The Mental Health Benefits of Male Masturbation
An interview with Dr. Christopher Jones, a clinical psychologist and sex therapist.
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Spanking the monkey, making the bald man cry, burping the worm, celebrating Palm Sunday. Whatever you call it, you’ve done it. Yes, I’m talking about masturbating. I thought I knew everything there is to know about jerkin’ the gherkin. Yet, after, a chat with Dr. Christopher Jones, a clinical psychologist, and sex therapist, about male masturbation, I can now admit I was wrong. Just like how kneading dough for 10,000 hours doesn’t make you a professional baker, my lifetime achievement award for strangling my cyclops is nothing more than a paperweight.
Until this opportunity presented itself, I didn’t realize how many questions I had about shucking corn. How much is too much? Is no-fap really good for you? Are there health benefits to making a tartar sauce rainbow? Should I stop using euphemisms when I talk about masturbation and be a grown-up?
Dr. Jones answered these and many more for me about the health and wellness side of (fine) male masturbation. Here are some of his insights:
Could you introduce yourself and talk a little bit about your qualifications and what you do?
My name is Christopher Jones, I am a clinical psychologist and sex therapist. I have a doctorate in clinical psychology and am a member of both the American Psychological Association (APA) and the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT). As part of AASECT, I have completed over 150 hours of continued education in human sexuality.
I have a private practice, which has been really busy since COVID. I also host a popular podcast called, “Sex Therapy with Dr. Jones.” The weekly sex-positive podcast features educational information, listener Q&A, and a weekly review of a sex toy.
In the past, male masturbation was said to make you go blind, but humanity has put out many exhaustive studies that prove this is not true. Are there other, sneakier negative stigmas on male masturbation that should be dispelled?
There are so many myths about masturbation. Another popular one is that you will grow hair on the palm of your hand… that might actually make things feel a bit interesting, don’t you think?
Actually, John Kellogg, the inventor of Kellogg’s cereal led a huge anti-masturbation campaign in the US. He was actually a medical doctor, and he blamed masturbation for all sorts of things — bad posture, acne, stiff joints, and even epilepsy were among the 39 things he said were caused by masturbation. Fortunately, many of these crazy ideas no longer plague us. However, people often think that masturbation is reserved for those who are lonely and unable to find a partner. This is the furthest thing from the truth. Masturbation is a healthy and natural way to explore one’s body and sexuality regardless of a person’s sexual orientation or relationship status.
What are some ways people could go about curbing these stigmas?
Education is of course extremely important. I also think that being able to talk about all areas of sex, including masturbation is important. In society, there is often this idea that sex is a dirty word, and it’s not. You can talk about sex in ways that are not vulgar or profane. That’s one thing that I’ve tried to do on my podcast is to demonstrate that you can talk about sex as a healthy and natural part of the human experience without making it sound cheap or sketchy. — I also think that sharing resources about sex with friends and family is helpful. It could be a good book, a podcast, a documentary, whatever you find that is sex-positive and informative.
What is an average, healthy masturbation schedule for men? Is there a point where it becomes a problem? (For example, there is a whole community of people called “No-Fap” who believe resisting masturbation will somehow make them stronger.)
While I am sure there are many wonderful people in the No-Fap community, I would also imagine they are a rather cranky bunch. The idea that resisting masturbation will somehow make you stronger is based on an 11th-century notion (maybe even older) that “life was in the sperm.” In fact, some physicians at the time argued that you should only ejaculate when necessary (for procreation) since you are basically slowly dying each time you ejaculate. This is silliness.
The truth is, there are so many health benefits to masturbation such as improved mood, relieves stress, better quality of sleep, pain reduction, just to name a few.
The only time masturbation becomes a problem is for people who have a compulsion disorder. Meaning, if you are masturbating so often that you are missing school or missing work because of it, or you are unable to have friendships and relationships with people because you are so occupied with masturbation, then there could be a problem. But masturbating a few times a week or a few times a day, even, isn’t a problem.
In this time of a worldwide health crisis, everyone is frantically searching for ways to increase their overall health. Are there major health benefits (mental and/or physical) for masturbating more or less often?
