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Tag: habit

  • Masturbation: dangerous habit, dangerous addiction

    Masturbation: dangerous habit, dangerous addiction

    Olusegun Johnson explores the problem of masturbation amongst young people, highlighting the health and psychological implications.       

    Masturbation today as in generations past remains one of the most noxious habits perpetrated by young people all over the world. Many consider it harmless and sinless, as they feel they stand no risk of contacting any disease, and are of the opinion that they are in no way committing any sin – not fornication and definitely not adultery.

    Online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, explains Masturbation as “the sexual stimulation of one’s own genitals for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation may involve hands, fingers, everyday objects, sex toys or combinations of these.”

    A further explanation says “masturbation involves touching, pressing, rubbing or massaging a person’s genital area, either with the fingers or against an object such as a pillow; inserting fingers or an object into the vagina or anus; and stimulating the penis or vulva with an electric vibrator, which may also be inserted into the vagina or anus. It may also involve touching, rubbing, or pinching the nipples or other erogenous zones.”

    Masturbation can also be a mutual exercise by partners. This has been tacitly approved across ages, but it is not the focus of this piece.

    The primary reason many people ever get into masturbation has been acknowledged to be attainment of puberty and rise in libido level. Wikipedia explains libido simply as ‘sex drive’ or ‘a ‘person’s overall sexual drive or desire for sexual activity.’ Many young men and women therefore get into masturbating as a result of puberty attainment and urge to enjoy sex outside sexual intercourse. Often it is influenced by exposure to negative information, peer pressure and influences from books, movies, internet and the social media. The initial motive usually is to ease sexual tension, but more often, addiction sets in, leading to other problems including health and psychological.

    Dangers of addiction

    Online health journal, Vaughter Wellness, states the side effects of masturbation to include “lower back pain, fatigue, thinning hair or hair loss, soft or weak erection, premature ejaculation, fuzzy vision, groin-or testicular pain and pains or cramps in pelvic area or tail bone.”

    However, it might seem like most people indulging in this trend are unaware of these dangers.

    Emmanuel 24 from Ikorodu, Lagos, confessed that he started masturbating at age 15. “I was not influenced by anyone, it just came up like that.” He confessed. “But presently, I find myself disturbed. I don’t really enjoy or see any good in it anymore. Recently I took a conscious decision to stop it, but suddenly realised I couldn’t. Now I’m 24 and still masturbating.”

    Emmanuel revealed that “I often get moved into the act anytime I see a girl in flashy or suggestive wears; and usually, what I do next is go somewhere private and masturbate.”

    Unfortunately, Emmanuel confessed that the habit has turned him into a recluse. “I no longer mingle with friends.”

    David, 21 who started masturbating at 18 said “I masturbate just to satisfy my urge, and it all started when I attained puberty I watch pornography movies a lot and this has been part of what is affecting me up till date.”

    Meanwhile, Julius for whom masturbation has literally replaced his emotion for females said “I started masturbating a year ago. It was first introduced to me by my friends in school and I have since found it hard to do away with it. Every time I indulge in it, it’s as I’m having sex.”

    Doctors on masturbation

    Is masturbation a true alternative to sex? Is it really a veritable avenue for relieving stress or tension?

    Doctor Onwuchekwa Chinwendu of Limad Hospital, Command, Ipaja, Lagos, in his response said, “To some extent, this is true. I say this because many who are emotionally stressed and do not want to go about meeting with prostitutes, usually embrace the option of masturbation to satisfy or ease their sexual urge. But in truth, masturbation does not really reduce stress and tension. When you begin to indulge in masturbation, it begins to increase your stress level and the need to satisfy yourself emotionally through self-inducement also gets on the high. Inevitably, this increases the stress and tension and gets your body asking for more. This eventually gets out of hand become a life habit.

    On dangers of masturbation, Dr Chinwendu said “Masturbation to some extent makes you free from sexually transmitted diseases, especially because sexual intercourse or canal penetration of the opposite sex does not take place. The downside however is that it has a tendency to make one a recluse, as they tend not to socialise with friends.”

    Medically, Dr Chinwendu said “It causes erectile dysfunction. I know of people who face this problem as a result of masturbation.

    “You can also injure yourself in the process between orgasm and release of sperm because at that moment, you increase your effort of inducement on the instrument or hand on your private part, which can result in sourness or tear. And when this happens, you are exposing your private part to diseases. How clean is the instrument or hand you’re using for instance?

    So it may reduce sexually transmitted diseases, but you are at the same time exposing yourself to other diseases.”

