Masturbation guilt

[rotf-lmao.livejournal.com]

Okay. You all are going to get sick of me, aren't you? XD

Well, this is something that has been ongoing with me for...well, for years, really. And I really wanted to know if I'm the only one, or what.



I've been masturbating for years. Honestly, I think I started when I was eight or so. Of course, back then I had no idea what it was called or anything. All I knew was that it felt very good.

It's probably pertinent to mention, at this point, that I was raised in a very Catholic family. Went to Catholic school all my life; all that good stuff. So of course, as I got older, I kept masturbating, but I also began learning about sex in school. I got the Catholic version of sex education -- including the fact that masturbation, while a normal form of exploration, was also "sinful" because it was a form of "self-abuse".

Now I'm 26. I've come a long way from that Catholic schoolgirl. I've worked as a phone sex operator, written erotica, and have a drawer full of sex toys. And I still masturbate on a (very) regular basis, and still love it.

But....I know it sounds dumb, but every now and again I find myself feeling slightly guilty about it. It never stops me for long, but that guilt does surface occasionally. I suppose all that Catholic education dies hard, you know?

I know one thing -- if I ever have kids, I'm going to make sure that they know that masturbation and sexual fantasy is perfectly normal and healthy. I mean, after all -- isn't masturbation the safest form of sex you can have? *lol*

I just wondered if anyone else ever experienced anything like this.

Comments

[aechei.livejournal.com]

I started masturbating at about age 3-5. i can not remember ever NOT masturbating. didn't know what it was til i was 11, but i did it all the same. and long before i knew what it was, i knew it should be hidden. I got caught at about age 5 and made up all sorts of stuff about what i was doing. no one ever told me not to touch myself, i just "knew" i shouldn't let anyone know.

but i have always been very secretive from my parents. i don't tell tham ANYTHING. i am 21 now--i haven't told them i am queer (i have known for 7 years), I am having sex (5 years), or that i am engaged (3 months).

I don't feel any personal guilt about masturbating, and i don't try to hide the fact that i do from friends, but i would NEVER talk to my parents about it.

I was raised in a non-religious home, but also a non-share-y home.

[angelofstrange.livejournal.com]

Haha, I feel for you. I'm bisexual, have known about 6 years for that (I'm 21 too). My parents don't know I'm dating a 32 year old in Kansas I met online. They don't know I'm moving out to get an apartment with him in January. My sister knows I have a toy though, she told me one time I should get one and I told her I already had one and she said "About time!". My parents do know I had sex with my ex (dissapearing for a week with the boyfriend'll do that), but they ignore that. They don't know I'll be having it again while I'm in Kansas.

*high fives*

[heart-rachel.livejournal.com]

Couldn't be more off topic, but where in kansas? I live in wichita.

[angelofstrange.livejournal.com]

Ellsworth. I leave in 1 day 12 hours and 42 minutes to go see him. My bus comes in in Salina though.

[jocelina.livejournal.com]

I was raised in a non-religious home, but also a non-share-y home.

I was also raised in a non-share-y home, and I feel like I keep a lot of secrets from my parents/family too. Not because I feel that they would judge me or be angry with me if they knew (though they are nominally Catholic), but just because as a family we're not accustomed to discussing things like sex.