guilt leading to depression leading to anxiety?

[nakedambition]

Hi I was wondering if it is common for people who masturbate to feel extremely guilty of the act, and even trying not to masturbate but so hard to resist, but when you do you feel so guilty afterward.  And this cycle continues and you begin to feel like it is not good, and making you sick that you can't do it but at the same time do not want to do it.

[nakedambition]

thank you. i am not offended and i understand what you mean.

[JGF25]

I hope this comment doesn't get me in trouble....

Statistically more than 90 percent of men have masturbated in their lifetime.  As I said it is very common.  Religion has a way of making us feel guilty.  Don't get me wrong, I am a religious person and I have sent my sons to Catholic school their entire lives but I pick and choose what works best for me.  If I have to answer to God for it later I will but I just don't think that any God, no matter what religion, is going to damn us to hell for masturbation.  Who is hurt by doing this?  That is what you have to ask yourself.  Who are you hurting when you masturbate?  Nobody.  You are just doing something that everyone does and it feels good.  So try not to put too much thought into it and do what makes you feel good.  If you continue to have anxiety about this, then a visit to a psychologist will help.  You can talk about it with someone who does not take sides so to speak and perhaps you will come away with a different outlook on the whole thing.  

I sincerely hope that I have not offended anybody with my opinions.  

[nakedambition]

religion is one thing, but i never cared about it before, but one day it just started to kick me and i started to feel so bad that I have been doing it.  and for some reason it just does not feel right, even if i feel good doing it.

[JGF25]

Well, masturbation is very common.  What I'm curious about is why you feel guilty doing it.  Does it have a basis in religion for you?  

If you feel guilty doing something, anything, it will make you anxious every time you want to do it and of course that anxiety will eventually lead to depression because who can walk around anxious all the time...makes us feel like crap.