Absolutely, there are so many benefits to masturbating. The biggest one is stress reduction, especially in this stressful time that we live in. But it also helps you to sleep better, helps you to relax, puts you in a better mood, and it allows you to feel pleasure, which is something that is highly underrated and should be valued. In fact, the WHO recently recognized pleasure as a human right.
By allowing your body to give you pleasure through masturbation it is possible to help people who have poor body image and self-esteem. Masturbation allows you to understand your likes and dislikes sexually, which you can then communicate with your partner in order to enjoy better sexual experiences as a couple.
There are also physical benefits to masturbation such as relieving pain, and it is very possible that men who enjoy prostate stimulation during masturbation are at a much lower risk of prostate cancer. Additionally, masturbation promotes healthy sperm.
If I masturbate too much, I am wasting my energy on something other than my sexual partner Is there any evidence that masturbation increases or decreases a man’s sex drive?
Often masturbation increases a person’s sex drive. Also, how do you define “too much?” I am not a believer in the idea of “sex addiction,” as a clinician, it is rather foolish since none of the addiction models work for treatment. Someone once said, a person is labeled as having too much sex if they are having more sex than the person they are telling.
Why is there so much stigma around male sex toys? For example, when I’ve bought sex toys, they come in black bags, labeled as something else, it makes me feel like I’m buying crack on the dark web.
I think this goes to the concept that sex is something that should be private. And in some instances this is true. I think what people decide to do with their partners is a very private and intimate thing. However, it is private because it is between the two of them not because it is shameful.
The truth is, when it comes to sex toys, that people often feel embarrassed that they need or want one, especially men. They buy into this concept that they only need this toy because they “can’t get the real thing.” And that is truly unfortunate.
Some believe that male masturbation toys lagged behind female sex toys in terms of options and societal acceptance. Do you think this is true and, if so, why do you think this would be?
It’s very true and there are probably a few reasons.
First and foremost, pop culture. Vibrators became more acceptable to females through popular media such as Sex and the City. It is shown as something empowering since the woman is taking control of her sexuality (and it is and she is). On the reverse, when a sex toy is mentioned for a man, it is a blow-up doll or some other toy used because the character can not get a girlfriend.
Another reason is the understanding that females do not orgasm as easily as men do, generally speaking. So, toy companies have come up with all kinds of gadgets and gizmos to help with that.
There are also many more parts of the female anatomy that can be stimulated both internally and externally. Most companies haven’t put as much consideration into male anatomy. This is one reason why I have been so impressed by the Arcwave ION because it is the first toy that has actually considered the male anatomy and not just the mechanical motion involved in masturbation.
Are there benefits to masturbating with a sex toy vs more of a hands-on approach?
Both are good. The idea here is variety and exploration. If you masturbate the same way each time, it can become rather boring. So, by adding a sex toy or a new type of lubricant, you can really appreciate the time you have to masturbate.
Are there any sex toys that you would recommend for men looking to up their masturbation game?
You know, if you asked me about female toys, I could name a bunch, since there are so many companies, including new companies, that are developing some really cool and innovative products.
For men’s toys, there are only a few companies that are producing high-quality toys for men. Even then, most of them are based upon a similar concept. For men who really want a truly innovative experience, I really have to recommend the Arcwave Ion.
The Arcwave Ion features a high-quality product design, that is easy to use, easy to clean, and easy to store. It features advanced air-pulse technology, called Pleasure Air, that is being used for the first time in a male product, to stimulate the frenulum. It is really a new sensation that culminates into a unique orgasm.
Reader Question: Sometimes I masturbate to clear my head. Do you have any thoughts on non-sexual masturbation as a form of therapy?
Masturbation is an excellent way to clear your head! As a clinician, I often recommend masturbation to my clients, so I really believe it is beneficial therapeutically. My thought around non-sexual masturbation is, why does it have to be non-sexual? The truth is, we are sexual beings, physically, neurologically, we are created as sexual beings. I don’t think we need to try to do things to disconnect from that. In fact, we need to do things to embrace it, because being disconnected from our sexual selves is very damaging to a person’s self-esteem, self-worth, and self-acceptance.
Check out Sexography’s review of the Arcwave Ion:
