Can vibrators and other sex toys help with depression? Yeah, not a sentence you were expecting ever to read, right? And while that might sound silly on the face of it, there might be some merit to answering that question.
Having a vibrator or two can significantly help a person reach sexual pleasure. And while internal and external stimulation is the primary goal of any sex toy, they can have some other exciting and even beneficial uses.
This article will focus on the link between using adult toys and mitigating depression. It’s a fascinating topic, and you might learn something about your favorite intimate object.
Depression In-Depth
First and foremost, before we talk about vibrators, we need to focus on the illness itself. After all, with so many people suffering from it, even something as small as a midday stroke session can help.
Depression is a major mental and behavioral disorder with grave consequences. According to the WHO, roughly 5% of people worldwide suffer from depression. In raw numbers, that’s almost 400 million people! Of those afflicted, at least 20% who don’t get the proper treatment eventually commit suicide.
Well, we’re off to a happy start, aren’t we?!
Depression is not an illness we can take lightly. For that reason, we highly encourage our readers to speak to a professional if they exhibit any of the symptoms of depression. Naturally, buying a few vibrators along the way is also a good idea, but don’t forget to talk to your doctor first! (About depression, not about sex toys. Unless you like the doctor — then you can chatter away all you want)
Symptoms of Depression
And speaking of symptoms, depression has quite a few notable ones. However, there’s a general problem in diagnosing this illness. Namely, quite a few of the signs we’re about to list overlap with other psychological issues, including anxiety and even panic disorder.
Men and women often experience different symptoms that point to depression. They are usually related to one of the following:
- Mood
- Emotional wellbeing
- Physical wellbeing
- Cognitive abilities
- General behavior
- Sleep patterns
- Sexual interest (overwhelmingly with adult males)
Adult men who suffer from depression will be irritable, angry, empty, sad, lonely, and lose interest in everyday activities (yes, those activities include fiddling with Mr. Winky). Furthermore, they might give in to self-destructive behavior, such as drinking alcohol or engaging in extreme activities.
Depressed women feel much of similar negative emotions. An average woman with this condition will have irregular sleeping patterns, increased cramps, headaches, and changes in mood and appetite. They might also speak more slowly and with more difficulty than usual.
There’s an excellent reason behind the word ’cause’ being in its plural form here. With hundreds of millions of people suffering from depression, it stands to reason that there might be hundreds of millions of causes.
We can divide the causes into three categories:
- Biological/physical causes
- Societal causes
- Negative life choices
Biological causes, like a lady squirting from one of our patented vibrators and clit stimulators, cover a lot of ground. For instance, changes in hormone levels in women during the menstrual cycle or menopause can drastically shift how they feel, contributing to conditions such as depression. In addition, if you suffer from chronic or acute pain, the overstimulation of nerves can cause your mood to shift downwards. The same happens if one of these conditions is plaguing you:
- Insomnia
- Chronic illnesses
- Parkinson’s disease
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Cancer
Of course, the physical reasons behind depression aren’t necessarily linked to diseases. For example, suppose you happen to have a history of depression in your family. In that case, chances are you can display some of its symptoms, and it can turn you into a massive negative Nancy. Alternatively, you can also be afflicted by this illness if your frontal lobe is less active than the rest of your brain.
Societal issues, unlike biological ones, cover everything that your environment affects. For example, people who have a history of violence in their family will more likely contract depression. The same goes for people who were victims of bullying.
Finally, our negative behavior can directly cause symptoms of depression. The most common culprit here is substance abuse, be it alcohol, nicotine, or hard drugs. If you’re going to abuse anything, let it be your sex toys — they can take it almost as hard as you can take them. Different Types of Depression
Different Types of Depression
Yes, like our esteemed products, even depression comes in various types. They differ based on how long they last, how intense they are, and how you can treat them (yes, the double meaning is intentional; we sell sex toys, people, and jokes like these are our bread and butter). Generally, we can recognize four major types of depression:
- Major depressive disorder or MDD
- Persistent depressive disorder or PDD
- Postpartum depression
- Bipolar depression.
Of these four, MDD is by far the most intense. A sufferer will feel completely and utterly worthless, unwilling to go about their day, and have suicidal thoughts. The condition will also take a physical toll on the individual since they will not be sleeping correctly. Their weight will drastically shift one way or the other.
PDD is not as intense or overwhelming as MDD, but it is chronic, i.e., it will last a lot longer. Most of the symptoms are the same as MDD, but you still retain your weight, appetite, and sleep patterns.
Postpartum depression only affects women who have given birth recently. Sometimes, the mother will feel something called the baby blues, i.e., feelings of sadness and emptiness right after birth. Usually, those feelings go away after a couple of days, but if they persist for weeks, it’s clearly depression.
