Is there a benefit of not fapping?

LegacyUser

Hello people,

I am wondering if there is any truth to the following, from the point-of-view of a late 20's male that whacks off maybe three times a week? The second quote below also rings true, because I'm thinking that I may not be looking as hard for a girl. Furthermore, the extra motivation to go to the gym appeals to me.

My query is; is not fapping long term harmful, and if not ****, where does the jizz go? In the past I have tried to not whack one off, but after a couple of days I would find myself getting slightly depressed, and that whacking one off would normalize my mental happiness. For those that have done nofap for a month or so, is this depression normal, or not? Does it just stay there, or does it just get released during a wet dream? I'm thinking of either going nofap for a month or two, or if the jizz comes out regardless (if not fapping, then my wet dream), I may limit it to once every two weeks.

I can do without porn, although I do find myself looking at it more often lately, and wonder if I may be getting addicted to it.

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

I did it for all of sixth year, just to prove I could do it (June '07 to June '08)
Results were surprising. I got a lot better with girls mainly because my level of drive just skyrocketed through the roof to the point where evidently getting off became more important than whatever shyness or confidence issues I'd had holding me back Serious beer goggles effect as well - absolutely every girl becomes some sort of amazon goddess after you've gone a few months without it. Motivation goes through the roof as well, I actually managed to go from being the fattest kid in my year to the underweight guy everyone's telling to bulk up if possible, that was when I started lifting, joined the gym and have kept it up ever since

All around best year ever. Once you get past a certain point the desperation becomes less, the self control becomes stronger, and the motivational side effects are yours to enjoy. Definitely recommend it to anyone.

taxAHcruel wrote: »

Exactly - and that is the kind of fact that actually clouds discussion on threads like this. The people who generally benefit from something like the "NoFap Challenege" are people who are genuinely addicted to it - are spending an inordinate amount of time or money on porn - and masturbation is actually taking away somehow from their day to day life.

Mods; I'm not looking for medical advice, just seeing if anyone has tried it, and if they found it beneficial. Also, I'm posting it here as the debates are usually mature in this forum.

SureYWouldntYa

If you dont fap, it keeps your testosterone levels higher afaik

zenno

SureYWouldntYa wrote: »

If you dont fap, it keeps your testosterone levels higher afaik

Yes, but only until you explode. You can't hold it in forever.

R019912

check out http://yourbrainrebalanced.com to read about the benefits

Wood

SureYWouldntYa wrote: »

If you dont fap, it keeps your testosterone levels higher afaik

Nonsense, the opposite is in fact true, testosterone production increases while producing sperm, it doesn't just "build up" when not in use. Where did this fiction originate, bodybuilding.com or reddit?

From Testosterone and Sexual Arousal:
An increase in T levels has also been found to occur in both men and women who have masturbation-induced orgasms

Frank Black

Nofapping Benefits? wrote: »

and if not ****, where does the jizz go?

It will eventually get expelled through the nose, particulary when you sneeze.
A friend of mine did the 'no fap challenge' a couple of years ago, but got a bad cold after a 6 months and ended up getting 4 women pregnant in his workplace.

corkgsxr

You dont go blind for one

LegacyUser

Many thanks to those that have replied so far.

R019912 wrote: »

check out http://yourbrainrebalanced.com to read about the benefits

An interesting site, and one that I'll explore more. Thank you.

SpaceTime wrote: »

"Fapping" won't do you any harm unless you do it so often that you get friction burns or it becomes a major impediment to your normal day-to-day life!

I suppose I should have written "NoFapping to Porn". Although it has not become a major impediment to my normal day-to-day life, I'm starting to think it may be somehow holding me back regarding women. For example, today, finish work, come home, fapping is already on the brain. I'm afraid that it has made me lazy in the search for a romantic interest.

um7y1h83ge06nx

I definitely agree that it helps guys approach women, helps to overcome nerves. Can't beat pent up horniness to improve confidence.

hatrickpatrick

As one of the original posters of the above quotes I've done a bit of research into this - it's not a testosterone boost that ramps up your motivation and optimism, it's a dopamine buildup. When you ejaculate, your body releases a hormone called prolactin, which is a "chill" hormone if you like, it's what prevents you from getting hard again, makes you a bit dozy, makes you likely to drift off, etc. This hormone is pretty much the yang to dopamine's ying - dopamine causes you to seek reward, prolactin tells you that you have been rewarded. So when you abstain from ejaculating, the longer you go, the more dopamine build and tells you to go out and seek rewarding pleasure in some way. On the flip side, when you go without ejaculating you also keep prolactin to a minimum.

