Increasing Sex Drive
In an article on Depression and Sexual desire by the American Academy of Family Physicians, the authors stated that “Symptomatic lost of libido (or loss of sexual desire) is a common problem in the United States”. “In a survey conducted in 1994 it was found that 33 percent of women and 17 percent of men reported sexual disinterest. Another survey concluded that one third of women from 18 to 59 years of age reported feeling a lack of sexual desire with the previous year.”
The loss of sexual desire can be caused by different factors. For instance, in women, menopause, due to its decreasing effect on progesterone, greatly affects woman’s sexual libido by drastically declining it.
In another article, found in the Australian Family Panning Victoria website, the author lists different conditions which are known to affect men and women, being menopause again, the reason number one for women’s lost of libido, followed by Dyspareunia (painful sexual intercourse), vaginismus (involuntary camping of vaginal muscles), pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, as well as infections (yeast and urinary) and orgasm problems.
For men on the other hand, also menopause (they describe male menopause as the decrease of testosterone levels which decline as men ages) is a decreasing factor, followed by impotence, premature ejaculation, and retarded ejaculation.
Other very often reasons of reduced libido are performance anxiety, fatigue, lack of time, familiarity, relationship problems, depression, stress, certain drugs, lack of exercise, and traumatic experiences (like sexual abuse or rape).
Concluded is the fact that, regardless of age, there are numerous reasons, or factors, that can greatly decrease or sexual desire or libido.
Fortunately nowadays, there are many options available to help us bring up our declining sexual desires. Our first step would probably be to recognize what is causing our loss of libido. Whether it is counseling, exercising, the increase of certain vitamins or supplements, or the implementation of a new sexual therapy technique, there is solution to this problem, which seems to be affecting a large number of our population.
Counseling
In cases where sexual desire declining is caused by traumatic experience counseling is the best, or first, approach to deal with it. Other type of counseling, such as sexual therapy, for couples with problems of familiarity or incompatibility is discussed later.
Exercising
It is known that exercise, especially cardiovascular or aerobic exercise, makes our system release certain hormones which help our bodies overcome stress and depression. This is also true to sexual desire. In the article Revive your Sex Drive by Mary Shomon, the author states that “exercise improves blood flow to all body parts. Research has found that people who exercise regularly have higher levels of desire, greater sexual confidence and frequency, and an enhanced ability to be aroused and achieve orgasm–no matter what their age. The best type of exercise is aerobic exercise, because it can trigger the release of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that create a feeling of well-being.”
Vitamins and Supplements
In the same article, Mary Shomon recommends certain supplements or natural herbs, to help increase libido. Some of this are: Asian Ginseng, Ginkgo Biloba, Peruvian Maca, Kava Kava, Yohimbe, and Zingc.
Sex Therapy
Sex Therapy is the answer to many couples who suffer from declining sexual desire. Couples, who suffer from sexual familiarity (the lack of sexual desire in a couple caused by a feel of boredom) and sexual incompatibility, are probably the kind that mostly seeks for therapy. As in any other physician you decide to go with, it is important that you research their background before starting therapy with him/her. However, it is not as easy to do research on Sex Therapist as it is on other physicians, as laws in every state varies when it comes to this professionals.
The following, is an extract to an article found in sexualhealth.com with tips to finding a Sex therapist.
Reprinted from Vol. XVII, No. 11 (c) 1999 DKT International, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. All Rights Reserved. April, 1999
“Do You Need A Sex Therapist? “People are ready for a sex therapist when they feel stuck, when they say, ‘I don’t know what else to do about this, I’ve tried everything,’” said Judith Seifer, PhD, RN, associate clinical professor in the departments of Psychiatry and Obstetrics and Gynecology at Wright State School of Medicine in Dayton, OH. Seifer said that sex therapists treat many problems, including loss of desire, erectile dysfunction, inability to achieve orgasm, and sex problems associated with depression, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, injuries to the head or spinal cord, diseases like diabetes, and medication side effects. Whatever the cause, if you and your partner are unhappy with your sex life and can’t make headway, sex therapy could be the answer.
Where To Begin Looking Florida is the only state that requires licenses for sex therapists. Other states permit virtually anyone to practice as a sex therapist. Therefore, before responding to newspaper, magazine or Internet advertisements, it is wise to check out the therapist’s qualifications. Seifer recommends getting referrals from your family physician, local medical school, AASECT (The American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists, P. O. Box 238, Mount Vernon, IA 52314). If you send AASECT a stamped, self-addressed envelope, they will send you a list of AASECT-certified sex therapists in your geographical area.”
As concluded, there are many factors that affect our sexual desire, starting by the routine of our daily lives, the stress of our jobs, and the natural development of our body as it ages.
Fortunately, each of this factors have more than one solution, furthermore, each of this factors have more than one natural and healthy solution, with no need of artificial implementations or drugs. Starting with recognition of what the actual cause of our lack of sexual desire is; we can then determine which factor to change or to increase in our lives, making it possibly to drastically change our sexual lives in a very natural, healthy and positively manner.