Masturbation, Anxiety, Addiction

[AM1855]

Hello,
I am a 15 year old female, and masturbated for the first time yesterday. I masturbated twice that day, and once today. I found that it feels great, and I am so much more confident in my body... I now think I have the guts to try a tampon. (I used clitoral stimulation and penetrative)

However....

I have diagnosed anxiety. I also find that I have an obsessive personality and tend to get obsessed with things easily. This is a problem!!

Ever since I tried masturbation I don't want to stop.. And I want to do it multiple times a day it seems. I'm afraid that I will become ADDICTED to masturbation! I've only done it three times but because of my anxiety, I'm worried if i may be going too far...

So, how much is too much masturbation? Am I becoming addicted? Is it normal in the beginning to want to do it a lot, and is it normal to want to do it a lot at all??
I really need answers because of my anxiety and I need a second opinion.

Thanks!

[Sam W]

Hi AM,

What counts as "normal" masturbation really varies from person to person (and even from week to week for some people). Some people masturbate frequently, others very little. Masturbation only becomes an issue if it becomes a compulsion (you're doing it when you don't really want to) or if it interferes with other parts of your life. Too, since you've just started, your body has essentially discovered a new, fun thing it likes to do, so there's an urge to do it more because it's both novel and pleasurable. Does that make sense?

Are you currently seeing a therapist for your anxiety? If so, have you brought up these worries with them?

[AM1855]

Yes, I am being treated for anxiety. However I don't attend regular set meetings. I just don't want to become an addict. I think it's just because I newly discovered it. I seem to want to do it a lot... I also feel i may get horny pretty easily. (Probably teenager hormones?) As long as it doesn't become where I do it to the point of harm/interrupting my life I shouldn't be classified as an addict? Thanks so much for the help

[Sam W]

Yep, lots of people in their teenage years find that their sex drive gets a little stronger. And yes, unless masturbation becomes something that is interfering with other parts of your life it's not a cause for concern (too, the framework of addiction doesn't work great when applied to things like masturbation. There isn't very much evidence to suggest that the way addictions form to things like drugs applies to sexual activities)

[AM1855]

Thanks so much! Now I know I'm not an addicted weirdo... however I still feel like i think about it A LOT... too much, perhaps?

[Sam W]

That's likely a side effect of it being new and pleasurable. It's given your brain something to think about, which will likely decrease as the novelty of it wears off.