    Asked if masturbation improves sexual relationships, Chinwendu said “There are two schools of thoughts. In the early twenties, the U.S worked on Masturbation and its Effects on Relationship. While one school of thought says it makes you relate well with your spouse and enjoy improved sexual life and relationship, the other absolutely negates it. One of the negative sides according to the other school of thought is that it can cause erectile dysfunction because you’re excessively over-working your sex organ. It increases your sex organ but also weakens it. Ultimately you will not be able to satisfy a woman in bed. This is the fact.”

    Can it be overcome?

    “First of all, awareness is needed.” Dr Chinwendu said.  “Does a victim believe it is wrong? Do they feel that what they are doing is wrong?  When it becomes a habit, it is difficult to stop. For example, smoking cannot be done away with easily. So there should be awareness in schools, in communities and in the media. People have to be informed of the dangers of this practice.

    “A sufferer should purposely delete or destroy instantly all those things that induce the practice such as pornography movies, pictures, discs and whatever. I know of a 16-year-old girl with more than 20 pornography movies and pictures, which her father eventually discovered. Imagine what would be going on in such girl’s mind!

    “Bad habits corrupt useful habits; if you have friends that are into such practice, cut them off, do not mingle with them. All materials used to self-induce yourself should be done away with.

    “Thirdly, this practice largely affects people who are on their own or lonely; so  sufferers should start socialising. When you start having the feelings to masturbate, call a friend and go out and mingle. That way, the habit starts to die and you will gradually leave it.” Dr Chiwendu said.

    Dr. Gbenga Adeyemo, a psychologist attached to a government health facility in Ejigbo, Lagos also spoke on the side effects of masturbation.

    “First, masturbation is a known form of sex throughout the world. It is the act of stimulating oneself sexually by use of one’s hand.” Adeyemo said

    He said “The reason for masturbation is mainly for sexual enjoyment, sexual achievement or means of avoiding unwanted pregnancy. What we hear, see, and our environment can affect us negatively to go into such act. For example, when you see a lady dressed half naked, what comes to your mind first is to have sex with her. And knowing that the avenue is not there, you would rather go and masturbate.

    “Also, the friends young people keep or their community is a huge determinant. 70 percent of people who practice this get involved through bad company.”

    On the hazards, Adeyemo said “when masturbation is you, you are masturbation; that is, if you can’t do without it in a day, you begin to stay on your own and prefer to do things secretly. Ultimately, it affects you when you get married because you as a male will not last in bed. If it is a female, you will prefer self-pleasing to sex with the opposite sex. That shows there is a problem.

    “Again if such person does not have an exposure to sex initially, they want to try sex on their own and when they touch their sex organ, it takes them along.

    “Also if you are fond of masturbating, it can become hereditary, whereby your children might be affected too, just like we have Polio, HIV and Laser Fever. We have seen situations like that.”

    Said Adeyemo, “What is common today is that it results into problems of quick ejaculation and memory loss or Down’s Syndrome. They may even begin to see nothing sexually attractive in any other sex partner other than themselves. So they create hatred for mutual sex.”

    On ways of stopping masturbation, Dr Adeyemo said “Masturbation should not be seen as diseases that you get admitted to the hospital to treat or that you are prescribed drugs to cure like malaria or headache.  First, it is important to know the things that move you into the act and how long you have been into it.”

    “One solution is for such person to mingle more with friends. He or she should avoid being on his own as much as possible. They should try to find something doing, that will occupy their mind and take them away from the act.

  • Jonathan govt’s bad spending habit caused recession,says ex-CBN boss Soludo

    ‘Huge spending by government was one of the ways of solving the economic problem, but two wrong steps by the  government ruined that opportunity. They brought in the TSA and channelled funds into one account that did not allow spending’

    A former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has attributed the prevailing economic woes facing Nigeria to the wrong choice of economic policies by the government.

    Soludo disclosed this while speaking at an international conference organised by the Department of Business Administration of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, Anambra State.

    The theme was: Managing a recessionary economy: Options for Nigeria.

    The major cause of the recession the country is facing, Soludo said, is as a result of what he called “bad habit of borrowing” at a period the country was in boom.

    He blamed the past administration for plunging the economy into a glitch, saying the government did not act on time to save the situation.

    Soludo, a professor of Econometrics, criticised the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy, which, he said, stifled the economy further because it channelled public sector funds to the CBN.

    He expressed optimism on the possibility of the country coming out of the recession. He said managing a recessionary economy did not require rocket science, noting that Nigeria could overcome the current economic setback faster if the government put in place appropriate policies.

