Am I masturbating too much?

We’ve gotten some worried messages lately from young people worried about how often they masturbate or think about sexual things. 

Before we get into what that means, we just want to acknowledge how brave and mature it is for folks to be thinking about their behaviors this way. It’s easy to ignore things like this and to just keep doing something that feels good. It’s really mature to be thoughtful about what is healthy and safe. 

Now, let’s talk about the original question.

Masturbation is normal.

First, the most important thing to know is that masturbation is a healthy and normal part of human sexuality. Our bodies are made to feel pleasure, and masturbating can help to relieve stress and get rid of pain. Believe it or not, even babies may touch their genitals as a way to self-soothe. And it’s not because it’s sexual, but because it feels good. 

To be clear, we aren’t sexuality educators, and we aren’t doctors. But we have a lot of experience in talking about normal, healthy and appropriate sexual behaviors in children and youth. Masturbation definitely falls under that category.

How do you know when you’re masturbating too much?

Like anything else in life, too much of something healthy can start to have negative effects and/or it can impact other areas of your life. For example, if you are feeling any physical pain or experiencing any physical symptoms, like a rash or cuts because of masturbating, then it’s important to take a break and talk to your doctor to make sure you are healthy and safe. 

Another way you might be able to tell if you are spending too much time masturbating is to think about whether you are losing interest in other things that you used to like in order to masturbate. If masturbating is getting in the way of school, work, hobbies, activities, or relationships, that would be a sign that it would be a good idea to take a step back and find some extra support.

Getting Support

If you have questions about the amount of time you're spending masturbating or feel like you could use some extra support to manage your behaviors, it is absolutely okay to ask for help! We are here to talk you through your next steps – without judgment or shame. 

Reach out to our free, confidential helpline to talk to a counselor, ask questions and get support.

Other things to consider

There’s one other thing to keep in mind. Sometimes when people masturbate and/or watch porn a lot they may notice that the kind of things they watch change over time. People often tell us that they begin looking for content that feels more shocking or taboo. This can lead to content that may be abusive or illegal, like child sexual abuse material (CSAM), once called child pornography.

If you want to report CSAM or if you're worried about anything you have seen or are interested in, you can contact us for help and support.