Onanism

ONANISM (onania, onanismus) (syn.: self-abuse, masturbation, ipsecy), stimulation of one's own erogenous zones or excitation of one's psyche to the point of orgasm, performed outside of coitus. Thus, onanism is equivalent to coitus, most often taking its place due to fully physiological causes determined by the same mechanism of sexual drive as ordinary coitus. A distinction is made between peripherally-mechanical onanism and psychological O. The latter consists in bringing oneself to orgasm with ejaculation solely by means of fantasizing on exciting topics. Psychological O. is possible only when one is able to concentrate all attention on the area of fantasy, as well as in the presence of an abnormally heightened excitability of the ejaculatory center in the spinal cord. Peripherally-mechanical O. is performed by males almost exclusively on the sexual organs; females practice it on the sexual organs (clitoral, urethral, vaginal and very rarely uterine O.) and on the breast nipples. Sometimes stimulation of erogenous zones is performed with the aid of foreign objects. However, this division must be recognized as very conditional, since in life a combination of mechanical and psychological onanism is more often observed, which consists in the onanist during mechanical stimulation of his sexual organs also conjuring up representations of the sexual act, of the naked body, etc. By analogy with perversions of coitus (see) one can speak of perversions of O.; these include: 1) prolonged O., in which the onanistic act is intentionally prolonged by diverting attention at the moment of approaching orgasm or by interrupting manipulations, after which the act is nevertheless brought to orgasm with ejaculation; 2) interrupted (incomplete) O., in which the onanistic act is unintentionally or intentionally mechanically interrupted before the onset of orgasm and ejaculation; 3) O. with premature orgasm without ejaculation; in this form, stimulation of the sexual organs during the onanistic act suddenly—under the influence of a pathological impulse—ceases shortly before ejaculation, because orgasm occurs; this happens only in a chronically inflammatory condition of the prostatic part of the urethra on the basis of many years of excessive stimulation of the sexual organs by O. or interrupted coitus.-The onanistic act is a voluntary act; however, one cannot deny the possibility of unconscious O., performed in a semi-sleep state; but this probably occurs much less frequently than onanists claim. The prevalence of O. is very great in the animal world and in humans. Most animals onanize during periods of separation from individuals of the opposite sex. O. was widespread in ancient times and in the Middle Ages; it is also very widespread at the present time, both among primitive peoples and among cultured peoples. Some idea of the degree of prevalence of onanism at the present time is given by anonymous questionnaires repeatedly conducted among university students: in 1904, 73% of male students admitted to practicing O., in 1923, 52.8% of students (Gelman), in 1923, 45.6% of students in Kazan military schools (Golosovker), 80% of Breslau students (according to a pre-war questionnaire; Meyrovsky). From these questionnaires it is evident that urban petty-bourgeois life with its double sexual morality is more conducive to O. than the life of workers (among Golosovker's students in military schools, coming from a petty-bourgeois environment, 53.7% practiced onanism, and from a working-class environment—42.8%). Under the conditions of the USSR the number of onanists is undoubtedly decreasing (among male students, 73% in 1904 and 52.8% in 1923; among students in military schools in 1927—45.6%). Many (Bloch, Metchnikoff) are inclined to consider O. a natural, almost physiological outlet from the social disharmony of sexual relations in bourgeois society. Steckel believes that in a certain age O., under the disharmonies in which sexual life passes in the bourgeois environment, is a socially necessary act. Among females O. is apparently less widespread than among males (according to Gelman's questionnaire, for example, 52.8% of males onanized, while among females—14.8%). The frequency of onanistic acts is subject to very significant fluctuations. Between 12 and 20 years of age O. is practiced, according to observations, on average 1 time per day; cases where between 12 and 17 years of age O. is practiced 1-2 times in 5-7 days are comparatively rarer. As for age, one can, according to Freud, distinguish: 1) O. of infancy, which however represents only an unconscious act and moreover a very rare one; to it should not be attributed, as the psychoanalytic school of Freud does, those sucking movements with the mouth, more precisely with the lips, which are performed by the infant outside of food intake; 2) onanism of childhood age, proceeding directly from the first and already fixed on certain erogenous zones; the number of onanizing children up to 10-12 years of age, when the sex glands begin to function, in relation to the total mass of children is also negligible; 3) the flourishing of O., falling on the age of sexual maturity (14-18 years), when according to questionnaire data more than half of all onanists begin to practice O. Sometimes O. begins later—from 18 to 24 years; this happens in timid, shy people who are afraid of women and venereal disease. But as a mass phenomenon from 18 years of age the spread of O. begins to gradually decrease, and from the age of 25 O. is encountered only in a few cases. Most of those who practiced O. at the age of 14-18 years cease it by this time (according to a questionnaire of male students, only 13.5% practiced O. after 18 years, while at the age of 14-18 years up to 80% practiced it).