
For more recent information on masturbation and ejaculation, see these articles:
- Men: Does Frequent Ejaculation Cause a Hangover?
- Masturbation, Fantasy and Captivity
- WEIRD Masturbation Habits
- Today’s Ejaculation Advice May Be Wrong for Our Species
- Ejaculation: How Often for Good Health?
NOTE: Today, Internet porn use is thought of as synonymous with masturbation. Yet it has very different effects on the brain than good old do-it-yourself sex without Internet porn—even though both produce endogenous neurochemical rewards.
Confusing the effects of the two is the error that today's healthcare providers continue to make, to the detriment of their patients/clients. Internet porn overrides natural satiety, as explained in Porn, Novelty and the Coolidge Effect. See What Are the Symptoms of Excessive Masturbation?
In other words, Internet porn potentially stimulates the brain far more than masturbation. With each click to a novel image, more dopamine is released, and there is no natural satiation mechanism invoked, as there is with orgasm or eating. As recounted in Porn, Novelty and the Coolidge Effect, some porn users edge for hours to remain in a dopamine-induced altered state, deliberately avoiding climax. That said, masturbation addiction would be quite rare without Internet porn. For the science behind these remarks, visit Your Brain On Porn.
If you are on your own, it is extremely unlikely that you will be able to avoid masturbation (or wet dreams) indefinitely. However, you can cut back so you don't allow it to become an obsession. Regular meditation, energy circulation, friendly interaction and breathing exercises can help balance sexual energy safely. So can heavy physical exercise, dancing, and therapeutic body work.
Finally, here's a published letter to a journal editor, which might be of interest. The author points out that the standard claims that masturbation is healthy contrast sharply with the best available empirical evidence.