Recovery Is Sexy.com

When a Mans Sex Drive Is Too Low

Low male sex drive may have contributed to low self-esteem in alcoholics or addicts. These men could have ‘self-medicated’ using alcohol or drugs in an attempt to lift libido.

This article may help affected men in recovery identify and seek help.

The male libido is always in overdrive, right? Wrong — one out of five men actually have a low sex drive.

Men. High sex drive. Panting sexual animals. We know what they want. And we know when they want it: right now.

Even doctors tend to see men as "sexual automatons," hardwired always to want sex, says pioneering sex researcher Irwin Goldstein, "But that is not the case at all," Goldstein tells WebMD Magazine. "Many, many men — about one in five –have such low sexual desire they’d rather do almost anything else than have sex."

One in five men doesn’t want sex? How can that be true? And why haven’t we heard about it? Actually, many women have — the ones hearing the phrase "Not tonight, dear." Goldstein says most people think that is a rare occurrence. "But in fact, almost 30% of women say they have more interest in sex than their partner has."

The causes of low sex drive

So what’s behind low sexual desire? Aging plays a role, though many older men have a robust interest in sex, Goldstein points out. Like most other human traits, the sex drive varies. Most men are in the normal range; some are extraordinarily driven toward addiction-like sexual behavior. At the other end of the scale are men with very low sexual interest. These are men who suffer from low sexual desire disorder.

"There are always men on both sides of the normal curve," Goldstein says. "And a certain percentage — perhaps up to a quarter — will be considered to have low sexual desire disorder for a whole host of reasons." These include:

• Psychological issues
• Medical problems.
• Hormonal causes.
• Low dopamine levels.

Each cause of low sexual desire has its own treatment.

In the end, the choice for men who’ve lost their desire for sex is not between being a panting sexual animal and being a eunuch. Instead, the real choice is whether these men are ready to regain a vital source of intimacy with their partners — and a key part of a healthy life for themselves.

• Full article at Web MD

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