Onanism is the stimulation of one's own sexual organs in order to achieve sexual satisfaction. In the old days - as well as those quite recent - onanism was suppressed, identifying it with the incarnate evil, which brought only misfortunes to man - from all the worst diseases to rejection by the community. And today? Fortunately, we already know that masturbation is a natural stage in the development of human sexuality, but we still have a lot of problems with it …

Onanism , also called masturbation, is the irritation of one's own genitals that is supposed to lead to orgasm and release sexual tension. Other terms for this activity include self-abuse, autoeroticism, and ipsatization. You can masturbate with your hand or with the help of special accessories, such as vibrators or artificial vaginas. On the other hand, masturbation excludes the partner's participation, the only exception may be his role as an observer.

Onanism is common among men and women (as well as in many animal species) and affects young children as well as the elderly. According to sexologists, it is a normal component of a person's sex life. Contrary to the still often repeated theory, it does not cause any physical or mental disorders. On the other hand, since time immemorial, masturbation has been stigmatized and treated as an immoral act, a deviation leading to a whole range of diseases that medicine has been unable to explain otherwise.

Masturbation in history

Already Hippocrates in the 5th century BC he believed that "excessive use of sexual pleasure leads to many diseases." This was due to his theories of "humor", or juices establishing the body's temperaments and life force - one of them was supposed to be semen. According to Hippocrates, both men and women had semen, and masturbation led to a waste of "humor." This, in turn, was associated with disorders in the work of the whole organism and the emergence of diseases, including mental ones.

We celebrate two international days of masturbation - February 25 and March 28.

Over the centuries, successive sages, medics, and philosophers have preached more or less similar views on onanism. In the Middle Ages, the ideal of morality was to abstain from all sexual activity, which, of course, was notwas aimed at procreation, and in particular from onanism. The first publications on masturbation appeared in the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1760, the Swiss physician Samuel Tissot issued a treatise, "Onanism or a Medical Dissertation on Diseases Caused by Masturbation," which proves that most disease is caused by immoral practices to which humanity indulges when no one is watching. Not only that, onanism is a type of contagious disease that spreads just like an epidemic. Sylvester Graham, an American Presbyterian pastor and dietitian, argued in the 1830s that any sexual stimulation, be it physical or emotional, through the nervous system affects all parts of the body, and that "victims" of masturbation become as a result of it " idiots with sunken, empty and glassy eyes, withered face, toothless gums with ulcers, stinking breath, broken and weak voice, skinny, dwarf and crooked body, almost bald head covered with purulent ulcers; a prematurely aged man with a broken body and a ruined soul ”. Masturbation in children and adolescents was supposed to be particularly harmful.

Over the next decades, attempts were made to combat onanism for both medical and religious reasons, using a variety of means - just to mention elaborate chastity belts or recommendations to electrocute the genitals (19th century!). Even Sigmund Freud believed that masturbation could cause hysteria … It only changed at the turn of the 1940s and 1950s, when Alfred Kinsey and a team of scientists examined the sexuality of 10,000 Americans. 92% of men and 62% of women admitted to masturbating. He published two books - "Male Sexual Behavior" and "Female Sexual Behavior", which caused a scandal but changed the approach to masturbation once and for all.

Worth knowing

The most common myths about masturbation

It's hard to say if it's funny or sad, but even today there would be a lot of people who think that as a result of masturbation:

  • hair may grow between your fingers,
  • you can go blind,
  • you can get epilepsy
  • the penis may make a face,
  • it is possible to fall ill with a mental illness,
  • you can stop growing,
  • a woman can grow a beard,
  • genitalia may fall off.

Pros and cons of masturbation

According to modern sexologists, onanism is a natural part of an intimate life. He is already observed in the womb. Several-year-old children freely masturbate even in front of others. This is called Child masturbation, as the most physiological phenomenon, deprived ofan erotic context that naturally passes. Teenagers masturbate as a result of their sexuality awakening, and adults do it for many different reasons. Onanism can be a substitute for sexual intercourse when we do not have a partner, or a way to diversify the intimate life for two. Almost everyone does it, but who will openly admit it?

