Worry
Stress can have a tremendous negative effect on sex. Issues such as losing a job, financial trouble, ailing family members, marital problems and other difficulties can dramatically decrease your sex drive. It is hard to have sexual feelings when you are worried about how the bills are going to be paid or how to get over family problems, according to Dr. D. Ashley Hill, associate director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Florida Hospital Family Practice Residency in Orlando. Sometimes men and women respond differently to stress and sexual situations. Women will usually have decreased sex drives when they are under stress, but men might use sex as a way to reduce stress. A condition called hypoactive sexual desire disorder causes an absence of sexual fantasies and desire for sex, and often follows a period of stress. It can be treated with counseling and psychotherapy.
Libido
It is important that couples know that stress can diminish sexual desire because they might try medications or other remedies to boost desire, which will not work under the circumstances. Libido is a lot more complex than just hormonal, according to Psychology Today in its Feb. 5, 2008, article on myths about low sexual drive. Stress, mental health, vascular health and nutrition are among the factors that can affect sexual desire. Stress can reduce testosterone levels. People who lose their sex drive over stressful conditions might turn to alcohol, cigarette smoking, overeating or other unhealthful behaviors, which makes the problem even worse. People undergoing stressful situations would be better off using exercise and relaxation techniques, such as yoga or meditation. They should get plenty of sleep and eat a proper diet to maintain overall health.
Sex Works
Sex has the ability to turn the tables on stress. Intimacy can actually lower a couple's stress levels, especially stress from work, according to a study published in the October 2008 issue of Psychosomatic Medicine. Researchers took saliva samples and recorded the mood and activities of 51 working couples several times a day for six weeks. The more intimate the couples were the lower their levels of cortisol, a hormone that increases with stress reaction. People in positive relationships with healthy sex lives can better deal with the stress in their lives. The key is to get over a constant state of anxiety that is reducing sexual desire. Deal with your stress first, either through lifestyle changes to help your health or through counseling or support groups. Your sexual drive will follow.
