Shannon, 21 from Long Beach writes…

I am single, never was a big masturbator, but I bought a vibrator from an online store 3 months ago, and since then I have used it so much I’m worried I might be addicted to it. Often as soon as I get home from work I use it, then again once or twice later in the night. A couple of times I even brought it in the car and did it in the parking lot of a mall near my work during lunch. On the weekends I am usually out with friends, but if I am not I sometimes use it even then. Should I be worried about this? How can I slow down, I tried but when I did I kept thinking about it. Thank you.

Dr Thatslife has this to say….

Keep plowing away with it Sharron, everything’s just fine. As soon as people want to obsessively play with their junk for a few weeks or months they instantly assume it’s a big problem, which couldn’t be farther from the truth. We all have horniness peaks and troughs, one week you can’t rub them out hard and fast enough; the next your crotch is like the ugly stepsister at the ball, ignored and in a corner. It sounds like you’ve been dormant for quite some time and the beast has finally awakened. This started with the impulse to purchase the fuck toy, not necessarily from the fuck toy itself.

We live in such a sexually repressed and frankly prude society, I am always stunned at how conservative sexuality is handled in much of the western world. It is often demonized as if any interest, experimentation or pleasure in it is a sin we should repent for. We all need to lighten up and embrace our sexuality, it’s a major part of our being that shouldn’t be plagued with guilt and fear. So enjoy it, damn it all… relish having fun with yourself. It will eventually fizzle out a bit over time, so until then, milk it for all its worth. If you meet some lucky guy along the way, you can unleash the fury on him and you two can have a bash humping each other senseless.

The only time you should be concerned is if it starts to interfere with other life responsibilities and obligations. For example you’re supposed to be reviewing spreadsheets in the board room but instead your legs are spread over the hand rail of the fire escape hammering at your goodies like you’re performing an exorcism. If you’re canceling out on social engagements to flog your taco, that too indicates a possible issue. If those sorts of scenarios start popping up, then ask yourself who’s in control – you or “her”. If she answers for you – perhaps it’s a symptom of other issues and the masturbation is how those issues manifest themselves. So until you’ve replaced boardroom time with gash flailing time, party on!

That’s life… isn’t it grand.