Scarleteen

I've noticed that recently, I've been very stressed, and my masturbation habits as well as my consumption of literary erotica (without physically stimulating myself, but definitely for pleasure) have increased in frequency. I've heard that if you masturbate too much or expose yourself to too much sexual content you can "rewire" your brain and make it harder to masturbate because you're too used to the level of stimulation you give yourself. Also that reading too much erotica can affect your perception of reality.

I'm very sure that I'm well aware that what i read is pure fantasy and I have no inclination to apply these insane erotica scenarios to real life nor think its typical, but recently I've noticed that sometimes my thoughts are quick to jump to innuendos (i never verbalise them)...

Is this a bad thing? Should I restrict myself from doing it frequently? I'm talking daily reading (I do read other things outside of erotica though) and perhaps thrice a week of masturbation....

Hi liamesecat! In short: no, masturbating a lot is not a bad thing. There's no such thing as "too much masturbation", or the "maximum" amount of masturbation you do per day, week, or month that everyone in the world agrees to. The idea that masturbation and consuming literary erotica are harmful come from purity culture, which upholds that any sexual activity not done for procreation (baby-making) is sinful. Considering you grew up in a religious, sex-negative household (from your earlier posts), these beliefs are probably familiar to you.

Since you've mentioned that you've been feeling very stressed recently, I think it makes sense that you'd turn to masturbation and reading erotica for pleasure. After all, both activities can help relieve stress. If this has only happened recently, I understand that it can be overwhelming. But in general, this is definitely a normal thing to feel as a teenager.

I think our articles here can give you a deeper understanding about masturbation and sexual fantasies:
- Is Masturbation Okay? (Yep.)
- How to Approach Sexual Fantasy and Desire on Your Own Terms
- Making Sense of Sexual Media

Also, if you're looking for fun ideas that aren't necessarily sexual, check out this article: I Feel Good: Pleasure and Fulfillment

Does this makes sense? Feel free to let me know if you have any more questions!