How To Recognize Sexual Anorexia In Your Relationship?
Even though most of us get attracted and feel happy with the feeling of being in love, some people put barriers and refuse to work on their relationships. It is a sort of addiction known as sexual anorexia, in which one of the partners refuses to give and accept affection or any kind of physical contact with the other.
Such people intentionally maintain a state of emotional detachment. Though intimacy anorexia, the phrase may be unfamiliar to many of us, is a prevalent issue in modern relationships.
So how can you identify if you are going through intimacy anorexia? This article will explain probable symptoms you should watch out for to understand the sexual anorexia condition.
What is Sexual Anorexia?
Sexual anorexia means having compulsive beliefs about avoiding sex. Yet, sometimes, sexual anorexia state might help people understand their emotions, thoughts, and behaviours.
Sexual anorexia is often referred to be the opposite of compulsive sexual behaviour, also known as sexual addiction. Individuals may employ the same coping methods for either of these disorders since they have most of the same traits.
Sexual anorexia can impact your physical, mental, and emotional circumstances, and your focus on avoiding sex may overwhelm your life.
This ailment can affect people of any gender. Although those with sexual anorexia may still have sex, they could experience dread or panic whenever they are intimate.
How to Identify if you Have Sexual Anorexia?
Here are symptoms that will help you recognise you might be suffering from intimacy anorexia.
1. You Do Not Find Sex Interesting
It is one of the most prominent signs of sexual anorexia, but it can also include a complete lack of interest in any sexual activity, including massage. While it's common to occasionally not feel like having sex, a person with sexual anorexia will go for extended periods without ever having a sexual desire.
2. You are Terrified of Anything Involving Sex
Some sufferers of sexual anorexia avoid and fear having intimate relationships. This issue may be present if you consistently look for an excuse not to engage in sexual activity or if you become too nervous when your partner starts any makeout session.
3. You Feel Disgusted After Having Sex
When you have sex, you start feeling disgusted or sad instead of having that happy and satisfied feeling. You might get thoughts of self-loathing or shame for having sex. It might specifically happen if you were brought up to consider that sex is something immoral.
4. You Keep Distance from Your Partner
When you have sexual anorexia, you always try to keep more distance from your partner to avoid intimacy. It can lead to numerous relationship-damaging behaviours, like giving your spouse the silent treatment, judging your spouse, or seeing faults with everything they do.
You will have a feeling to keep them far away from you. And as a result of this, your partner will leave since it’s soul-destroying to be with someone who doesn’t like any sort of intimacy.
5. You Might Get the Feeling of Have Binge Sex
Persons with sexual anorexia may sometimes experience moments where they want to have a lot of sex, similar to how some people with eating disorders would go through binge eating stages. It can occasionally manifest as sexual deviancy, which leads to people betraying their partners.
6. Physical and Emotional Reasons to Get Sexual Anorexia
There are physical reasons for the condition, such as exhaustion, taking antidepressants or other drugs, breastfeeding, or having just given birth. Persons who have suffered a rigid religious upbringing that instructs them that sex is wrong or shameful, as well as rape victims and people who have previously been sexually abused, are at risk of developing sexual anorexia.
7. You’ll Involve in a lot of Work
Due to intimacy anorexia, you will always try to find ways to keep yourself completely busy so that you can't get into any sexual activities. You might purposely make yourself engaged in either house or office work.
What Causes Sexual Anorexia?
According to studies, sexual anorexia might be a consequence of childhood trauma. People with sexual anorexia might have different traumas during childhood, such as:
- Emotional negligence
- Poverty
- Any sexual, physical, or vigorous abuse
- Sexual shaming
- Death of any family member
- Rape or sexual assault
Avoiding sexual activities might create mental health problems and negative beliefs about sex. Additionally, sexual promiscuity occurs when a person cannot express their sexuality, homosexuality, internalised shame, religious or cultural standards, or inhuman treatment.
Because sexuality and mental health are such complicated issues, it's not always clear what causes sexual anorexia.
Apart from childhood trauma, people can even get intimacy anorexia if they have different addictions, such as addiction to food, money, TV, internet use, drugs, alcohol, etc.
Treatments for Sexual Anorexia
- A counsellor or therapist can help you improvise steps toward preventing sexual anorexia. You may find it helpful to discuss your emotions, past trauma, and fears causing sexual anorexia.
- You can also see a doctor for a formal diagnosis if you think you may have sexual anorexia due to any disorder. In that case, your doctor will test you first to find any underlying illnesses, such as a hormone imbalance that could be the root of your sexual anorexia.
- Stress reduction techniques, which can help lessen anxiety in reaction to sexual activity, are another thing you can try to overcome intimacy anorexia.
- Talking about your experiences about this disease in a group environment with people who have had similar experiences could also be helpful for you.
Bottom Line
Sexual anorexia can result in excessive pain, loneliness, strain and anxiety if you are in a relationship. You need to understand and identify the symptoms of this condition and get help as soon as possible.
Contact us beforehand if you are dealing with this ailment for an extended period. We at Antenate will try to figure out and advise possible treatments for it so that you can take corrective actions in time to save your relationship.
