Withdrawal symptoms from stopping self-pleasuring??

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Hello,
Over a month ago I stopped “MBing” entirely.
I knew it was a grave sin but I would do it regularly. Like, 2 times a day regularly.
For over years now.

But back in February I stopped it entirely. Over a month. The longest stretch I have EVER gone not doing that.

But…
I’ve been struggling terribly with inability to sleep, depression, anxiety, racing heart.
This has been going on for weeks now.

But I can’t get straight answers online. Because everywhere I go you just hear how great, wonderful, and healthy it is.
I knew this wasn’t right because even before becoming Catholic I would feel this odd sense of “blah” after doing it… but I just kept on with it.

I’m seeing a counselor and she thinks it’s the best stuff since sliced bread.
She refuses to concede that I could be having withdrawal symptoms from MBing.

Someone please help shed some light on this for me!!
any one else struggle with withdrawal???
 
I remember that when I was very young (about 6!), I discovered it by accident :(. It was hard to stop even without hormones in the equation! I have no doubt that it is very hard now, but God will help you if you stick with it. Pray to Our Lady too.
 
But do you think that it could cause:
Anxiety
racing heart
depression
inability to sleep at night
 
I remember that when I was very young (about 6!), I discovered it by accident :(. It was hard to stop even without hormones in the equation! I have no doubt that it is very hard now, but God will help you if you stick with it. Pray to Our Lady too.
 
Probably. Hormones are powerful things… but it should go away eventually if it’s just that. You should definitely see a doctor though to make sure it isn’t a separate issue (And don’t mention the “M” word to them… unless they determine there’s nothing wrong with you otherwise! They might react like your counselor.)
 
Well, can’t you do it occasionally to release? It isn’t like you have to watch porn or read dirty stuff. And it is way better than pre-marital sex. Think of it as just a bodily function and not something sexual?
 
It is very good that you quit masturbating. Did you know it can make you blind and deaf? Keep that in mind and keep walking the right path. The Road of The Righteous.
 
Well done on one month! That is a great achievement to be able to do it on your own. I hope you are able to keep going.

Yes, you should expect all sorts of withdrawal symptoms, including the ones you describe. A period of one, two or three months can be expected. The most powerful withdrawal symptom will be a desire to return to the habit - “just one” for release and comfort. Obviously, you should try to avoid that, for your own sake. I recommend that you motivate yourself by thinking about what is best for you, rather than just avoiding sin.

Especially, take it one day at a time, and every morning ask for strength from Jesus and Joseph, and ask the Holy Spirit to protect the Temple which is your body.

Be easy on yourself with respect to rest and diet and other stresses. Try to enjoy your daily sobriety a little bit with some other pleasures.
We don’t even claim that sexual sobriety will make one feel better immediately. We, like other addicts, can go through withdrawal symptoms when we give up our “drug.” Nonetheless, in spite of the questions, struggles, and confusion that we have gone through, we find that sexual sobriety is truly “the key to a happy and joyous freedom we could otherwise never know.”
Click to expand...
westernslopesa.org/to-the-newcomer.html

The following seems to describe your symptoms very closely.
Basically if a person withdrew from sex for a month they would be prone to extreme irritability, sleeplessness, agitation, depression, loss of interest in anything but sex (they would be despondant) they could suffer from dysphoria as well. Thats a loss in pleasure from regular, healthy activities.
Click to expand...
answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081013174119AA2VghZ

Google “sexual addiction withdrawal”.

One other note. I notice that you mention that you are seeing a counsellor. Might I guess that this is not just in relation to the sexual problem, but other psychological issues? Such is very common amongst addicts, of any sort. There are almost always related issues behind the addiction. Nevertheless, stopping the addictive behaviour, with zero tolerance, is essential, while working on the other issues. I’ve had counsellors tell me that porn and mb are OK also.
 
Edmundus1581 said:
Well done on one month! That is a great achievement to be able to do it on your own. I hope you are able to keep going.

Yes, you should expect all sorts of withdrawal symptoms, including the ones you describe. A period of one, two or three months can be expected. The most powerful withdrawal symptom will be a desire to return to the habit - “just one” for release and comfort. Obviously, you should try to avoid that, for your own sake. I recommend that you motivate yourself by thinking about what is best for you, rather than just avoiding sin.

Especially, take it one day at a time, and every morning ask for strength from Jesus and Joseph, and ask the Holy Spirit to protect the Temple which is your body.

Be easy on yourself with respect to rest and diet and other stresses. Try to enjoy your daily sobriety a little bit with some other pleasures.

westernslopesa.org/to-the-newcomer.html

The following seems to describe your symptoms very closely.

answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081013174119AA2VghZ

Google “sexual addiction withdrawal”.

One other note. I notice that you mention that you are seeing a counsellor. Might I guess that this is not just in relation to the sexual problem, but other psychological issues? Such is very common amongst addicts, of any sort. There are almost always related issues behind the addiction. Nevertheless, stopping the addictive behaviour, with zero tolerance, is essential, while working on the other issues.
Click to expand...
 