    He said: “Huge spending by government was one of the ways of solving the economic problem, but two wrong steps by the current government ruined that opportunity. They brought in the TSA and channelled funds into one account that did not allow spending. They also fixed the price of foreign exchange. These are things you do not do when a country is in economic crisis.”

    The former CBN boss stressed that the recession was sown by the last administration but became obvious one year into the tenure of the present government. He said it would not have degenerated but for the inability of policymakers to rise to the challenge.

    He said the recession happened because the Goodluck Jonathan administration failed to save earnings from crude oil sale when there was unprecedented boom in oil prices.

    He said: “Poor ideas transcended over superior ideas, and we went into recession which was slightly avoidable. That is why academics must be alive to their responsibility of nudging us to reality. If you borrow at a time of boom, what will you do in a time of lack? Even my grandmother in the village knows this.

    “At the same time, when we had boom, we had unprecedented unemployment. The problem with Nigeria’s policymakers is that once oil goes up, we take it that it will remain so, and we continue to spend. But once there is a shock and oil prices go down, we just think it is temporary and we start borrowing. Nigeria can be fixed, and what it takes to fix Nigeria is not rocket science.”

    Soludo hailed the government’s diversification policy, saying it would save the economy beyond oil and also save it from shocks induced by vagaries of the international oil market.

    He also called for fiscal federalism to help the states and local governments live beyond “running to the centre for their sustainability”.

    The Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Joseph Ahaneku, said the theme captured the economic challenges confronting the country, which, he said, built up through decades of sub-optimal management of the material and human resources.

    The VC said the conference was incisive in analysing the country’s economic woes and formulating the possible ways forward. He praised the department for organising the event in line with the school’s tradition of generating academic discourses to proffer solutions to issues of national and international concern.

  • NGO advocates improved hand washing habit

    The Save the Children, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) which is committed to promoting children’s healthy living, has joined children and adults in Shomolu Local Government Area of Lagos State to celebrate this year’s Global Hand Washing Day.

    The group said it is committed to sensitising Nigerians to proper hygiene practices and to raise people’s awareness to the effect that washing hands with soap is a powerful public health intervention.

    With a theme “Raise a Hand for Hygiene,” the event was organised to promote improved hygiene practices and draw attention to the world’s enormous sanitation challenges.

    Speaking at the event, campaign Coordinator of Save the Children, Adeyoju Olukemi said: “Through the stop diarrhea project in Shomolu and Berger, we are calling on all relevant stakeholders in the project to promote hand washing with soap to reduce diarrhea in children and implement large-scale hand washing interventions by combining the expertise and resources of soap industry with the facilities and resources of government.”

    She explained that hand washing plays an important role in the efforts to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) with regard to health improvements, education, poverty reduction, child mortality, effective use of water supply and sanitation services as agreed to by member countries of the United Nations (UN), including Nigeria.

    “According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), diarrhea kills almost two million children every year, making it the second leading child killer diseases worldwide. A simple hygiene habit could halve this figure,” Olukemi said.

    She added that the inaugural Global Hand Washing Day puts this often disregarded hygiene challenge at the forefront of the international agenda while keeping the children at the heart of each country’s national local initiative.

    The Assistant Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Shomolu Local Government Area, Olaniyan Aderemi Ezekiel commended the efforts of Save the Children in putting up a praiseworthy event.

    He said: “With the outbreak of Ebola that God helped us in curtailing, a lot of awareness has been created on hand washing culture. Impacting hand washing culture in the lives of our people within Shomolu has improved because it is a habit that people have not been practising prior to the outbreak of Ebola.”

    He noted that after the outbreak of Ebola, the NOA has made it a point of duty to interact with people on the importance of hand washing and sanitation, which has changed the habits of many people.

    “We meet and engage people, through our community support brigadiers and the sanitary inspectors who go round to sensitise the populace to the importance of hand washing. We go from market to market, organisations to organisations and groups to groups to engage them on importance of hygiene,” he said.

     

     

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    we are calling on all relevant stakeholders in the project to promote hand washing with soap to reduce diarrhea in children and implement large-scale hand washing interventions by combining the expertise and resources of soap industry with the facilities and resources of government…Impacting hand washing culture in the lives of our people within Shomolu has improved because it is a habit that people have not been practising prior to the outbreak of Ebola

  • Breaking the Habit!

    Breaking the Habit!

    Change is critical and I think it is change that defines whether a particular object is dead or alive. Everything we do and what we do not do is only but a matter of change—a change of minds (disparity of minds) — this makes sure change is of every type, regional, demographic, physical, emotional, physiological and yes—global—the whole world can change too! Everything changes everybody and everybody changes everything!

