Sex is what brings the two partners together and gives them a pleasant experience. Both men and women need to satisfy their sexual needs, desires and fantasies. But there are a number of reasons why interest in intimacy may decline. Decreased libido is not such a rare occurrence that robs people of the joy of having sex.
Situation description
Reduced libido in women and men is a disorder of sexual function, which is characterized by a lack of desire to have sex. It can be caused by various reasons, which include neurotic disorders, a long absence of intimacy, congenital pathology, and other diseases of the body.
Reduced libido leads to the fact that a person's regularity of sexual life is violated, stagnation in the organs of the genital pelvis can form. A person may become depressed or have other serious psychological problems.
The presence or absence of sexual desire may depend on various factors. It can be affected by physical and emotional state, mood and environment. There are people who have decreased libido during certain times of the year. It can also be influenced by professional nuances and social status.
Causes of Low Libido
Consider the common causes that affect sexual desire:
- Stress. When the body is in this state, it produces cortisol and adrenaline. If a person is in chronic stress, then this negatively affects the level of hormones in the body, as a result of which libido is reduced. Due to stress, the arteries begin to narrow, so blood circulation is limited, and this can lead to erectile dysfunction. Due to tension, sexual arousal decreases, because a person is distracted by extraneous thoughts.
- Depression. Because of it, the chemical composition of the body changes, so a decrease in libido is observed. If a person is in this state, then it is difficult for him to feel sexy. In addition, libido-lowering pills are used to treat depression.
- Self-esteem problems. If a person has low self-conceit, then he is unlikely to feel comfortable during intimacy. Most likely, he simply will not want to have sex, as he considers himself unattractive. In addition, he is afraid to be rejected.
- Bad habits. If a glass of wine drunk before intimacy helps you relax, then excessive drinking will negatively affect sexual arousal. This is due to the fact that alcohol disrupts the immune system, and also leads to fatigue. Another negative effect on the libido of marijuana, which inhibits the function of the pituitary gland, which is responsible for the production of testosterone.
- Bad dream. Nowadays it is very difficult to sleep as much as the body needs to restore strength. If a person does not get enough sleep, then his cortisol level rises, so a decrease in libido can be observed. You need to get enough sleep so that there are no problems of a sexual nature.
- Libido-lowering drugs. These include funds that are used to remove a person from depression. Because of them, the blood pressure level rises in the body, as well as other phenomena that affect sexual desire are activated, therefore, sexual dysfunction can be observed.
- Erectile dysfunction is an emotional reaction of the body that can occur due to stress. Because of this, a person loses self-confidence, becomes anxious, and he loses the desire to have sex, because he is afraid that this will happen again.
- Hormone problems. Typically, libido depends on testosterone levels. If its content in the body is low, then the attraction is appropriate. This condition can be caused by inflammation, trauma or swelling of the testicles, pituitary diseases, and cirrhosis of the liver.
- Menopause. During this condition, decreased libido in women is very common. The reason for this may be a decrease in estrogen levels in the body, which leads to dry vaginal tissue. Because of this, a woman can feel pain and discomfort while having sex, so her desire disappears. The level of testosterone, which activates libido not only in men, but also in women, can also decrease.
- General state of health. If a person has systematic diseases, then this negatively affects the level of testosterone in the body and sperm production. Such diseases include cancer or kidney disease. In this case, the body goes into survival mode, so it does not pay attention to factors that are not related to it, including the production of testosterone and sperm. Still low testosterone levels may indicate other diseases, such as HIV, diabetes, or kidney failure.
- A crisis in a relationship. If quarrels constantly occur between lovers, they begin to move away from each other, and their intimate relationships deteriorate. Various conflicts, mutual resentment, understatement - all this is most often transferred to the bedroom.
- Lack of time. If a person is very busy, then he may simply not have enough time, strength and energy for a sexual life. It is best to plan this so that a regular sexual relationship remains between the couple, because rare sex leads to a decrease in mutual interest.
Symptoms in women
If the girl has a decreased libido, then she has the following symptoms:
- Lack of sexual desire, which can be both constant and regular. The girl does not feel the desire, even during sexual preludes.
- A woman does not experience arousal during intimacy.
- The girl has no need for sexual relations.
- She begins to avoid intimate contacts with her partner, because she does not receive anything from them.
Many girls do not even think that there is any problem with their sex drive. They do not notice that their libido is absent or decreased. This is explained by the fact that they have no need for satisfying sexual desires, since these desires simply do not exist. They do not have erotic dreams and fantasies. More often than not, they enter into intimacy with a man only because they "must." Such obvious symptoms cannot be ignored, because this can lead to more serious problems, including frigidity. Therefore, in the first place, it is necessary to find the cause of a decreased libido in a woman.