-The effect of the onanistic act on the organism is to a certain degree similar to the effect of coitus (see). Causes of O. The main biological cause of O. can be seen, according to Metchnikoff's proposal, in the disharmony of nature, consisting in the premature development of the sexual feeling at an age when coitus is still out of the question, as a result of which children instinctively find an outlet in self-satisfaction. In small children the first occasions for O. are sexual sensations caused by various mechanical irritations: unconscious manipulations which the child performs on various parts of his body, tight clothing, overfilling of the intestine (constipation), of the bladder, etc. At a later age O. is promoted by everything that increases sexual excitability and causes sexual desires, namely—exciting reading, conversations on sexual topics, sedentary life, too nourishing food, spices, alcoholic beverages, abundant drinking of fluids at night, etc.; often, especially in schools and barracks, an important cause of O. is the bad example and teaching of O. by other persons [according to the Breslau questionnaire 53.3% began to onanize under the influence of comrades, according to the Kazan one (Golosovker)—52.5%, according to the Moscow one (Gelman)—32.8%]. Local causes of O. include the accumulation of smegma under the prepuce, phimosis, eczema on the sexual organs, in women itching of the vulva, pinworms, in short, everything that may prompt the subject to touch or scratch the sexual organs. No less important a cause are also hypocrisy and socio-domestic peculiarities of sexual life in the bourgeoisie: unhealthy upbringing, late marriages, an environment irritating to sexual sensuality in the modern capitalist city, etc. Possible consequences of O. In most popular brochures devoted to O., especially those published 10-15 years ago, the great harm of it, heavy consequences, primarily lesions of the nervous system, are usually pointed out. At the present time the view is held that although in certain cases O. may affect the general condition of the organism (mainly in cases of abuse of it), the destructive effect attributed to O. on the organism is undoubtedly extremely exaggerated. The view rooted among the broad masses of the population that O. always fundamentally destroys the organism, causes 'softening of the brain', 'tabes dorsalis', etc., is not substantiated by anything and appears to be grossly erroneous. True, in the 1923 questionnaire of male students (Gelman) 42.4% of onanists note nervous phenomena in themselves, but this is to a large extent explained by the spread of incorrect views on the consequences of O., when all neurasthenic phenomena, for which there are quite sufficient reasons even without O., are explained by it; already in the Breslau questionnaire, relating to physicians and senior medical students, who were better versed in the etiology of their nervousness, the harmful effect of O. was noted only in 23%. It must be borne in mind that the habit of O. in the overwhelming majority of cases passes by itself, with the years, as soon as the possibility of performing normal sexual acts presents itself. 'O. despite its extraordinary frequency,' says Kraepelin, 'is only in exceptional cases a long-lasting one; in most cases it remains a transient sexual aberration. Where this does not happen, there is talk of a morbid psychopathic burden, of mental illness.' Thus, in cases of prolonged O. it is not the cause of the main disease, but, on the contrary, mental illness, psychopathy is the source of prolonged O.

Kretschmer points out that an excessively strong sexual instinct with unclearly fixed direction, with abnormally prolonged retention of infantile sexual emotional settings, is especially characteristic of certain schizoid psychopaths; their timidity of character, abnormally prolonged self-isolation from sexual knowledge, their autism and dreaminess especially contribute to the development of O. in them. The most persistent forms of onanism are also found in clearly developed schizophrenia. If the subject's constitution is stable, O. usually does not begin early and is delayed only under the influence of particularly unfavorable social conditions, but in most cases by the age of 18-25 it disappears and therefore has little effect on the physical and mental state. But this does not mean that O. plays no role in the life of youth. Its negative aspects are connected with the fact that O. 1) usually begins at an age when a normal sexual life is out of the question; 2) it is very accessible, since the masturbatory act does not require the participation of another person; 3) O. gives greater opportunity for excesses than coitus, since for O. even an erection is not required—O. is possible even without an erection; 4) O. is often accompanied by pangs of conscience, which usually do not occur during coitus. It rivets attention to itself, agitates, torments, and interferes with useful work; not so much as a result of O. itself, but as a result of the psychological depression that is caused in onanists by the widely spread specific literature and prejudices, a conflict arises between the early developed sexual feeling and the impossibility of its satisfaction, a constant source of excitement arises. The thought of impending disasters oppresses the onanist's psyche, he constantly reproaches himself for onanism, makes vows, cannot fulfill them, fixes his attention on the sexual organs and thereby further excites the sexual feeling. That is why proper sexual education, elimination of all domestic moments that influence increased sexual interest, physical culture and physical work have such important significance in the education of youth. The question of the direct and actual harm of O. must be considered depending on what organism we are dealing with and how often masturbatory acts are committed. O. is a surrogate (to a large extent domestic) sexual act. There can be no harm from a sexual act performed under normal conditions. There can be no harm from a masturbatory act either, unless it is abused, excessive attention is fixed on it, and it is started too early. The main cause of premature and