By Bonnie ZylbergoldWith the stock market in peril, big brother style bailouts, and thousands upon thousands of Americans losing their jobs and homes, finding a silver lining in this dismal situation is less probable than your yearly bonus.
But a crazy thing happened when the entire world’s economy came tumbling down last month; people got their love thang on. Turns out sex is a lot cheaper than dinner and a movie, divorce or therapy, which who could afford now anyway?
While not exactly rocket science, economic downturns have a decided effect on people’s sense of selves, and more interestingly perhaps, their sense of sexual pleasure. Historically speaking, hard times fan our romantic flames, bringing couples closer together, or back together, much like was seen after the attacks of 9/11.
That said, it’s should come as no surprise then that with the influx of layoffs, many people are (re)turning to their partners for physical comfort and familiarity. Long heralded as one of the best anxiety reducers out there, the physical benefits of sex are staggering. From boosting your immune system to maintaining a healthy weight to the apropos advantages of lower blood pressure and overall stress reduction, there’s no time like the crummy present to knock boots. But this, according to sex educator Dr. Ruth, presents a conundrum of sorts.
In a Forbes.com commentary entitled “Sexual Recession,” Dr. Ruth warned that people anxious about diminishing investments or “looming pink slips should turn their attention to a side effect of the present economic tsunami: the way it's washing away the love lives of couples caught up in the rushing waters. Stress, depression and anxiety all wreak havoc on the libido.”
Aquatic allegory aside, some people are so tense over layoffs that they can’t even get aroused enough to have the sex that might actually de-stress them. Ahh, nothing like a catch-22 to get the blood pumping to nowhere in particular.
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Read the whole article here on American Sexuality Magazine.
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