*guaranteed answer within 4 hours

Disclaimer: No content published on this website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis, advice or treatment by a trained physician. Seek advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with questions you may have regarding your symptoms and medical condition for a complete medical diagnosis. Do not delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice because of something you have read on this website. Read our Editorial Process to know how we create content for health articles and queries.

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. iCliniq privacy policy