    Precisely, I don’t know what to describe here but I have been a chain smoker for several years and I have quit successfully. That’s not all. Addiction to nicotine is often classified to be similar to heroin addiction—to the subject it seems impossible to quit, and for most it actually turns out to be impossible and they quit only when they are dead of it! Let’s be clear about this one, this is not an advisory or a quit smoking campaign, this is precisely about breaking a habit so deeply ingrained that it had become a life habit—what it takes to break such a habit and how it changes the overall framework of your life.

    Rumi said you can conquer the universe and there is only one way of doing so: you have to conquer your own self! You take charge of yourself and you are in charge of everything else.

    Habit – change is how good a cycle life is, and successful people live their lives on the dashes I have put between habit and change in the beginning of this sentence. Reinventing ourselves everyday makes us like those little kids who are always happy about what comes to them and what they give back. Being fond of children, I can understand our inability to enjoy simple things that children relish—plain simple moments!

    This causerie is my memento engraved on the tombstone of my life as a nicotine addict and a souvenir dedicated to all those who seek to reinvent themselves every moment. Everything that kills me makes me feel alive, or that is how life is, stagnant in operation and fluidic in design.

    Cupidity, they say, is the launch-pad of human life, where a pie is sought and then a cookie and then a biscuit and then everything after everything else until it all ends with the end of life itself!

    We get muzzled into an environment that defines everything for and leaves us to only falling in line with it; I would rather pray to God that I be counting stars than money! I would disturb anyone’s comfort zone any further, but a wink to the crazy fellows, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers.

    Talking of habits, it is purely the volitional habit of a physician who grabs his patient’s wrist and seeks to measure his pulse while his patient may be complaining of a skin disease. The doctor’s habit here is a peculiar manner which his consciousness bumps into during the course of interaction with his patient. It is not the peculiar consciousness proportionate to the diagnosis rather it is that particular setting which consciousness itself takes, as opposed to the process that makes it up. The habit itself lies separate from the consciousness, implying something we get used to. This ability or quality of getting used to is conclusive and can easily be used in our favor or so I did.

    In a place called real life, what we do is what we do most of the time, try to define business and it renders as a process of profit making done repetitively. Habits in a similar disposition are saved responses to past situations or stimuli, if you like. Here the point is what actually triggers a response that is so closely knitted with a past response, a performance, an equation, a point, or a terrible situation as horrible as nicotine craving which in my case used to be a cycle consuming my money and myself all alike.

    A particular context activates a habitual response, without the facilitation of the objective itself. The point of undeniability is what I want to put across here, taking full responsibility for whatever we are or whatever trouble we are into. It is not having a broad chest after doing a savage act; it simply is when you blame something other than yourself for the circumstances that you knock into and experience the bad times.

    If you blame something other than yourself then you are giving the control of your life to what you blame. Everything that happens to you is all a matter of what you do, what you choose to do. I don’t want to inspire anyone here; this is something of an experience I am sharing! I thought it was worth it so I did. Quit the blame game that we all play, he did it to me, she did it, my parents did and every person in this world quit this and I found what I needed. Back to cupidity—I need a hell lot more.

     

    Arooj, writes from Legal Studies Central University of Kashmir

     

  • What do I do to stop my girlfriend from the habit of demanding for too much sex?

    Dear, Adeola my name is Austin from Ibadan. I have a girlfriend who demands sex from me a lot. Please ma, what do I do to make her stop this habit?

    Dear Austin, not knowing your age will not allow me say it the way it should be said. But because when I advise about sex, I always try to assume I’m dealing with adults, I will make an attempt at answering your question.

    If you’re in a committed relationship (and for those who are married), it is a great thing if your woman finds you so sexy and attractive that she wants to be under the sheets with you always.

    I wouldn’t know how often your girl demands for sex, but if it is like 3 times in a week, that’s absolutely normal. Except your libido is low, 3 to 4 times in a week shouldn’t be a bad idea if you’re both healthy.

    Most men I know are angry that they are the ones making all the advances for sex, which could be quite boring.

    If on your part, your health cannot match this girl’s demands, talk to her and be very sincere about it. Don’t make her feel like she’s the one who is odd, instead, crave her understanding and reach a compromise on how many times would be convenient for you. I wish you well.

    N.B: If on the other hand your girlfriend is a school girl, then this is not a good sign as she could be anything from being at that stage when sex is so sweet she must have it, to using is as a tool to get something from you.