Death Grip Syndrome: What It Is & How to Treat It

This article was reviewed by Mike Bohl, MD.

Going at it solo can be a safe and fun personal intimate experience. Unfortunately, if you’re holding on a little too tight, your discrete solo session can have some unintended negative consequences. Namely, death grip syndrome.

Death grip syndrome is a nonscientific name to describe the consequences of going at it solo with too tight of a grip on yourself.

Guys who squeeze too hard or use a tight grip might wonder what kind of damage they’re doing. Are they at risk of injuring themselves, desensitizing their privates or even causing nerve damage? It’s not outside the realm of possibility.

The good news is that it’s a fairly common issue men experience, and it’s also very treatable with as little as a couple technique changes.

Below, we’ve described how death grip syndrome happens, the possible causes and what you might do to reverse death grip syndrome.

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What is Death Grip Syndrome?

“Death grip” describes a relatively common problem for men — being able to reach climax while going solo, but not during partnered intimacy.

It’s unclear where the term originated — some credit it to columnist Dan Savage in the 2000s. But Googling “death grip meaning” or “death grip Urban Dictionary” may not tell you what you really want to know. “Death grip syndrome” is a slang term without a formal medical meaning. 

The science behind death grip doesn’t really exist — at least, not anywhere we’d trust. But the basic concept is that an overly firm grip may cause desensitization, which could make it more difficult to finish during intimacy without doing the same move as they do while going solo. 

A man affected by death grip syndrome might find it fast and easy to finish when they go solo, yet find it slow or impossible when being intimate. To finish during intimacy, they might need to go solo to climax even with a partner present.

The best approximation of death grip syndrome in medical literature dates to a 2015 article on a condition called anorgasmia (the inability to finish) and delayed climax. The authors noted that men can sometimes suffer from both problems due to their solo intimacy habits — that going solo may be a more enjoyable sensation than intimacy with a partner, causing some intimacy issues.

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Symptoms of Death Grip Syndrome

It’s hard to pin down diagnostic criteria here. The severity of death grip syndrome can vary from one man to another, and we don’t have an official guidebook for the symptoms of so-called “DGS.” 

Anorgasmia due to solo habits can produce numerous intimate health issues beyond making climax difficult to achieve.

They include:

• Struggling to finish with a partner

• Pain or injury in the privates

• Numb privates and nerve damage

• High moisturizing lotion bills

• Sore left arm

• Discharge problems, including delayed discharge

• Anorgasmia  

Some men find that the death grip and similar climax-related problems can lead to relationship issues, reduced feelings of intimacy or a preference for going solo over partnered intimacy.

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Possible Causes of Death Grip Syndrome

It’s also hard to identify many details about what techniques or grip styles lead to DGS.

There are a few points we want to bring to your attention that may add some context, though. 

First, studies of cyclists have found that the repetitive, continual pressure of cycling is linked to numbness in privates and ED, which — although we definitely can’t say for sure — could mean that other types of repetitive pressure are linked to these conditions, as well. 

A 2004 review of 62 articles found that while the most commonly reported private symptom due to cycling was private numbness, which 50 to 91 percent of cyclists reported (depending on the study), the second-most common symptom was ED, reported by 13 to 24 percent of cyclists, possibly as a result of their exercise habits.

Another study found that men who find going solo more pleasurable than intimacy may continue to maintain unusual solo techniques, including those that apply extra pressure to the privates and reduce its sensitivity level.

But let’s assume for a moment that death grip syndrome is a secondary condition — what if you’re gripping too hard for a reason?

If we were to assume you are indeed squeezing too hard or going solo in a way that is substantially more pleasurable or intense than intimacy, you might have begun to do so for a number of reasons.

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Medications

Some medications that cause ED, like antidepressants (particularly SSRIs), can reduce private sensitivity and make it harder to finish. 

Other types of medications may affect the peripheral nerves and reduce sensitivity throughout your body. 

We’ve got some info on managing antidepressant intimate side effects if you want to know more.

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Medical Conditions

Several medical conditions, such as Peyronie’s disease and thyroid issues, may contribute to intimate dysfunction, while hormonal health issues like low testosterone may also cause a reduced level of interest and certain performance issues. 

In addition, diabetic neuropathy and other issues that cause nerve damage may reduce nerve function or sensitivity in your privates — a condition called neurological ED.

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Adult Content

Although watching adult videos won’t make your privates less sensitive, there is such a thing as ED induced by adult content. 

Excessive use of adult content is sometimes linked to changes in your intimate habits, performance and the main factors that make you feel aroused. 