Masturbation is a physical habit and can be a psychological addiction. However, withdrawal symptoms would be merely psychological. You can rise above it. I did. Ask St. Joseph to help you; he never fails, and he’s a good one for chastity! Also, be ruthless. Our Enemy is ruthless is its pursuit to pull you down into sin, to break you with a besetting sin. Don’t let it. Call on your heritage as a child of God. You shall rise above this!

Two questions: did pornography use always accompany masturbation? Do you still watch or take glimpses at pornography but don’t masturbate?
 
Soren_Itenu said:
Masturbation is a physical habit and can be a psychological addiction. However, withdrawal symptoms would be merely psychological. You can rise above it. I did. Ask St. Joseph to help you; he never fails, and he’s a good one for chastity! Also, be ruthless. Our Enemy is ruthless is its pursuit to pull you down into sin, to break you with a besetting sin. Don’t let it. Call on your heritage as a child of God. You shall rise above this!

Two questions: did pornography use always accompany masturbation? Do you still watch or take glimpses at pornography but don’t masturbate?
Click to expand...
I can see there would be withdrawal symptoms just like with quitting any habit, especially if the habit is long-standing. I have struggled with quitting this myself but every once in a while I have the urge to go back to it. Soon as possible afterwards I go to confession. In all the years I engaged in this habit I never looked at pornography so pornography doesn’t always accompany masturbation. I have not only asked St Joseph for help but also St Michael the Archangel.
 
One other point I would like to make, which you might find helpful. I assume from your post that you are not married. I recommend that you don’t allow yourself to think that masturbation has anything to do with being single, as if it is “need” arising from not being married. There are many married men who masturbate, and many single men who don’t.

If you are single, then becoming chaste is almost the best thing you can do for yourself **before **dating.
 
Soren_Itenu said:
Masturbation is a physical habit and can be a psychological addiction. However, withdrawal symptoms would be merely psychological.
Click to expand...
IMHO, there is actually a physical aspect to it also. The body adapts to its environment. If emissions are frequent, then the body needs to account and adapt to that, and vice versa.
 
jorgeK said:
But do you think that it could cause:
Anxiety
racing heart
depression
inability to sleep at night
Click to expand...
I think your post from your other thread regarding crippling anxiety might cause all of the above.

I’ll pray for you.
 
I am a married man and have also struggled with this. Before becoming Catholic I always felt it was wrong, but never believed it was possible to stop. As many of us do, I justified it with the popular culture and the science that concerns itself only with facts and health of body (which they equate to pleasure), but never with health of the soul.

In order to give up this sin, we must first fall in love with Christ and give ourselves over to Him. Giving up pleasures won’t make sense to people heavily immersed in the culture and living without faith; it didn’t make sense to me.

We alone don’t have the power to overcome any sin - He does it through us. All I can recommend is to try not to justify sinning because of suffering; I know this is difficult. Go to confession as often as you can and even confess impure thoughts or occasions to sin. And even more importantly, pray daily, as I’m sure you’re already doing.

Prayer, confession, and Mass are the greatest help with the withdrawl symptoms you’re experiencing. Converting is a lifelong process and a big part of that is finding joy in prayer and self control rather than fleeting pleasures that will always leave us wanting more. Pleasure in and of itself is not a bad thing, but only when we grasp at it and worship it, instead of allowing it to come to us according to God’s infinite goodness.

I’ll keep you in my prayers, and please keep me in yours.
God Bless you for your honest post.
 
jorgeK said:
But do you think that it could cause:
Anxiety
racing heart
depression
inability to sleep at night
Click to expand...
Yes. Sex of any kind, orgasm, produces strong endorphins, which produce a feeling of calm, of happiness, of satisfaction. The withdrawal from production of those hormones is physical. You need to substitute something that produces the same kind of hormones but without self-pleasuring. Try some exercise, the challenging sort, like running, which also produces endorphins.

Hang in there, and don’t listen to posters that advise you to go ahead “once in a while.” You will never break the habit that way.
 
GoodbyeYou said:
Well, can’t you do it occasionally to release? It isn’t like you have to watch porn or read dirty stuff. And it is way better than pre-marital sex. Think of it as just a bodily function and not something sexual?
Click to expand...
No, it is against our religious beliefs that any form of masturbation is allowed. Sexual practices are for the husband and wife, no one else, including the self. Masturbation is intrinsically wrong in and of itself, for it takes a holy act and defiles it.
 
Jeremiah_29_11 said:
No, it is against our religious beliefs that any form of masturbation is allowed. Sexual practices are for the husband and wife, no one else, including the self. Masturbation is intrinsically wrong in and of itself, for it takes a holy act and defiles it.
Click to expand...
Our enemy the devil would just love to convince us that “just once in a while isn’t going to hurt” just like he convinced Adam &Eve it would be okay to take one bite of the fruit. We all know how that turned out!:eek:
 
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