frequent O. is either a sharply incorrect social-domestic environment or psychopathic predisposition, to the mitigation of the harm from which one should strive. However, it should be borne in mind that sometimes O. is only a phase in sexual development, not perverting sexual life and easily yielding to normal sexual relations; in other cases O. begins earlier, lasts longer, perverts for a time or forever all the development of a person's sexual life. Can onanism lead to sexual impotence? Here one should distinguish between physical and mental impotence. Some authors (Fronstein) believe that under the influence of very prolonged (for years) and frequent (several times a day) O., exhaustion of such highly differentiated and complexly constructed organs as the internal secretion organs may occur; the sexual ability is particularly affected by repeated irritation of the prostate gland by the masturbatory act. If the prostate gland is in a state of severe irritation, if its musculature is weakened, then the time interval from the beginning of the sexual act to the moment of ejaculation is shortened, and a state of inability to perform the sexual act may occur due to the rapid onset of ejaculation. Others point out that the sexual organs of an onanist accustomed to coarse irritation no longer become sufficiently excited during normal coitus. But even these authors point out that the fear of becoming sexually impotent from O. is too exaggerated. Forel, however, says that those who indulge in excesses in O. are actual sexual athletes and when they are diverted from self-satisfaction they can always live a very intense sexual life. As for the possibility of developing mental impotence, the latter is more common. Many onanists tend to believe that they have spent their strength, that failure awaits them in the sexual act, and the fear of 'being disgraced' before a woman is a restraining reflex leading to mental impotence, however, with the presence of undoubtedly sufficient physical ability for this. Possible local consequences of O. In men, prolonged O. can rarely cause temporary oligozoospermia, sometimes urethritis, more or less quickly passing hyperemia of the posterior part of the urethra, very rarely colluculitis, more often aseptic prostatitis and spermatocystitis, sometimes atony of the prostate; in women—sometimes hyperemia of the clitoris and its erection, but not hypertrophy; if O. was in early childhood, then sometimes, according to Martineau, the labia minora are elongated and pigmented at the edge; the labia majora are flaccid, in folds; in the period of maturation in girls, sometimes masturbatory vulvitis is observed; the hymen may sometimes be stretched; sometimes, according to Kisch, there are proliferations of the mucous membrane of the endometrium, glandular hypertrophy of it, irritation of the ovaries, pains in the ovarian area, etc. Diagnosis. There are no somatic or mental objective signs of O. The diagnosis of O. is easily made only in very small children who have not yet tried to hide their autoerotic actions. In Fere's dynamometer experiment, errors are possible, associated with the excitement of the subject, the bias of the experimenter, etc. In females, suspicion of O. causes significant secretion and moisture in the genital area. In girls, a complaint about nocturnal emissions is suspicious. Eczema and ecthyma on the sexual parts are suspicious. The above-mentioned changes on the external genitals in women provide very weak grounds for suspicion of O. Treatment and prevention. The greatest attention is required to prevent the development of the habit of O. in children. When caring for children, one should as much as possible avoid unnecessary touching of their external genital organs, the child's clothing should be loose, the child should sleep on not excessively soft bedding, in a cool room, not covered too warmly, should not remain in bed after waking up; one should see to it that the child's bowels are regularly emptied. Sexual education of school-age children, timely, correct, and skillful familiarization with them with the anatomy and physiology of sexual life is one of the powerful means of combating O. Proper physical education—sports, gymnastics, physical work—is also one of the necessary conditions. But the most important is, of course, the general reorganization of the sexual environment, elimination of the 'double' bourgeois morality, the corrupting unnatural sexual irritation by the entire environment. We have already seen how with the change in social-class environment the number of onanists also decreases (see Golosovker's questionnaire, decrease in onanists among workers, students in 1923 compared to 1904). In treating already developed O., the physician must first of all bring the mental state of the onanist into balance. Considering O. not as a disease but as a bad habit, the physician should strive to influence the patient so that the latter ceases to resort to this act. All those moments that can mechanically cause O. (eczema, worms, constipation, etc.) should be eliminated as soon as possible. Further, the physician should explain to the patient that O. is only a bad habit that weakens the body, and that the possible harm from O. lies mainly in its frequency. The physician should dispel excessive concerns of the patient, if they exist: clarification by the physician often has a great healing effect. The sexual energy of persons accustomed to squandering it should be transferred into other types of energy—what is commonly called 'sublimation' should occur. Proceeding from these considerations, onanists should be recommended intensified physical labor, gymnastics, physical culture exercises to transfer sexual energy into physical energy; a healthy, engaging attitude to work in useful collective work is also necessary. Persons with psychopathic predisposition require particularly careful labor influence from the collective.

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