Death Grip Syndrome ᐈ Symptoms, Causes, Recovery, & Prevention Tips

Death grip syndrome is defined as a condition in which frequent masturbation by hand can desensitize the nerves in your penis, thus lessening the pleasure you experience.

Loss of sensitivity in the penis is a tragic reality that some men may face at one point in their lives.

According to SelfGrowth, “As men age, neural sensitivity in all parts of the body begin to diminish. Eyesight, hearing and sense of taste are all affected, beginning as early as the thirties, and the penis skin is no exception.”

Penis sensitivity loss typically affects men over sixty-five years of age, but according to one sex expert that age is quickly declining. The culprit? The infamous death grip syndrome.

The term is rumored to originate from an editorial written by sex expert Dan Savage in May of 2002.

In the article Dan wrote, “If you masturbate in the exact same way every time, or if you hold your cock in a death grip every time, you may find it difficult to climax as the result of other, more subtle sensations.”

“So don’t grip yourself too firmly, and don’t masturbate by humping the same scratchy bit of your mattress over and over again.”

“Make an effort to vary your style, and you’ll make an easier transition from your own right hand to the less intense, more subtle, and infinitely more pleasurable sensations provided in your true love’s twat, throat, and tush.”

Death Grip Syndrome Causes

Death grip syndrome usually stems from using too tight of a grip, but other causes do exist.

Listed below are three of the most common death grip syndrome causes:

You Grip Too Tight — There is a good reason for why we refer to masturbation as “jerking off”. The term describes how most men masturbate for their entire adult life, which is by gripping tightly around the shaft of the penis and rubbing forcefully up and down in rapid succession. Gripping tightly is an extremely efficient method for achieving an orgasm, but unfortunately does not replicate the sensations you would typically experience with a woman.
You Go Too Fast — When masturbating, most men move the sensitive penis tissue up and down in a fast and forceful motion. Like gripping too tightly, masturbating too fast is extremely efficient. It also does not mimic real sex.
Lack Of Lubrication — Lubrication provides a slippery base that alleviates friction caused by raw masturbation. It also helps men replicate the sensations created from penetrative sex. Personal lubrications come in many shapes and sizes, but some may contain harmful ingredients. My personal favorite is the ID Glide water-based lube.

Death Grip Syndrome Symptoms

You may be experiencing death grip syndrome symptoms if you are having a difficult timing achieving an orgasm with your partner.

Here are three of the most common death grip syndrome symptoms.

You Can’t Keep An Erection — If you find yourself having issues maintaining an erection during penetrative sex, you may be experiencing this common death grip syndrome symptom.
You Have Difficulty Achieving An Orgasm — Don’t automatically assume that lasting long in bed makes you good at having sex. If you often have trouble achieving an orgasm during penetrative sex, or better yet, you can only orgasm via hand job, then you probably are suffering from death grip syndrome.
Sex Doesn’t Feel Good — Do you find penetrative sex to be unenjoyable? There are a few factors that can lead to uneventful sex – inexperience, lack of concentration, and lack of sensations just to name a few. You may have death grip syndrome if the feeling of penetrative sex does not keep you aroused.

Death Grip Syndrome Recovery

Want to get over death grip syndrome? Follow these five steps and soon you and your private parts will be operating as good as new again.

Take A Break — Take a break from stimulation for at least one week. No sex, no masturbation, no porn; a real “No Fap” experience. Go to the gym, go for a walk, take a road trip. When you get an erection, just let it be. Don’t touch it with your hands, or your partner’s hands. Simply allow the tension and arousal to mount. Your body should be aching for you to do something about it after a few days. Feel free to masturbate again after about a week, but only once per week. Only allow an erection to occur naturally!
Take Your Time — Your days of rushing through masturbation in order to avoid being caught should be over. The purpose of masturbation should not be to go quick, fast, and raw. Set aside some alone time and masturbate using the death grip syndrome recovery tips on this page.
Mix Things Up — Use different masturbation grips in order to keep yourself from getting used to one method. Furthermore, try to masturbate in ways that closely replicate real sex.
Be Gentle — The friction caused by raw, dry masturbation using the death grip may is not a healthy long-term method. Use a looser grip, apply some personal lubrication or oil, and follow the other death grip syndrome recovery tips listed on this page.
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This article was written without influence from any other party. All opinions are our own and all research was done independently without a medical license. The information in this article should not be treated as medical advice. There are some affiliate links present in this post.