Good to Talk · Life gets bloody hard · Free. Always.
When confidence follows you into the bedroom
If you or someone else is in danger, call 999 or go to A&E. If you need urgent mental-health help but it is not an emergency, use NHS 111 online or call 111 and select the mental-health option.
Body image, stress, relationship problems, medication, physical health and mental health can all affect sex and intimacy.
Silence usually adds another problem
People can interpret less sex or difficulty with sexual function as rejection when the real issue is stress, confidence, health or medication. An awkward conversation is often kinder than months of guessing.
Don't assume it's “all in your head”
Changes in libido or sexual function can have physical, psychological, relationship or medication-related causes. Persistent changes are worth discussing with a GP or appropriate clinician.
Intimacy is wider than performance
Connection, affection and honest conversation matter too. Turning every encounter into a test of whether your body “works” can add pressure.
You're not the only one
Sources & further reading
- NHS Every Mind Matters — life's challenges
- NHS Every Mind Matters — mental wellbeing tips
- NHS — mental health
Educational information, not a diagnosis. Where a problem involves money, gambling, alcohol, abuse, bereavement or another specialist issue, use an appropriate specialist service as well as mental-health support where needed.