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Prostate Massage and Depression: What’s the Connection?
If you struggle with depression, you are not alone. Over 17 million adults in America struggle with depression. Although it is nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed by, it’s worth the effort to look for ways to improve how you feel in your day-to-day.
Things like going to therapy, meditating, and spending time in nature can help manage symptoms of depression, but have you ever thought about how your sex life affects your mood? There has been sufficient research to suggest that certain sexual activities, like prostate massages, can maintain a positive mood.
If you have never done a prostate massage or are curious how it can connect to your depression, keep reading to get all the information you need.
What Is a Prostate?
If you are a person assigned male at birth, then you have a prostate gland. The prostate is a small walnut-sized gland that sits a few inches on the inside of your rectum, sometimes called the male G-spot.
If you are trying to find the prostate with your fingers, you will want to look for a fleshy bulge that feels different from the surrounding tissue. It serves an important role in your reproductive system, as it is responsible for creating the fluid that carries the seminal fluid out of your body when you ejaculate.
Besides its practical purposes, the prostate is also one of the main pleasure centers in the body. It is surrounded by thousands of nerve endings, which means it is sensitive in all the right ways. Many people find that stimulating the prostate leads to intensely satisfying orgasms called prostate orgasms.
What Is a Prostate Massage?
Now that you know what the prostate is and its sexual pleasure capabilities, you might wonder how to stimulate it best. A prostate massage, sometimes called prostate milking, is just a term that refers to the stimulation of the prostate. There are many ways to do this; you will discover what feels best to you simply by trial and error.
Another great advantage of prostate massages, aside from the pleasure they offer, is their versatility. You can do prostate massages by yourself during masturbation or with a partner. You can try it out to discover what feels good to you and get comfortable with the sensations before incorporating it into your sex life with a partner.
Depression and Prostate Massages
Prostate massage therapy may be a helpful tool to support your body’s response to depression related to diagnoses specific to those assigned male at birth. People diagnosed with prostate cancer, chronic prostatitis, and other prostatic diseases are usually vulnerable to feeling depressed.
However, prostate massages support your prostate health. They can also soothe the negative feelings surrounding a prostatitis diagnosis (inflammation of the prostate) that can lead to depression.
Additionally, when you use the muscles around the prostate, you are supporting circulation and releasing oxytocin in your body. Oxytocin is one of the chemicals in your brain that can support a positive mood.
Additionally, many people who suffer from depression often have an unwanted decrease in libido. Masturbating and exploring your pleasure zones by giving yourself prostate massages can be a great way to reconnect with your sexuality. You can meet your own sexual needs and give yourself space for self-love.
Other Benefits of Prostate Massages
Prostate massages can have more health benefits besides soothing the side effects of depression. Other than reducing your risk of prostate cancer, prostate massages can help those who struggle with erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation.
If you have a consistent issue with getting or maintaining erections, that can be a sign of erectile dysfunction. However, people who receive frequent prostate massages, roughly three times a week, have shown a reduction in erectile dysfunction symptoms.
Furthermore, prostate massages can support the health of the urinary system in people with related health conditions. The prostate is located next to the bladder in the body and surrounds the urethra, the tube responsible for urine flow.
If you have an enlarged prostate, which happens to many people, it can put pressure on your urinary system and cause problems with urination. However, frequent prostate stimulation can reduce the chances of prostate enlargement, supporting your urinary system and soothing lower urinary tract symptoms.
How To Massage a Prostate
As we said, there is no single way to massage a prostate. However, if you are looking for some tips and tricks to get you started, we are here to help!
Lube
The first and most important tool in prostate massages is lube! Lube is necessary if anything is going to be penetrating your or your partner’s anus — even if it is just a finger. The tissue surrounding the anus is sensitive to tearing, and you don’t want a fun sexual activity to lead to injury.
For anal play, it’s best to have a thick lube that properly lubricates the area. However, you don’t want to use a lube that will stain your sheets, taste weird, or ruin any of your sex toys. That’s why we recommend a high-quality, water-based, fragrance-free lube. If you are in the market for a new reliable lube, we recommend using our Hydrogel Water Based Anal Lube.
Fingers
Usually, the first step when exploring the feeling of a prostate massage is using fingers. You can use your fingers to stimulate your prostate or the prostate of your partner.
First, ensure that the anus and your fingers have enough lube. Then, you can slowly slide in one or two fingers. Once your fingers are past your knuckles, point your fingers in the direction of your belly button, and you should feel the fleshy bulge. If you press on it and suddenly feel like you have to pee, you are in the right place.
There are many different ways to massage the prostate with your fingers, so you just have to figure out what feels best for you. Start by moving your fingers in a “come hither” motion and experiment with different speeds and pressures.
You can also massage the prostate by tapping the prostate, moving your fingers in a circular motion, or stroking the prostate. Incorporating testicle play can also heighten the experience.
Toys
Once you feel comfortable using your fingers, you might be ready for a new sensation. Prostate massagers are a great tool because they are specifically designed to stimulate the prostate and take some work out of the process.
Once you are ready, ensure the anus and the head of the prostate massager have plenty of lube. Then, slowly slide the head of the toy into the anus while taking long, deep breaths.
Instead of shoving it straight in (please don’t do that), try wiggling it from side to side until it is inside. Prostate massagers are designed to fit comfortably inside you, so they should not be painful or uncomfortable.
Most prostate massagers have a vibrating effect that stimulates your prostate. You can choose from various vibration speeds and patterns, depending on what you like the best. You can also get a prostate massager that wraps around your penis and balls for extra stimulation, like our Vulcan Vibrating Prostate Plug.
Conclusion
There are a lot of causes of depression and other mental distress, but your sex life shouldn’t be one of them. Prostate massage can help support your mental health, just as meditation, therapy, and mindfulness can.
Prostate massages have many health and wellness benefits for your urinary tract system and overall reproductive health. There are many ways to explore prostate massage, including with toys and fingers—but always use high-quality lube.
Sources:
Depression Statistics | DBS Alliance
More Sex and Masturbation Could Lower Your Prostate Cancer Risk | Fatherly
Prostate Health | Harvard Health