Benefits of quitting masturbation: what really changes?The gains for people for whom the habit has become compulsive or conflicts with their values, and the difference between the facts and the widespread physical myths

8For whom are the benefits of quitting masturbation real?

“I want to quit, but everything I read either scares me that I’ll go blind or promises I’ll turn into Superman.” Between scare tactics and exaggeration, many young men get lost. The truth is calmer than both: stopping has clear benefits for people who have lost control of the habit or who live in conflict with their values, but they are not physical miracles.

As we explain in the guide to masturbation, from a medical standpoint it is a common behavior that is not considered a disease in itself, and it does not cause blindness or infertility. Cleveland Clinic even notes that it may be linked to benefits such as stress relief and better sleep. So the right question is not “Is it harmful?” but “Am I in control of it, or is it in control of me?” If it keeps happening against your will, takes your time and sleep, and leaves you with guilt and distress, then the benefits of stopping become real.

9Benefits of quitting compulsive masturbation

• Time and sleep: the compulsive habit is often tied to late nights and phone use in the dark, and stopping restores regular sleep.
• Focus and productivity: less mental preoccupation, planning and concealment.
• Mood and self-confidence: the feeling of helplessness and repeated failure eases, replaced by a sense of being able to control yourself.
• Relationships: less isolation, and more presence with family, friends and a partner.
• Reconciling with your values: the inner conflict eases for those who see it as contradicting their faith.

These benefits are really the disappearance of harms caused by the compulsive pattern, which we explain on the page about the harms of masturbation.

10What happens when you quit masturbation? Myths and facts

The last point is supported by a study published in Archives of Sexual Behavior in 2020, which found that the motivation to abstain from masturbation was linked mainly to attitudes and beliefs, especially seeing it as unhealthy, and to religiosity, more than to actual behavioral indicators. In other words, many who want to stop do not have an addiction but a conflict between behavior and values, and this deserves to be handled calmly, not with scare tactics.

11The truth about testosterone on day seven

A Chinese study published in 2003 on 28 volunteers, which reported that testosterone peaked on the seventh day of abstinence, spread across many websites. This study was officially retracted in 2021 according to its record in PubMed, meaning it is no longer a reliable scientific reference. There is no reliable evidence that abstinence raises testosterone in a sustained or beneficial way. If you have symptoms of low male hormone, the route is a medical examination, not abstinence.

12Does stopping masturbation harm the body?

No, stopping is completely safe, and it does not cause dangerous “congestion” or illness. Nocturnal emissions during sleep are normal and happen to many people; they are neither a relapse nor a harm. A large American study published in European Urology in 2016, covering about 32,000 men, found that frequent ejaculation was linked to a relatively lower risk of prostate cancer, especially low-risk types, but this is an association that does not prove cause, and it does not mean that someone who stops for religious or personal reasons is putting themselves at risk.

13How do you stop masturbating without self-punishment?

• Identify the times and triggers of the habit: late nights, loneliness, boredom, stress, and the phone in bed.
• Change the environment: take the phone out of the bedroom, and go to sleep when you feel sleepy, not hours later.
• Fill free time with real physical or social activity.
• Deal with the feelings that come before it instead of fighting the act alone.
• If you slip, do not punish yourself; ask what came before the slip, and adjust your plan.

You will find detailed treatment steps in masturbation treatment. If the use is tied to pornography, read about the benefits of quitting pornography, and if it extends to other out-of-control behaviors, read about sex addiction and its treatment.

14When guilt itself becomes the problem

Some young men do stop, but are left with constant worry about the “harms” of what they did before, or with repeated thoughts they cannot stop about purity and guilt. This may be a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that needs different treatment. If guilt turns into despair or talk of self-harm, seek help right away through the mental health support line 16328 or ambulance (123).

At Eradah you can book a completely free and confidential first consultation, and we offer outpatient treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy for people who have lost control of the habit or who have co-occurring anxiety or depression.