Is Sex on Leave? (Part 2)

--- Continued from Part 1 (Meltdown in bed) ---

Stress, anxiety, overwork can all impact one’s libido. If ‘Honey, I have a headache!’ has become your man’s line of late, then your sex life is on toss and you need following mantras to cope up...

Case 2: Self-Worth Factor
Some women get confused and anxious with the sudden withdrawal of sex, get depressed and might suspect that their husband is having an extra-marital affair or satisfying his sexual urges in other ways. Such anxious women must de-link affection and physical intimacy, and be educated about ‘temporary psychological impotence’ stemming from increased stress.

In some cases, over-consumption of alcohol can be a problem, especially with regular drinkers who try to deal with stress via alcohol. This takes a huge toll on the relationship, as the woman finds it difficult to empathise with a husband who gets drunk every night, whines about problems, and doesn’t wish to address the crisis in a logical manner.

In such a condition, marriage counselling helps the couple understand each other’s emotional needs. Also, stress counselling helps the man deal with the financial and sexual lull in life.
A man can be taught to reach out and be sensitive to his wife’s needs, and the woman can be educated to not make it all about herself, be ‘emotionally available’ and not use the husband’s vulnerability against him ever. The couple must remember that this a temporary but crucial phase and how they handle it ‘together’ decides the future status of the relationship.

Moreover, the ‘emotional intimacy’ during this crisis can strengthen their relationship, and there can be some surprising moments of physical intimacy, emerging from such emotional bonding.

--- to be concluded (How to cope up with it) ---