My Therapist Advised Me to Masturbate to Heal from My Sexual Abuse PTSD. Should I?
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
I was diagnosed with PTSD from childhood sexual abuse. I don’t remember everything, but I believe I was abused. I’m in therapy, and today my therapist suggested I masturbate because I have no sexual experience besides the abuse. I don’t desire it, but she said it might help prevent problems since my only experience was negative. Now I’m worried that if I marry, I might have flashbacks or discomfort during my first sexual experience. Is it okay to masturbate for trauma until I heal?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question and for seeking guidance.
I advise you not to take this route, and we hope you will be okay without following it. However, with that said, I recommend you seek advice from a practicing Muslim counselor and therapist. See the link below.
Practical Steps to Undo Your Past – Purify the Heart by Turning to Allah
Connect yourself to sacred knowledge through reliable scholars. I encourage you to turn your pain into good deeds, prayers, and helping others. Establish a routine for the five daily prayers, reading the Quran, regularly doing dhikr, Salawat, and seeking forgiveness.
Keep the company of the righteous—attend circles of knowledge and remembrance, and surround yourself with pious people. Simplify your life and focus on actions that bring you closer to Allah. Act on your knowledge—apply what you learn in your daily life.
I pray you will heal soon by changing your focus and that nothing from the past will manifest in your future life, especially in marriage. Amen.
I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. In sha Allah, you will receive guidance and direction.
Related
- Purification of the Heart for Youth: Diseases of the Heart and Their Cure – YouTube
- The Path of Muhammad: Birgivi’s Manual of Taqwa Explained – YouTube
- Purification of the Heart – Firdous Books Global|USA (Book)
- Online Islamic Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Am I Expected To Forgive the Man Who Sexually Abused Me as a Child Now That He Has Passed Away?
- A Traumatic Childhood: Turning to Allah in Difficult Times
- Should I Listen to My Counsellor and Reveal Past Sexual Abuse to My Parents?
Why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course on SeekersAcademy (seekersguidance.org), such as the Islamic Studies Curriculum (seekersguidance.org) or the Youth Islamic Studies Curriculum (seekersguidance.org), and build your way up by completing each course?
I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received a traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Presently, he lives in the UK with his wife and is interested in books and gardening.
