Sexual coldness is a state in which the patient feels no interest in sexual aspects or is only slightly interested in this topic. This problem can affect both women and men. There are many potential causes for sexual frigidity, but also - happily - many treatment options.
Sexual coldness, technically known as hypolibidemia, is a disorder of the sex drive. Sexual excitability varies depending on gender, and also depends on the individual characteristics of each person - for some people sexual aspects are more important, for others definitely less. For this reason, it is often difficult to tell what level of sexual excitability is the norm and when it can be found to be lower. In some situations, however, it is relatively easy to conclude that the patient experiences sexual dysfunction - this is the case with sexual coldness.
This problem is typically attributed to women, however, such a position is quite unfair for this sex - in fact, sexual frigidity can occur in both women and men. What's more, hypolibidemia can occur in both the elderly and the student, because many different causes can lead to the problem. Not all people who experience sexual coldness show the same problem. The condition can be present throughout the patient's life, and it can only appear periodically.
ProblemSexual coldness is defined as a phenomenon in which the patient feels no (or only slightly) interest in sexual aspects. This applies to both sexual contact with other people and autoerotic behavior (e.g. masturbation). In addition, a person with hypolibidemia does not experience erotic fantasies.
Although the chances of voluntary intercourse are minimal in the course of hypolibidemia, it does not mean that the patient does not engage in sexual contact at all. It happens so when, for example, a cold partner has intercourse only to please his partner or to have "peace of mind". Once intercourse has occurred, there is a possibility that the patient may feel sexually cold during intercoursepleasure.
What are the causes of sexual coldness?
The exact factors behind someone being sexually cold have not been clearly established so far. In fact, there are many potential causes of sexual coldness.
Sometimes the problem is not in the person with hypolibidemia, but in fact decreased sexual excitability is related to … life partner. A patient may be sexually cold towards only one person, and in the event of possible sexual contact with other people, sexual dysfunction may not apply to him at all. This situation can be encountered, for example, when the patient's partner seems unattractive to him for some reason, or when there are many different tensions between two people (related to, for example, financial or professional aspects). Routine in bed can also lead to this type of sexual frigidity.
Worth knowingIt probably comes as no surprise that various types of mental disorders can cause sexual coldness. In this case, the list of potential problems that may lead to a lack of interest in sex is relatively long - among them there are:
- mood disorders (mainly in the form of depressive disorders and other problems related to low mood),
- anxiety disorders (e.g. in the form of tocophobia, i.e. fear of pregnancy and childbirth),
- psychotic disorders,
- chronic fatigue,
- experiencing significant stress (especially chronically),
- addiction to psychoactive substances (e.g. alcohol or drugs),
- past experience of severe, traumatic events related to sexuality (e.g., sexual abuse or rape),
- disturbed body image (e.g. due to dysmorphophobia),
- porn addiction.
The above-mentioned phenomena can lead to hypolibidemia, but the mechanism behind it has not yet been clarified. One of the hypotheses that have emerged so far concerns abnormalities in the neurotransmitter system functioning in the nervous system. According to this theory, sexual frigidity could occur when there were disturbances in the quantitative relationship between the neurotransmitters involved in stimulating sexuality-related processes (such as dopamine and norepinephrine) and substances that weaken sexual excitability (such as serotonin).
W phenomena related tohowever, not only the mind but also the body is involved with sexuality. This is why various somatic problems can also be the cause of sexual coldness. Chronic diseases (such as diabetes, kidney disease or cardiovascular diseases) and neoplastic diseases can lead to this condition. The cause of hypolibidemia may also be hormonal disorders - in this case, the source of the problem may be, for example, thyroid dysfunction (in the form of, for example, hypothyroidism) or decreased levels of sex hormones, such as testosterone or estrogens. An excess of hormones can also result in sexual coldness - this is the case with hyperprolactinemia, i.e. an excess of prolactin in the body.
Sometimes sexual coldness is related to the way of the educational process of a given person. This problem can be encountered, for example, with some people who grew up in accordance with strict rules and under strict rigor.
The patient's readiness and willingness to make sexual contacts may also be reduced as a result of pharmacological preparations taken by him. Among the drugs that can lead to sexual coldness, there are mainly antipsychotics (neuroleptics), preparations used in the treatment of cardiological diseases (e.g. beta-blockers) and agents with anti-androgenic activity (e.g. for the treatment of acne).
Hypolibidemia can also be associated with religious aspects - this condition can occur in people who are extremely religious.
Sexual coldness: treatment
Sex is essential to the survival of the species, but equally important to human relationships. For most people, it is a factor that determines the functioning of the relationship of two people. Body contact can strengthen the bond between partners in a unique way, which is why treating sexual frigidity often brings many benefits to the patient.
There is no one universal method of treating sexual coldness - it results from the fact that the choice of treatment depends directly on the source of the patient's problem. People with hypolibidaemia should therefore be prepared that their visit to a sexologist (the specialist who is best to go to if they experience sexual coldness) may take some time. A sexologist usually asks a number of different, very detailed questions regarding both the current mental state of the patient and his past, even from the youngest years of life, as well as about his diseases and medications taken by the patient.
Generally to treat sexual frigiditythe most important thing is to treat the cause of its occurrence. If the problem is related to unresolved psychological conflicts, psychotherapy can help the patient - in this case both individual psychotherapy and couple therapy can be used. If hypolibidemia is caused by the medications taken by the patient, then it is possible to consult the attending physician and, if possible, replace these agents with other preparations that will not lead to a decrease in libido.
Quite rarely used, but possible method of treating sexual coldness is the use of hormonal preparations by the patient, e.g. estrogens by women or testosterone by men. If a patient has significant mental disorders, it is possible to use psychotropic drugs, e.g. antidepressants - stabilization of the mental state may lead to the resolution of sexual disorders. Some patients who are sexually cold try to help themselves by taking natural substances, considered by some to be aphrodisiacs, such as ginseng or yohimbine.