This Thing Could Kill Your Sex Drive!

Reduced sex drive or a complete loss of libido is one of the biggest sexual problems for many men and women.

While this is normal and can happen to people at different stages of their life, it becomes a problem when the loss of sexual desires persists for too long.

There are a lot of things that could kill your sex drive.

These can range from medications to different medical conditions, reduced testosterone levels, aging, sleep issues, and STRESS! Yes, overburdening yourself and high levels of stress and depression can cause low libido in men and women.

How stress affects sexual desire

Stress, in itself, is a normal thing we can experience from time to time. It is a feeling of physical or emotional tension and could be triggered by feelings of anger, frustrations, nervousness, etc.

Stress is normal and can even be good when it happens in short bursts.

But persistent stress is also bad for your health. It’s one of the reasons people suddenly lose the desire to enjoy sex with their partners.

High-stress levels will disrupt the body’s hormone levels.

Stress causes a narrowing of the body’s arteries. Narrowed arteries reduce the flow of blood, which, in turn, may cause erectile dysfunction.

Several studies and research have been conducted to determine the impact of stress on sexual desires, satisfaction, and performance. Two of these studies stand out.

Stress can cause psychological impotence — Scientific Research & Essays

This is a joint research at the International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and the Mallige College of Pharmacy, Karnataka, India, that revealed how stress could directly cause sexual problems in men and women.

That study, published in 2012, revealed, among other things, that stress can cause psychological impotence as a result of challenging home or work situations, as well as anxiety, depression, and relationship difficulties.

PTSD increases the likelihood of sexual dysfunction by more than three-fold — The Journal of Sexual Medicine

Another study focused on sexual dysfunctions among US Army’s Iraq and Afghanistan male war veterans also revealed how post-traumatic stress disorder might induce sexual dysfunction.

That study focused on more than 400,000 soldiers between October 2001 to September 2009. The research uncovered startling revelations;

• Veterans with PTSD were 10% more likely to have sexual dysfunction or be prescribed medications for the condition.
• In contrast, only 7% with a mental diagnosis other than PTSD and 2.3% with no mental health diagnosis experienced sexual dysfunctions.
• PTSD increased the risk of sexual dysfunction by 3.59
• People with PTSD prescribed psychiatric medications were also 4.59 times more likely to experience sexual dysfunction.

These studies revealed that stress could be a direct cause of sexual problems.

If your desire to enjoy sex with your partner has dipped recently, perhaps it could be due to higher levels of stress if you rule out many other causes such as certain medications, sleep issues, and medical conditions.

If stress is causing your lack of sex drive, it’s time you avoid it, so it doesn’t stress your marriage or relationship. So, how do you avoid stress?

How to kick out stress

In a previous study, a group of men newly diagnosed with erectile dysfunction improved their stress and erectile function scores after participating in a stress management program for eight weeks.

Mayo Clinic recommends mastering the 4 A’s to help you cope better with stress.

These 4A’s translate to; Avoiding situations or people that trigger stress, altering or change your situations or surroundings, accepting that certain things are normal and we just need to embrace them, and finally, adapting your lifestyle to stay calm under stressful conditions.

However, I recommend these five simple tips to help you deal with stress when it starts threatening your quality of life;

1. Exercise more often. This helps you stay physically fit, and the process helps your body release endorphins, the feel-good hormones that can help you feel less stressed.
2. Plan ahead and keep yourself organized so you don’t get suddenly overwhelmed by tasks. Stress can set in when you begin to panic and rush frantically to meet deadlines. Being organized helps you avoid this in most cases.
3. Take time out to destress. When you’re overwhelmed and feeling agitated, upset, or irritable, taking time out of your schedule can help you destress. But this does not always have to be reactive. You can work some ‘me time’ into your daily or weekly schedule where you focus on yourself and spend some time to enjoy what you like -it could be reading a book, listening to music, or time with friends.
4. Practice meditation, mindfulness, and relaxation exercises to help you offload stress. This can help boost your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. And as I mentioned already, problems in any of these aspects can affect your sexual life.
5. Take a deep breath. Stress and panic can affect your breathing as well as how your body feels. When you’re feeling stressed, taking a few deep breaths can go a long way, as simple as it sounds. It will help slow your breathing, calm your muscles, and reduce tension.

If sexual desires that once delight you no longer excite you, perhaps you should check your life for stress and other things that may cause this.

Stress can affect your mental and sexual health and beyond.

This condition is worth a trip to your doctor if the feeling persists for far too long. It’s typically recommended to visit your physician if you’re always stressed or have been feeling ‘not yourself’ for more than two weeks.