Male signs
The main symptom of decreased libido in men, as in the case of women, is the lack of sexual desire. In some representatives of the stronger sex, it can occur very rarely or periodically, but there are those who do not feel arousal at all during sex with a partner.
It can also be affected by psychological discomfort associated with sexual life. There are cases when a man has an aversion to sex. In this case, he also has no need for him, so he is not even interested in how to increase his libido.
What to do?
If a person has signs of reduced sexual desire, then he needs to consult with a sexologist, as well as undergo a complete hormonal examination. In this case, the level of testosterone is necessarily determined. In addition, the level of globulins and prolactin that bind free testosterone is checked.
The effectiveness and duration of treatment depends on the reason why the person has decreased libido, as well as on how the patient will follow the treatment regimen, which in this case is selected individually.
The individuality of the treatment of the problem is due to the fact that sexual desire can be compared with appetite. After all, it depends not only on how well the food was prepared, but also on the taste preferences of each person. In other words, the loss of sexual desire may occur due to the fact that a person had too high expectations of intimacy. Or, conversely, the wait was too long. In this case, therapy will be aimed at normalizing the expectation.
Promotion Methods
Quite often, the best method for solving the problem of low libido in a girl and a man is to solve conflict situations in personal relationships. These include:
- The fight for leadership.
- Mutual criticism.
- Hidden grievances.
- Distrust and suspicion.
This also applies to other interpersonal problems. It is because of them in the relationship that there may be problems of an erotic nature.
Very often, the main reason for the decrease in sexual desire is depression, therefore, in order to correct the situation, it is necessary to begin its treatment. In this case, it is recommended to use psychological methods of treatment, because they will be much more effective than pharmacological methods. Most drugs that are used to treat depression have psychoactive substances that reduce sexual desire.
As for women, unfortunately, there is no magic pill that can restore her sexual desire. In this case, it is recommended, together with a partner, to study the female body and its sexuality. The success of treatment for decreased libido depends on the development of female sensitivity along with psychological arousal.
If we talk about men, then a decrease in testosterone levels affects their sexual desire. This is especially true with age. In this case, hormonal treatment with testosterone will help restore desire.
Tips & Tricks
There are general tips and tricks that will help increase libido for both men and women:
- Start eating right so that the body receives all the necessary substances.
- Do not eat smoked, fried, or other junk food.
- Eat foods that increase sexual desire. For example, honey, chocolate, nuts, oysters.
- Get rid of bad habits.
- Rest and get enough sleep.
- Do not spend much time on the computer and TV.
- Allow at least 30 minutes a day to take a walk in the fresh air.
- Start playing sports.
- Try not to get into stressful situations.
- Deal with old things, eliminate the main irritants, do what you enjoy.
- Work on your attitude to sex.
Opposite side
There is plenty of information regarding male impotence or frigidity. But what if the problem is the opposite, in hypersexuality? How to lower libido in a man or woman?
Increased sex drive is found in both women and men. It is impossible to say whether it is good or bad. Probably, it all depends on the specific person and the specific situation.
How to lower libido in women?
This can be done with medication. Mostly sedatives are used for this.
Please note that there is no specific tool that can lower female sexual desire. Those who want to get rid of this are prescribed medications, in the side effects of which there is a decrease in libido.
Such a drug may be:
- Fluoxetine;
- "Fenelzin";
- "Amitriptyline";
- Maclobemide.
Do not self-medicate, such drugs should be taken only as directed by a doctor.
Hormonal oral contraceptives, which should also be prescribed by a doctor, can also reduce sexual desire. Most often it is:
- "Regulon";
- "Janine";
- "Yarina";
- Belara
- Novinet;
- Silest.
What will help men?
It is possible to lower libido with drugs in men. In this case, the same drugs are used that were given above. Only in men can they not only lower libido, but also lead to problems with potency and ejaculation.
You can also reduce sexual desire through the use of drugs that are designed to lower blood pressure. In most cases, drugs for hypertension are prescribed for mature men, because of this it is difficult to say whether they can help young people with increased sexual desire. These drugs include:
Antipsychotics, which in most cases are used in the treatment of psychosomatic diseases, are good at lowering testosterone levels. They are very powerful sedatives that block certain parts of the brain. These drugs are prescribed for schizophrenia. Because of this, their use must be approached with caution and wisdom. These include Chlorpromazine and Thioryl.
Among the drugs that lower libido, it should be highlighted:
- Omeprazole;
- "Cimetidine";
- Disulfiram.
Decreased libido is a problem that adversely affects sex life and the enjoyment of it. But this can be dealt with, the main thing is desire and understanding of the reason. Both a man and a woman may face this unpleasant problem, but in both cases there is a solution. The same goes for hypersexuality.
Therefore, do not panic and think about the possibility that something is wrong with you or your partner is not suitable for you, which means you will have to part. This can happen to everyone, because in our time life is very hectic and saturated with both positive and negative emotions.