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Why Having Sex is Good for our Mental Health

Time to get frisky!

By Christopher DonovanPublished about a year ago 6 min read
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When we discuss all of the things we can do to improve our mood, sex is often something that is overlooked.

Yet, it shouldn't be. Sex can be just as beneficial to our emotional well-being as exercise, or a healthy diet.

If you suffer from a mental illness, such as depression, sex can't match the impact of medication, or your sessions with a therapist, but it can be an invaluable weapon in your armoury in maintaining a positive mood.

Why? The upshot is that sex is good for you. Not just physically, but emotionally as well.

There are a number of reasons why this is true.

Most obviously, sex is a form of exercise. No - it's not as effective as an hour in the gym, but it's still a physical activity, and - as such - good for your mental health.

Related to that, just as any other form of exercise is, sex is conducive to a healthy sleeping pattern; physical exertion aids sleep, one of the central pillars of good mental health. However, this is especially true when it comes to sex: If you have an orgasm, the hormone prolactin is released, which will make you even sleepier.

It can also be a distraction from the stresses of everyday life. For a short time, you're mindfully in the act of pleasuring yourself and your partner - 'switching off' from the rigours of modern life, even if only for an hour, can do wonders in replenishing your emotional reserves.

And that's not just anecdotal hearsay: It's biology. Stress in the human body is caused by the brain's secretion of the hormone, cortisol, the levels of which lower during sex. Simply put, more sex, less stress.

But it's not just stress that sex can positively affect; it can also increase our immune system.

Frequent sex can result in higher levels of immunoglobulin, the antibody that plays a role in preventing illnesses. Given the provable links between physical and emotional wellness, this alone is a huge plus point in the argument that sex is a potent force for good in the quest for better mental health.

It can also strengthen the bond and connection you have with your partner. We're essentially physical creatures, and - although an active sex life isn't a prerequisite to a healthy relationship - we also can't pretend it doesn't help.

Partners who have reported enjoying regular sex have also said they experienced higher levels of trust, intimacy, and love in their relationships, as well as better communication skills . And no one can deny that all of that can't be good for your mental well-being.

More superficially, sex can really make you look younger, due to the release of estrogen during sex. And who doesn't want that confidence boost?

However, although all of those reasons are good ones (very good ones), there's a much more profound one: Sex - literally, and biologically, makes us happier.

A Good D.O.S.E

Fundamentally, our desire to fornicate is a primal one and stems from our deep-seated need to ensure the continuation of our species. So, at heart, sex is a physical activity, and - as a result, its primary effects -are physical ones.

Luckily, all of those physical effects come with added psychological ones. And good ones at that.

I'm going to be simplifying neuro-science massively here, but happiness is essentially a physical-chemical reaction and occurs when our brains generate any one (or a combination) of four specific chemicals.

Collectively, they're known as 'D.O.S.E' - dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins. More colloquially, they're known as the 'feel good' chemicals.

Each performs a slightly different function:

Dopamine produces a short-lived feeling of joy that - although only fleeting - motivates our minds and body towards achieving a goal: That tiny burst of happiness makes us crave more of the same and on a prolonged basis.

Oxytocin is the chemical that improves, and strengthens, our bond with others. Our brain releases it when we physically connect with others, which is why it's sometimes (cutely) called, 'the hugging drug.' Yes - cuddling is psychologically good for you!

Serotonin is the less cuddly version of dopamine and is generated when we feel a sense of accomplishment, or recognition, from others. Like dopamine, although its effects are short-lived, and it's another motivating chemical; we want to experience more of it, so we are compelled to do well in life, to try and achieve. If we do, we get more serotonin. Result!

The final member of the quartet is endorphins. Biologically, endorphins are released in response to pain. They help us push our bodies beyond their comfort levels, and keep going when we might otherwise want to throw in the towel.

However, you don't have to be experiencing a vast amount of pain for endorphins to be released. A strenuous workout will cause your body, and all its muscles, just enough 'pain' for this chemical reaction to occur. That 'high' you get after leaving the gym? That's the endorphins buzzing around inside of you.

'Happier' people have brains that produce those 'D.O.S.E' chemicals in plentiful supply. They have lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression - those four chemicals negate those feelings. They literally have better mental health.

However, even if you suffer from depression (and have a brain that doesn't produce those chemicals as much as it should), you can do a huge number of things to provoke their generation.

And sex is one of them.

Whether it's through sexual intercourse with a partner, or simply through solo masturbation, our minds produce 'D.O.S.E' when we are aroused, and - then, later - when we orgasm.

When we're having fun, enjoying sex, and then climaxing = dopamine.

When we're being physically intimate with another person = oxytocin.

When we know we've sexually satisfied our partner = serotonin.

And when we're physically active, exerting our body = endorphins.

Yes - it probably is a very sophisticated trick to make us want to copulate so we propagate the species - in return for performing our biological function, our mind gives us a reward in return in the form of 'D.O.S.E.' However, it still happens. Those four chemicals are released when we have sex.

Sex makes us feels 'happier' - chemically, and therefore literally.

So, if you're looking for ways to crowbar more happiness into your life or if you're seeking to build a more robust sense of emotional well-being, join that gym, read those books, enrol in that evening class, and make those new friends.

Most of all, get your brain producing more 'D.O.S.E.'

And sex is one of the most enjoyable ways to do so. It can literally (biologically, chemically, and emotionally) make you happier.

And nothing is more important to mental health than happiness.

So, in the name of mental well-being, it's time to get frisky, people!!

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sciencerelationshipshumanitysexual wellness
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About the Creator

Christopher Donovan

Hi!

Film, theatre, mental health, sport, politics, music, travel, and the occasional short story... it's a varied mix!

Tips greatly appreciated!!

Thank you!!

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