Kelly Magazine
  • About
  • Mental Wellness Articles
  • Contact Us
    • Chat with Us
    • Follow Us >
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • Pinterest
  • About
  • Mental Wellness Articles
  • Contact Us
    • Chat with Us
    • Follow Us >
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • Pinterest
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

Mental Health & Sex

9/15/2021

Comments

 
 Kelly Halonen, MSW, RSW
Picture
Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby!
Disclaimer: Sexual fulfillment can be met in a variety of ways, both with or without partners. That being said, it is important to note that many individuals are comfortably and confidently asexual or aromantic. So if this info applies to you, great! But if you are more comfortable with sex playing a less important role in your life, that’s great too
Sex can be great (well, hopefully). Besides the fact that it feels good (and can technically count as exercise), sexual health can also help your mental health. Physical pleasure can release various chemicals to make you feel happy and relaxed, make you feel closer to your partner and yourself, and improve your self-esteem.
 
One way that sex can help your mental health is by relieving stress, reducing anxiety, and increasing happiness. The main chemicals that are responsible for making this happen are endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin.
Picture
​Having sex can also help you feel closer to your partner. Not only are you physically closer, but sex within a healthy relationship will make you feel wanted and desired by your partner. As mentioned before, during sex, oxytocin is released, which has proven to increase trust and intimacy with your partner. Sex can also make you feel nurtured and taken care of when your partner is attending to your sexual needs. Having the intimacy that comes with sex can help strengthen your relationship and learn more about your partner.
 
Another positive part of sex is that it increases your self-esteem. You feel wanted by your partner. You feel desirable and attractive. Having somebody want you in this way can help you feel more confident and valuable. Even wearing lingerie, fancy underwear, or nothing at all can make you feel confident and attractive. Seeing the way that your partner looks at you can help reinforce that you are beautiful, even if you don’t always feel that way. Even in long-term relationships, your partner will still want you when you feel like you look awful, because they see how attractive you are and love you.
 
Sex can also be beneficial even if you don’t orgasm. While the feel-good chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, and oxytocin are released more during an orgasm, they are still released while having pleasurable sex. You also don’t need to orgasm to feel closer to your partner or to boost your self-esteem. This also comes along with just engaging in sex. So, don’t fret if you don’t orgasm often, or at all. You can still get all the mental health benefits of sex just by engaging in the act and feeling safe and valued! 
Comments
    Picture

    Categories & Tags

    All Abuse Addiction Animals Anxiety Ask The Therapist Attitude Balance Betrayal Birth Body Image Boundaries Breakups Bullying Burnout Career Change Children Cognitive Distortions Communication Community Conflict Counselling Covid 19 Covid-19 Decisions Depression EMDR Emotions Exercise Exes Family Food Grief Guest Submissions Happiness Health Healthy Healthy Living Hobbies Holiday Home Letters From The Editor LGBTQ+ Lifestyle Loneliness Loss Men's Mental Health Mental Health Mindfulness Nature Pain Parenting Perfectionism PMS Quizzes Relationships Resiliency Respect Seasons Self Care Self-Care Self Harm Self-harm Self-help Self Love Self-love Sex Sexual Assault Sexuality Shame Sleep Stereotypes Stress Suicide Awareness Tattoos Technology Therapy Toxic Transition Trauma Trust Unhealthy Wedding Wellness Women Workplace Worrying Yoga

    Disclaimer: Kelly Magazine, along with all articles and blog posts, is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to provide personal support as an alternative to psychotherapy services. Please note that replies are viewable by the public, and we may take a few days to respond. If you require immediate assistance, please call Kelly Mental Health during business hours. 
    Picture
Picture

Overview

NWO’s source for all things relationships, mental health, wellness, lifestyle, and pandemic support. Kelly Magazine is a mental health outreach initiative created by Kelly Mental Health and supported by Kelly Mental Health Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the community in the area of mental health.

Magazine

About
​Articles

Follow Us

Contact Us
Clinic / Foundation

In support of @kellymentalhealthfndn

Picture

​© COPYRIGHT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ​WEB DESIGN BY KMH