Finally, there are so-called depressive episodes that people with bipolar disorder go through. Typically, a person would exhibit periods of elated, energized behavior, followed by hours of feeling down and sad. Either behavior can take over and dominate your mood throughout the day.
Potential Remedies
No, we’re not going to cover vibrators as depression stoppers just yet. Before discussing the benefits of that thick, plastic magic wand, we need to go over the other methods. However, we will also not focus on anti-depressants here; that is an expert’s job. We’re not medical experts — we specialize in providing you with a good time.
In terms of non-medical remedies, there are several approaches we can take. Some of them include taking supplements; others focus on changing our behavior. One thing they all have in common is the fact that people who suffer from depression have tested them before. Success rates vary, but most people reported positive results.
As a depression sufferer, you might want to think about improving your general behavior. That will include getting enough sleep, having a balanced diet, exercising, and actively socializing. And indeed, we know what you’re thinking, and you’re right — playing with yourself fits this lifestyle. All of that sounds incredibly difficult. However, the more you engage, the better you will feel in the long run.
One of the most challenging behaviors to change while depressed is addiction. Smoking, drinking, and getting high might make you feel good for a little while. But over time, these substances will take their toll on you, and they’ll only make your depression worse. So, quitting and focusing on healthy activities will do the trick.
Finally, there’s supplementation. Right now, the market is full of items containing materials that mitigate the symptoms of depression. These materials include 5-hydroxytryptophan, S-adenosyl-L-methionine, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins B and D.
Masturbation (and How it Helps)
With most of the info on depression out of the way, let’s focus on one of the best kinds of sexual satisfaction — the colloquial ‘solo play’.
Believe it or not, masturbation is highly ingrained in our culture. And though the ancients didn’t have a silicone head suction vibrator, they still found the time to play with themselves. But unfortunately, masturbation became a taboo topic, much like sexual intercourse itself, as time went on. As a result, you will find couples who refuse to have sex or talk about it even today. So, as folks who indulge in sexual pleasure often, we should understand why they willingly opt not to engage in it themselves.
Why is Masturbation Still Taboo?
To grossly oversimplify, masturbation remains a taboo topic primarily because of religion. We’ve come to accept masturbation as a natural part of human beings in modern times. But various religious groups, including Christians, Muslims, Jews, and even Buddhists, condemn the practice today.
Over the centuries, religious fathers saw masturbation as deviant behavior. If you were giving yourself some much-needed release, you were engaging in lustful and addictive behavior. Certain groups would even link male masturbation to homosexuality, another taboo subject across history. In addition, any sexual act that people performed outside of marriage was seen as sinful, so pleasuring yourself remained a big no-no in their rulebooks.
Amusingly, these religious outlooks on masturbation created a string of myths related to the practice:
- If you stroke it too hard, you’ll become blind
- Hair will grow on your hands
- Your penis will shrink or curve to the side
- You’ll become physically weak
- Your mental capacities will go down
- It will lead to erectile dysfunction or impotence
- You’ll have a low sperm count
- You’ll end up infertile
Imagine trying to masturbate using a whisper-quiet sex toy with your hands sporting dreadlocks. Those would be some intense orgasms right there. Alternatively, according to these beliefs, you could drop a few IQ points simply for stroking your clit thinking about that handsome lad next door.
Benefits of Masturbation
With medical science and proper research, we know that masturbation is helpful for both men and women. Moreover, it’s far safer than oral sex and penetrative sex combined. Below are some benefits that might make you stimulate the clitoris or stroke the penis more often.
Lowering the Risk of Prostate Cancer
Several studies conducted between 2004 and 2016 showed that men who masturbated more often during the month reduced the risk of prostate cancer by as much as 33%. Since prostate cancer kills roughly 30,000 men a year in the US alone, it’s something to look out for.
Helping with Period Cramps
The ladies know how painful and annoying period cramps can be. Luckily, masturbation helps this condition out. When you masturbate, your body releases dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin neurotransmitters. They play a significant role in making the body feel good, overriding the pain from menstrual cramps.
Immunity Boost
Both G-spot stimulation and male masturbation result in releasing a hormone called cortisol. This substance helps boost your body’s immune system. So, if you require some pain relief or need to recover quickly from a cold or the flu, give your nether regions a bit of tug and play.
Stress Relief
Cortisol, though helpful, will also increase your levels of stress. However, once you reach an orgasm, the resulting oxytocin release will lower the presence of cortisol and thus reduce your levels of stress.
