paraphilic masturbation

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sex-life-the-american-male/201403/unacknowledged-harm-masturbation

by Michael Shelton, MS, LPC [Sex Life of the American Male] "An unacknowledged harm of masturbation (When does masturbation become problematic or unhealthy?)"

PARAPHILIA = [o] recurrent and intense sexually arousing FANTASIES, SEXUAL URGES, or SEXUAL BEHAVIORS that cause significant DISTRESS or IMPAIRMENT in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning" (American Psychiatric Association).

What we do know is that paraphilic development begins early in life (most males develop a paraphilic interest by the age of 17). The text Human Sexuality summarized the literature regarding the etiology of paraphilia and concluded: “People with paraphilia seem to have grown up in dysfunctional environments and to have had early sexual experiences that limited their ability to be sexually stimulated by consensual sexual activity.” (p. 341)[iv] Also, all paraphilias are primarily reinforced by masturbation. Unable to obtain sexual satisfaction by engagement in the activity most sexually stimulating to them, adolescents with paraphilic interest instead use fantasy and masturbation as a primary means of gratification thus keeping their desire hidden and unknown even to the people closest to them.

Each episode of masturbation however only further reinforces the paraphilic interest and reduces the possibility of modifying or eradicating it in the future. When people joke about the harm of masturbation, they almost always neglect to consider its truly most harmful effect. Each time a male masturbates to a paraphilic fantasy he further etches it into the hardwiring of his brain and increases the risk of future “significant distress and impairment,” particularly regarding sexual functioning and satisfaction. Once a paraphilic interest has fully developed, it is almost impossible to ameliorate.

References

[i] American Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4^th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

[ii] Kafka, W.P. (2007). Paraphilia-related disorders. In S.R. Leiblum (Ed.), Principles and practice of sex therapy (pp. 442 – 476). New York: Guilford Press.

[iii] Feierman J.R. & Feierman, L.A. (2000). Paraphilias. In L.T. Szuchman & F. Muscarella (Eds.), Psychological perspectives on human sexuality (pp. 480 – 518). New York: John Wiley & Sons.

[iv] Strong, B., DeVault, C., Sayad, B.W., & Yarber W.L. (2005). Human sexuality: Diversity in contemporary America. Boston: McGraw Hill.