So, I just fell after my longest clean streak ever (10 days)...
I was so proud of the progress I'd made, really davening all the time that I could stay clean.
But I was feeling actual physical pain in my (you know where), and I couldn't concentrate on anything, work, learning, nothing.
I looked this pain up on google and found sources saying that abstaining from masturbation can actually have effects on fertility. I don't know if this is the yetzer harah talking or if I really should have been concerned, but I couldn't hold back any longer.
Are these health concerns legitimate? Does anyone know?

Hi there. Don't know much, but the following is from the GYE handbook:

Some people today are under the misconception that these behaviors are healthy or even necessary for the body. This is completely untrue. The medical community is in agreement that holding back for long periods of time does not cause anything noticeable to happen. There is no build up of pressure. Our bodies are always reabsorbing and disposing of extra material, including the excess components of zera. It is perfectly natural to keep ‘dry’ for a long period of time. There are no risks or heath problems associated with it at all.

MT

In the past I have taken Motrin and it helped a great deal, and I know another guy who found the same thing.

I know many men who are completely abstinent for years, no problems at all. I know bochurim and single men (not yidden) who are sober - in SA that means they do not masturbate - for years, and are fine. They get married, have kids, have a normal sexual relationship with their wives, etc.

The only problem is for guys who look at porn or fantasize in their heads a bunch, have a lot of erections as a result, and get all revved up inside. When we do that we get a lot of scrotal pain, and it simply takes a few days to go away. Ibuprophen (motrin) helps with that...and waiting.

Patience with yourself.

If you are in the second category, then I suggest that your main problem is not your scrotal pain, but the fantasizing in your head or porn use. If you are touching yourself in a sexual way, then that will also ruin things for you.

It all depends on what you want. The longer we go without it, the easier it gets - unless we are tempting ourselves and playing with it. Self-honesty is the key here.

Hi Neshamatehora,

DON'T PAY ANY ATTENTION to those lies and that BullSH*T. You are on the right path and on the road to recovery. Masturbating will only gradually make you less and less fertile - not the opposite.

If it wasn't for total anonymity I wouldn't share this with you, but when I was at rock bottom I had exhausted my sexual energies so much through masturbation that I was totally impotent for 5 months!!! (I was also incontinent for a period as well.) And at the age of 21 when I should have been at my physical peak, I was physically and spiritually wrecked. Just so you don't have any doubts, aside from masturbation I had very healthy habits - I didn't smoke, drink, take drugs or sleep around at all.

When a drugee quits, he will feel withdrawal symptoms, just like the pain you feel when you get a hangover. BUT, carrying on drinking and getting even more drunk so you don't feel the pain of the hangover is not going to make you feel better in the long run.

So just keep on trucking in the knowledge that you are going up and UP, even if the climb does graze your knees from time to time, the view will be WORTH IT!!!

Oh, I'll try and find some medical documents to show you, but traditional chinese medicine gives more physical and less spiritual explanations as to the damaging effects of masturbation.

BW,

DL

I just read a story of a boy in Brazil who was known for being a sex addict who went on a masturbation spree one night and died from heart failure. Not really relevant to your question but I wanted to post this somewhere.When I was much younger, like 15, I would get headaches from being so worked up masturbating but it never stopped me.


Dov is always right and here he even has loads of evidence. And what Desert Lion calls lies and BS is lies and BS. Google cannot differentiate between the truth and garbage. BTW IMO "Yahoo answers" are usually worth ignoring when they come up in any search.


Hatzlacha, this is the place to be.

Ok Neshama, so you're probably bored to death now by my stories but just want to share one more thing bc of Blind's post.

When I was at rock bottom, and had resolved to quit masturbation, for 6 months after the day I decided to quit my heart felt like it was being crushed by a vice like grip. It was actually in physical pain like a heart attack. My whole chest felt like it had been hollowed out from the inside and was going to collapse. I AM NOT LYING to scare you.

Went to see a traditional chinese doctor and was told that semen is effectively the essence of a man's body and the best part of the blood which is a person's life basically. So masturbation just sucks out all the energy and nutrients in your body and basically eats you from within. It's like having a parasite inside of you eating your innards and gnawing at your vitals.

"My testicles are killing me", "My sperm cells will all die off!", and "I won't be able to have an erection ever gain!" (and erection of the penis is part of a very great mitzvah, right?)...all lies and we know it. It's just my childish, caveman-like fear talking inside me, whenever those types of thoughts come up. They are smoke screens like every one of the thousand excuses we have ever used to "just check out one more naked picture for the last time ever", "see if my skin feels 'right' down there", or "spend a little extra time in the bathroom admiring my bris".

The only real problem we have with lust is that we love the way our orgasms and fantasies feel, period! That's a real problem, now. And we are scared to death of not ever having it ever again, cuz we love it so very much. The feelings, gevalt, the feelings. they make the issue seem so real, so important, so devastating...

So? Loud and emotional lies, are still just lies. Nothing more.

We love you NeshomaTehoira!!

Hatzlocha!!

Hi Dov, your post made me laugh so much lol . Didn't know I had a fellow caveman friend out there haha.

BW,

DL