Mood Improvement
Dopamine might be the most important among the many substances your body releases during sexual orgasm. This neurotransmitter is what we colloquially call the “feel-good hormone”. It significantly improves our mood and lifts our spirits upon release. Our body produces the same hormone when we eat something incredibly sweet or spicy or get an award for accomplishing something.
Sleep Improvement
It’s a bit of a cliche that men tend to fall asleep after having sex (we should know that many women buy our vibrators precisely because of this issue). But it is true. By orgasming, your body releases multiple hormones like prolactin which helps you rest and relax. So, after a decent stroke, you can catch some much-needed shuteye easily.
Enhancing Mindfulness
What exactly is mindfulness? To put it simply, it’s the connectedness we feel to our emotions, our bodies, and our surroundings. When we orgasm, we achieve a new level of sexual wellness that helps us become more aware of everything around us AND inside of us (some pun intended).
Calorie Reduction
Choking your chicken or engaging in raunchy clitoral stimulation can help you shed some pounds. During intercourse, men burn roughly 4.2 calories per minute, with women burning around 3.1. You can achieve those numbers through masturbation, as long as your body gyrates and moves roughly as much as it does during regular sex.
Improving Cognitive Abilities
People who engage in sexual intercourse or masturbate frequently often have a better memory than those who don’t do it usually or who abstain. In addition, they score high in verbal exercises and on questionnaires, displaying sharp critical thinking skills.
Improving Heart Health
One of the many myths about excessive sex and masturbation is that it will lead to a heart attack. However, the exact opposite will be true unless you have a vibrator that doubles as a defibrillator. Men and women who masturbate multiple times a week have a lower chance of suffering from cardiovascular disease than those who masturbate less than once a month.
Enter the Vibrators (Pun Intended)
So, as you can see, masturbation can help with depression in some crucial ways. It’s your body’s way of saying ‘let off some steam, Bennet’ and the ultimate pleasure you can achieve without a partner. And one of the best tools to help with that is a vibrator.
Interestingly enough, there have been various stories and reports of women who managed to mitigate their depression. You should take each of these stories with a massive grain of salt. However, it’s not impossible that, just like exercise and proper dieting, the best vibrators will provide some much-needed psychological and mental relief, which is crucial for depression sufferers.
Which Vibrator Should I Use?
Internal and external stimulation works differently with each person. With that in mind, what might be the best vibrator type for some might not work for you, and vice versa. For example, some users prefer the feel of medical-grade silicone, while others stick with hard plastic. Likewise, a user could enjoy a vibrator controlled remotely using cell phones or tablets. At the same time, you might prefer to do it the old-fashioned way.
Luckily, there are many different products you can choose from, with a wide range of vibration modes and patterns. Some will have a power cord, and others will be battery-operated. So it really depends on what you’re in the mood for.
So, what kind of vibrators do Jack and Jill have to offer? Well, only the best vibrators, naturally! The list includes, but is not limited to:
- Bullet vibrators for women
- Curved shape clitoral vibrators
- Smooth silicone G spot vibrators
- Rabbit vibrator options with powerful vibrations
- Wand vibrator originals with multiple different vibration settings
- Ultra-thin waterproof vibrators
- Remote control beaded plugs
- Body-safe prostate stimulators
- Mini plug options with a rechargeable battery.
Can Vibrators Harm Me?
If we’re talking about depression itself, then no. The only way a vibrator might make you feel depressed is if its battery runs out in the middle of your wank session. Or if it cheats on you with a fleshlight.
However, there are ways in which a sex toy can negatively affect your health. For example, if you don’t use proper lubrication, you can damage the inside of your vagina or anus. Therefore, we recommend water-based lube for most of our products. We also recommend picking a vibrator whose sheer size won’t give you walking difficulties after use.
If you have a sex toy that you share with your partner(s), you need to take good care of it. You can get sexually transmitted infections from a vibrator or a stimulator if more than one person uses it. So, you will have to be careful how you handle your toys. If necessary, feel free to use a condom on your vibrator of choice to be extra safe.
Proper storage is vital to vibrators since dust, dirt, grime, and other items can cause harm if they enter your body during masturbation. Furthermore, dust can accumulate inside, greatly reducing battery life and even short-circuiting the thing. For that reason, proper cleaning of each vibrator you own is a must.
Vibrators and Depression: A Few Closing Words
Considering everything, we would conclude that vibrators can’t cure depression, but they’ll help you with its treatment. If you regularly masturbate and orgasm, you will help your body rejuvenate and stay in good shape. So, if vibrators help you achieve some peace of mind, we recommend buying a toy or two. It’s an unorthodox method of handling a crippling condition, but don’t knock it if it works!
