Male masturbation as a vehicle for the pursuer/distancer relationship in marriage

Abstract

When one spouse chooses masturbation over sexual intercourse in marriage, a pursuer/distancer relationship cycle may be behind the choice, or may develop. This cycle, which can cause severe marital discord, entails one spouse pursuing sexual intercourse, while the other spouse distances via solitary masturbation. The more the pursuer pursues, the more the distancer distances (or masturbates), and vice versa. This paper demonstrates this cycle with male masturbators, and proposes an integrative treatment model which addresses not only the behavior, but the roots of it as well. Cases are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the model.