D asks:
I have a really high sex drive and now that I’m single I recently realized that I’ve been masturbating almost every day, sometimes multiple times a day. This is the first time in my life that I’ve ever been this consistent with masturbating so I started to worry if I was doing it too much. I crave intimacy and I would like to be with a partner but I’m single and feel like I need to take care of my needs. Also, I should point out I’m not at like, the point where I feel I need to do it. It’s just so enjoyable that I find myself doing it and it’s just really picked up in frequency. So with all of that said: how much is too much masturbation?
D—
You may have heard that throughout the course of a relationship, you experience many different relationships. The same is true for your sex life. From the time you become sexually active to whenever you stop, there’ll be ebbs and flows with both self-pleasure and partner sex.
Right now you’re in a flow state—and that is totally ok! Masturbating daily or multiple times a day generally isn’t something to worry about, especially if you don’t feel like it’s something you need to do.
You’re enjoying yourself and taking care of your needs—in my opinion, the world would be a better place if we all approached self-pleasure from this perspective!
The benefits of masturbation
Masturbation helps you learn what your body likes and doesn’t and helps you reacquaint yourself to, well, yourself after big life changes like becoming single, becoming a parent, or dealing with chronic illness. It lets you explore new fantasies and try new sex acts. It also relieves stress, reduces pain, and helps you sleep better.