Good Sex — What Happens When We Don’t Get It
Life without partnered sex creates problems for most of us.
By Dr T J Jordan
Sex with a well-loved partner does many good things for us in addition to giving us the release of orgasm. It relieves skin hunger and it bathes us in feel-good chemicals. Good sex confers protection from depression and anxiety. It might even extend our lives.
So — what happens when we stop getting good sex or when we don’t have a good sex life? And how important is good sex to our moods?
The Downside
Not all sex is good sex. There’s the obligatory sex we perform in unhappy relationships, the lonely rush to orgasm we chase when we’re desperate, the trauma of non-consensual sex, and the transactional sex for which we pay. Not all sex bathes us in bonding, feel-good chemicals.
When we feel unwanted — even if we’re going through the motions of sex — we experience abuse instead of loving acceptance and comfort. Our “orgasms” are localized genital sensations rather than…