For example, a study from 2014 found that men who watch adult videos frequently were more likely to think about adult videos while being intimate  in order to stay aroused — a factor that might be linked to difficulty finish. 

We’ve talked about the effects of adult videos on your intimate performance more in our guide to ED induced by adult videos. Some strongly believe addiction to adult content is damaging, which led to the creation of a Reddit community against adult content.

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Intimate Performance Anxiety

Feeling anxious before intimacy is a common issue, and research shows that performance anxiety causes or contributes to many common forms of intimate dysfunction. 

Many things can trigger performance anxiety, including concerns about satisfying your partner or making your partner pregnant or because of a previous traumatic experience.   

Sometimes, several of these factors may contribute to difficulties finishing when you make love with a partner. 

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How to Fix Death Grip Syndrome

Want to know how to get rid of death grip syndrome? Milder cases have a straightforward treatment: a lighter grip and fewer solo sessions per day or week. 

If you’re going too hard or too often, give your privates some time to recover. Over time, there’s a chance giving it a rest will bring back some sensitivity.

Once that recovery period has passed, you can try again later with some new tips in mind to physically and psychologically recondition yourself: 

Image Credit: mihailomilovanovic.

When you do go solo, ease yourself in slowly.

Without a partner there, you may want to hurry to the finish line, so to speak, but give your privates some time to get warmed up. When you’re in the mood, try to let yourself get aroused without any manual stimulation, or let your partner help you instead of doing it yourself. 

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Try a lighter technique.

Use a light grip and stroke your privates gently and slowly instead of firmly and fast. And use a lubricant to reduce friction and increase the comfort of hand-based stimulation.

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Try to limit your adult content consumption.

While adult content isn’t necessarily bad for you, there’s some evidence that it might have negative effects on your intimate performance. So, it’s possible that giving up adult videos may improve certain forms of intimate dysfunction.

Try to either reduce your consumption or avoid adult content altogether, at least for a few weeks. If you notice improvements in your ability to enjoy intimacy and reach climax with your partner, consider cutting down your adult video consumption for the long-term. 

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Check for underlying medical issues.

A case of temporary ED isn’t a big deal, but if your DGS is because you’re squeezing to make up for poor blood flow, you’re perpetrating a vicious cycle. 

Talk to a healthcare provider. They may offer medical advice for treating ED, which could further reduce your need to squeeze for pleasure.

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Discuss side effects of medications with a healthcare provider.

If you’re prescribed a type of medication that’s linked to intimate performance issues, such as an SSRI antidepressant, your healthcare provider may suggest switching to a different medication that’s less likely to affect your intimate life.

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Be open and honest with your partner.

If you think DGS is affecting your intimate life and your relationship, it can be embarrassing. But perpetuating the cycle of not facing your issue, going solo because your intimate life is bad and then not facing the issue again isn’t going to fix anything. Working to communicate with your partner can often make it easier to relax during intimacy and enjoy yourself. 

It can also be an excuse to spice things up. For example, you may benefit from taking part in mutually going at it with your partner before switching over to partnered intimacy before you finish. You may also want to invest in lube or toys for everyone’s benefit.

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Get help for anxiety.

If this cycle is more than you and your partner can handle, there’s help available. If you need to talk to a professional about problems, therapy is always an option.

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Addressing Death Grip Syndrome

There’s nothing wrong with going solo. It’s a natural thing that, when performed the right way, won’t have any negative effects on your desire or performance. 

Worried you’re choking off your intimate life with your death grip? Here’s what you need to know:

• If you find it difficult or time-consuming to finish during intimacy but easy to do so when you’re going solo, you may be affected by something called death grip syndrome, or DGS.

• DGS reduces sensitivity, and is alleged to be one of the potential causes of ED by some guys.

• Although death grip syndrome isn’t a recognized medical condition among health professionals, the idea that going solo with an overly tight grip might affect your ability to enjoy intimacy isn’t totally devoid of merit. 

• Death grip syndrome can cause intimacy issues and affect more than just your sensitivity — it could lead to injury, anxiety or depression.

• Changes to your adult content and solo pleasure habits could help you recover, as could communicating with your partner and seeking professional help from a therapist.

• If changing your habits doesn’t seem to work, talk to a healthcare provider. They’ll be able to help through different methods of therapy, medications and other treatment options. 

Have more questions? Want help? Hims’ ED blog is a great place to learn about why liftoff keeps getting scrapped, and what you may be doing or not doing to keep your privates doing what they’re supposed to.

Don’t put the squeeze on intimacy. Avoid DGS, and if you need help, reach out.

This article originally appeared on Hims.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.

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