- The subject of masturbation in Poland is a difficult topic, mainly for religious reasons - says prof. Zbigniew Izdebski, who in 2006 wrote that "40 percent. Poles believe that it leads to mental disorders. " Today it is a bit better, but the awareness of the public on this subject is still not satisfactory. - We approach the issue of masturbation with a sense of guilt, sin. The sexologist adds that especially women do not know much about it, believe that "it is not appropriate", that it is bad, immoral, although it is starting to change: - Already Michalina Wisłocka in her book "Sztuka kochania" published in the mid-70s . pointed out to women that masturbation was a good training for a woman to experience orgasm in the future (with a partner). This is a chance to get to know yourself better - says the professor.

This will be useful to you

From the report of prof. Zbigniew Izdebski and Polfarma "Sexuality of Poles 2022", we learn that 83 percent of Poles masturbate in Poland. men and 23 percent. women (10 percent more than 20 years ago), while 26 percent. it claims to have done so in the past. At least that's what he admits to "it".

Benefits of Masturbation

Experts emphasize that masturbation brings many benefits. And it's not just about awakening your own sexuality. Onanism enables us to prevent certain he alth problems, from cystitis to type 2 diabetes: For women, masturbation can help prevent cervical and urinary tract infections, argue Anthony Santella and Spring Chenoa Cooper of the University of Sydney. Onanism can have even more benefits:

  • reduces stress, lowers cortisol levels and reduces nervous tension,
  • makes it easier to fall asleep,
  • improves mood, increases the level of endorphins and supports the immune system,
  • does not pose a risk of contracting any of the venereal diseases, as in the case of casual sex,
  • reduces the risk of prostate cancer - it has been proven that ejaculation 5 times a week reduces the risk by three times,
  • reduces menstrual pains,
  • improves blood pressure, increases oxygenation of the body,
  • strengthens the pelvic floor muscles.

Does masturbationharm?

In some cases, masturbation can be harmful. For example, when after doing "this" we feel guilty, ashamed and think the worst of ourselves. Then it is actually better to refrain from masturbating - or just open your mind and educate yourself a bit. Also, when we do "it" with dirty hands or objects, we can harm ourselves - it is not difficult to get an unpleasant intimate infection.

The biggest downside of masturbation, however, seems to be the fact that a man who learns to experience orgasm in a certain way may later find it difficult to open up to his partner caressing him differently. Many attempts will then be made to accept this novelty. But it's a pleasure!

Important

Pathological onanism

There is also the so-called Pathological masturbation - this is a serious problem and requires consultation with a specialist. It consists in the fact that a person masturbates mechanically, routinely, even addiction, e.g. always in the same circumstances and in the same way. He even feels a compulsion to masturbate, but otherwise he is unable to orgasm or have any pleasure at all.

A good example of pathological masturbation is the case of a 20-year-old who has been masturbating every day (without exceptions) while watching a pornographic film for several years. At some point he realizes that he is unable to establish normal relationships with women, his social contacts intimidate him, he begins to isolate himself and he is unable to fall in love because his thoughts are still focused on one thing. Indeed, such behavior may contribute to mental problems or depression at some point.

How to distinguish he althy masturbation from addiction?

What shows that masturbation has become an addiction?

  • regularity, repeatability of this act,
  • masturbation becomes a habit,
  • act is compulsive,
  • we cannot control the compulsion of masturbation,
  • we can't redirect our thoughts to anything else,
  • withdrawal symptoms appear.

As with other addictions, addiction to onanism causes symptoms such as nervousness, depression, and sleep disturbances. Neurotic masturbation should also be treated, the aim of which is not even sexual fulfillment, but simply to relieve tension that appears, for example, as a result of a failure at work or at school.

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Art of love