Is masturbation good or bad and does it increase or decrease serotonin?

[ADFSDF1996]

The age old question that nobody seems to be able to answer. Some say it’s bad for you and others say it’s good for you. It doesn’t help that the studies tend to contradict each other. One study will say that masturbation causes anxiety, yet another study will say that masturbation decreases anxiety. There’s also studies that say Masturbation decreases muscle mass, yet other studies that say masturbation has no connection to muscle growth.

Serotonin is considered to be a very important chemical in the human brain that helps keep a person happy and calm. A deficiency in serotonin is linked to depression, anxiety and a wide array of mental disorders like OCD. That’s why it’s often recommended to eat foods and supplements that increase serotonin and also do activities like getting sunlight and enough exercise in order to increase serotonin.

But my question is what effect if any does masturbation have on serotonin levels. Does it increase or decrease serotonin levels. As someone who suffers from OCD I’m always seeking ways of raising my serotonin levels and I would like to know if Masturbation is another action that potentially raises serotonin levels. If it decreases serotonin then I guess I have to keep working on achieving “NoFAP”.

To Fap or not to Fap?

[OlderAndWiser]

1. Once someone has experienced masturbation on a regular basis, it is unlikely that they are going to change their behavior because of a scientific study. So the answer is probably irrelevant to the future behavior of most people.

2. Judging whether masturbation is good or bad implicates physiological consequences as well as moral considerations. Someone may have a religious belief that prohibits them from masturbation and it won't matter what a scientific study says of the subject.

3. Whether masturbation is "good or bad" - even limiting ourselves to physiological considerations - is not simply a matter of whether it increases serotonin levels.

Suppose the evidence is that it has no effect or even decreases serotonin levels. For men, there is evidence that regular and frequent ejaculation decreases the risk of developing prostate cancer. So if a guy doesn't have a sexual partner available, should he be more concerned about his serotonin level or his risk of prostate cancer?

4. Of course, any subject that has any emotional or moral overtones is subject to bias in research. You can't react strongly to one research study. You must look for a pattern amongst several studies. And if you have numerous conflicting studies, that means the learned, know-it-all, white coat, intellectual scientist crowd knows absolutely nothing on the subject.

[ADFSDF1996]

As a Christian, do you think it’s a sin?

[OlderAndWiser]

I think it is a sin if masturbation interferes in making your spouse satisfied.

[ADFSDF1996]

What if it’s someone who is single?

[OlderAndWiser]

I don't think it is a sin for a single person if done in moderation. I do think that we are intended to have partners in our lives and it becomes a sin if it distracts us from reaching that goal.

[pizzalovershouse]

Its all in the way we look at it some say bad some say good but psychologist say its healthy

[pizzalovershouse]

Thanks for mho👍

[ACupOfFrosting]

Good in ✨ moderation ✨.
But bad if you do it multiple times a day.
Like with everything there's a difference between a dependency and casual use.

[SuccessfulHornDog]

It releases serotonin which then gets used up

[ADFSDF1996]

So masturbation can decrease a person’s serotonin levels?

[SuccessfulHornDog]

yes, a little until the brain makes more. Excessive masturbation can leave you a little low. I think that the impact depends upon the individual