March 16, 2009

Not many would argue that stress is more prevalent in American society, and around the world, these days – thanks to the economic difficulties associated with a global recession.

Different people react to stress in different ways, and an English psychotherapist makes a convincing argument that the effects of stress are showing themselves privately - as in, the bedroom.

Lucy Beresford, a psychotherapist and media commentator in England (and member of United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy or UKCP), says sexual problems have reared themselves in many different ways in London as the economy continues its backslide.

She notes that clinicians have seen a significant rise in sexually disturbed behavior, let alone other cases of decreased sex due to erectile dysfunction or what she calls "sexual anorexia" – the avoidance, consciously or unconsciously, of sexual activity. Also witnessed in London, she says, is a 20 percent rise in sexually transmitted diseases among over 35s at one clinic, and more cases of sex addiction.

Beresford notes that "stress played out in the sexual arena is compulsive, self-destructive, reality-avoiding behavior." The loss of money creates the reality of attacks upon fragile egos, and these attacks lead people to be scared and angry, which leads to reckless behavior.

One doctor at the Priory Hospital at Roehampton said he has seen an increase in young people being treated for erectile dysfunction and "none of them had preexisting psychosexual problems or mental health issues, which therefore raises the question as to whether work-related stress has been a key cause of their problems."

Taking a step back from all of this information for a moment, and taking our own lives into account, it might be easier to understand some of our sexual shortcomings if we have been heavily affected in a negative way by the slumping economy. If someone is experiencing new sexual problems, it seems they may want to look at their behavior as it relates to their economic situation, and to react accordingly if help may be needed.

To put it one way: It may not be the person who is speaking out through sexual means, it may be the change in economic lifestyle.

As a related side note, a previous article in this blog noted that the economy may be causing men to lose more than just their libido. It may be causing them to lose their hair too.

If you have comments, feel free to post anonymously.

Brian Bujdos