All put together, it basically means that the longer you go without it, the more "drive" you have, not just in terms of sex but in terms of enthusiasm in general. I did this throughout sixth year in school and to be honest I actually reckon it's one of the reasons I didn't get as depressed as most of my mates did, the lack of orgasms refocused my drive completely, I put more effort into being attractive, more effort into studying - basically more effort into everything. And I reckon that was at least partially causes by the reworking of those pleasure / reward seeking hormones.

My philosophy on it is basically that for humans, perhaps even more so for guys, your sex drive is actually your "everything drive". Think of how many things we do which if you examine it, are ultimately designed to make us more attractive - creating cool things, exercising, lifting, being outgoing etc - my theory is that the longer you deny yourself manual relief, the more your brain is going to say "Right, better really put everything we have into self improvement here because this situation is getting ridiculous"

These are all just theories, but all I can say is the experience bears them out big time. If I had the self control I'd love to do it again.

Note that your basic libido probably has an effect on how quickly this effects you - I'll admit to being almost 25 and still as randy as a 12 year old who's just hit puberty, I can easily go 4-5 times a day if I have the time and nothing else to do I tend to knock it off on Thursday night in preparation for going out on Friday and Saturday, on the assumption that it'll make me more motivated to get off my ass, knock back whatever shot I'm doing and go and chat up a girl instead of being one of those lads who sits in the corner with his mates and comments on all the girls instead

(For reference: Father Ted's three friends in Rock-A-Hula Ted at the lovely girls competition (She's coming for you Billy! She's got her eye on Paddy...)

Red About Town

There definitely has to be benefits of not masturbating to internet porn. I have an active sex life (could be getting it more though.. ) but when I masturbate it's always to a video on some site. Didn't even think about it until I've started reading the different threads on this forum over the last week or so.

I've given up now over the last few days - no porn or masturbation. Hopefully have enough self control and discipline to break the habit.

hatrickpatrick

Red About Town wrote: »

There definitely has to be benefits of not masturbating to internet porn. I have an active sex life (could be getting it more though.. ) but when I masturbate it's always to a video on some site. Didn't even think about it until I've started reading the different threads on this forum over the last week or so.

I've given up now over the last few days - no porn or masturbation. Hopefully have enough self control and discipline to break the habit.

Sure who needs porn when you have Facebook's photo feed

Pug160

I think it probably depends on the individual. It works for some and for others not so much. It may make some people more focused and others less focused, as sex will be on their minds more often and potentially distract them from other things. An unfortunate side effect for some men is that they will start to fancy pretty much any woman they see. It all seems to me like it's taking life a little bit too seriously.

The theory that we're all here to procreate and we therefore build our lives around attracting the opposite sex seems logical. But I actually think a lot of people, especially men, would benefit from short periods in their lives when they didn't have sex drives. Rational thought processes are often thrown out the window when sex is on their minds. This is where the ''all men think with their penises'' stereotype comes from. It's a gross generalisation but there's an element of truth to it.

Not having a sex drive is usually an indicator of bad health to some degree - physically or mentally. So it's never going to be possible to pick and choose. Bear in mind though, that there are asexual people out there who have had good careers and fulfilling lives without sex drives, so the theory that we need it to succeed, although logical, may not be entirely true. I think I'll stick to being a healthy wanker but I'll not overdo it.

astonaidan

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

Sure who needs porn when you have Facebook's photo feed

That is going to be finished soon now the sun realised we arent spain

doug_the_head

heading for three weeks now , feel better , I was 24 before I ever looked after myself , strange but true

had sex for the first time at 21 btw

MagicMarker

I don't think I'd last more than a week. All that pent up sexual frustration? I need a release...

astonaidan

7 days and I failed, now since Im super competitive Im aiming for one month from today