Masturbating doesn't feel like anything, and neither does what I'm presuming is orgasm?

[forestcreacher]

Hi there! I'm aroace which is probably part of the reason behind this but... well, as the title says, masturbating doesn't feel like much. It doesn't feel bad, or good, it's just sort of tingly lol. I really want to enjoy sexual arousal and know what it's like, but although I can get aroused, it just doesn't feel like anything! Same goes for orgasm- I'm not sure if it actually is orgasm, granted it's only happened... once, maybe twice. If it matters at all, both times it was less a release as far as I could tell and more just things getting more intense for around a minute before going back to feeling like very little despite continued stimulation (of my clit only, because no other part feels like anything at all).

So, does anyone know what this might be, or what I can do about it? My body wants me to masturbate every now and then, and I do, it's just either frustrating because nothing happens, or what happens is just a physiological response with nothing emotional or pleasurable. I want to be able to experience arousal + pleasure but at the moment it's just one. Another thing that may be worth mentioning is that I do have mental health issues, primarily anxiety and depression, and I've read that those can impact sexual function- it just doesn't seem particularly likely to me.

Thanks for any advice!

[mikky]

Hey forestcreacher! Welcome!

We get this kind of question a lot. Masturbation, and learning what we like and what feels good to us, can be kind of a journey. It can take some curiosity, experimentation, and adjustment to figure out what feels good. It sounds like you’ve done some exploration of body parts already and have hit a point of frustration.
I do think learning some more about sexual response and orgasm might be helpful for you:
Sexual Response & Orgasm: A Users Guide

Can I ask why your anxiety and depression don’t feel likely related to this for you? What does pleasure in general look like for you? What makes you feel good in your body, brain, and life?