Sexual Anorexia
Sexual anorexia is the other side of the coin to sexual compulsivity. Professionals don’t agree on a term that adequately describes the state of depriving oneself of sex. For some people, obsessive thoughts are the problem; other individuals engage in sexual avoidance or have a strong aversion to sexual situations. In some cases, the time between having sexual contact and engaging in any significant relationship can be years. In a few circumstances, people often say that they haven’t had sex in a decade or more. The key for many of these people is not the lack of sex, but the motivating factor for why they have not had sex. Thoughts and feelings of shame, fear, and hopelessness often shape why a person avoids sexual contact. Often the underlying cause for sexual avoidance is similar to the cause for sexual compulsivity. It is important for you to assess the presence of sexual avoidance in addition to the presence of sexual compulsivity.