SURVIVING IN A SEXLESS MAR

SURVINING IN A SEXLESS

MARRIAGE: PART II

We examine what happens to the body and mind when going without sex for extended periods of time.

Written by BRAD BOWLING

Brad Bowling is the President of CODE Media Group, LLC. Bowling has his BA in mass media communication and an MBA in marketing. He contributes articles to the magazine continuing his love for writing.

At some point, all marriages suffer from a decline or stoppage of sex. For those couples who find a way back to physical touch, they continue to have marital bliss and happiness. But for those who fall deeper into a world of avoidance, dozens of physical and mental complications can arise that can cause serious problems. When two people enter a relationship, sex is one of the things that bonds them together emotionally. The feeling of finding a counterpart to share such an intimate connection releases hormones, like oxytocin and endorphins, that can help manage the effects of stress. Oxytocin has the added benefit of helping with sleep. People stop having sex for all kinds of reasons. For those who are single, they may want to wait until they find the right person. Others may want to wait until marriage before they engage in sex. Being busy can also be a reason why people have reduced sex lives, and finally some people simply choose to stop having sex altogether.

Believe it or not there are complications that can come from a lack of sex that can impact the body and mind outside of the bedroom. Let’s examine what happens to the body when people go long-term with no physical intimacy.

STRESS AND ANXIETY

If you and your partner reduce how much you have sex, you might feel less connected to them, which means that you’ll possibly begin to distrust them, look for false reasons to blame them for a lack of touch and connection and simply ignore important conversations, which might make matters worse. This leads to mental stress and anxiety for both of you. This adds to the day-to-day life stressors that can contribute to an overall experience of feeling overwhelmed by tasks that would otherwise be simple to manage.

MEMORY

Research is in the early stages, but some studies have shown that people who have sex often are better at recalling memories. And there are signs that sex can help your brain grow neurons and work better in general.

COMMUNICATION HEALTH

Regular sex helps you feel emotionally close to your partner, which opens the door to better communication. Couples who have sex more

often tend to say they are happier than those who get less of it. “I know for a fact that when my partner and I have intimacy, we communicate better, and we’re much more in tune with keeping the peace” Cindy from Warrensville said. “When we have long periods without sex, we begin to struggle communication-wise.” There is no magic number for the number of times a couple needs to have sex for a balanced sex life. Some couples enjoy sex three times a week, while others may only need sex once a week to feel connected. The answer all depends on the needs of the couple and what they agree on.

TOUCH

Professionals are challenged on just how much physical touch is necessary for a human to live a stress-free life. The theory on touch is broad, but studies have concluded that the human body craves physical touch to survive. When you don’t get enough physical touch, you can become stressed, anxious, or depressed. As a response to stress, your body makes a hormone called cortisol. This can cause your heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and breathing rate to go up with bad effects for your immune and digestive systems. Physical touch is apart of a healthy sex life.

PHYSICAL HEALTH

Regular sex can help your body fight off illness, so having it less often might lead to more colds and the like. In one study, college students who had sex one to two times per week were shown to have higher levels of a certain antibody (called immunoglobulin A) that plays an important role in your immune system. Couples who enjoy multiple sexual encounters a week often find that they have a desire to keep their physical appearance up to date. Keeping their bodies healthy has all kinds of benefits as people age. Constant exercise increases blood flow, which is one of the major factors for men when hoping to stay sexually active.

FEMALE BENEFITS FROM CONSISTENT SEX

If you are a woman who’s gone through menopause, you have another reason to keep having sex. Without regular intercourse, your vagina can tighten, and its tissues can get thinner and be more likely to get injured, tear, or even bleed during sex. This can be so uncomfortable that women with these symptoms avoid having sex, which can make it worse.

Changes related to menopause, such as vaginal dryness and irritation, can be treated with lubricants, moisturizers, or low-dose estrogen. Continued sexual activity can help regulate the body and allow you have better experiences in the bedroom.

MALE BENEFITS FROM CONSISTENT SEX

For men, how often they have sex may be linked to their chances of getting prostate cancer, but the evidence is mixed. Some experts think that sex might raise your

A lack of sex can cause all kinds of mental and physical problems.

odds, by exposing you to sexually transmitted diseases that lead to inflammation.

But in one large study of almost 30,000 men, those who said they ejaculated more than twenty-one times a month on average had lower chances of prostate cancer during their lifetimes, compared with those who ejaculated four to seven times a month.

There are dozens of other reasons why couples should continue to engage in sexual activity. One can hope that people find the time and space to engage in healthy and productive lives, which includes intimacy on all levels. ●