Can I become addicted to a vibrator?

Don’t worry: you can’t get addicted to a vibrator—but you can become habituated to one, just like you can become habituated to anything. That’s because we develop life habits that make our daily lives more efficient. The way we get around town, the way we cook or purchase food, even our morning routines. If we had to negotiate and think about every decision from scratch it would be really tiring.  We even have habits around sex- which helps us get find pleasure more easily but also can make it less exciting when we do the same thing every time.

So when we use a vibrator, yes, it is easier- and for some actually necessary in order to get enough stimulation for heightened arousal or orgasm. Is it less “authentic” or “natural”? No. But some folks worry that using a vibrator “too much” will ruin them for enjoying other forms of pleasure. Absolutely not. Let’s use an analogy: How you negotiate your commute to work or school (or anywhere else) is also a habit. Especially when you are reliant on one form of transportation, when your car or bike breaks down, your ride-share gets sick, or if there’s a transit strike, you are now forced to rethink how you will get around. It takes a little more effort to figure out an alternative to your usual routine. If you usually drive, for example, you have to see if you can hitch a ride with someone, dig out your bike from the shed, or scramble for transit fare and the bus schedule. The first day is a little hard to manage, requiring a lot more thought and effort and you may be late. The second day you have a better sense of your new route and timing and what you need to get ready for the journey. After a few days, you get used to your new routine with all the associated habits in making it the most comfortable and efficient process. When your car is repaired and back on the road, you can easily switch back to it if you need to. If you continue to alternate between driving, transit, biking or ride-sharing, it is easy to switch it up when you want. Similarly, if you always masturbate in the same way with the same toy or technique such as one specific vibrator, it might be hard to shift gears to another method of pleasure– at first. But if you switch up your routine often – using your fingers instead of a toy, changing positions, or coming up with hot new fantasies – you’ll be more able to enjoy different kinds of pleasure quickly and easily. So enjoy your vibrator- or whatever brings you pleasure. If a vibe is the only way you can enjoy pleasure, then enjoy the ride and celebrate your body’s responses! If you can get there in other ways as well, just make sure you switch it up regularly if you want to be able to do so easily. Keeps it all interesting too!