sexuality the capacity for sexual
feelings is a complex aspect of our
experience but it becomes even more
complex when you realize that you don't
feel it at all
for some people this lack of sexual
attraction can indicate asexuality a
valid sexual orientation
still sometimes feeling asexual can be
just the surface level of some deeper
emotions that prevent you from feeling
comfortable with sex
these two can often be tough to tell
apart to help you navigate this here are
some signs it's the sexual disorder not
asexuality racing heart when there's a
hot sexual scene in the middle of your
favorite TV show or if you get a DM from
someone trying to make a move on you how
do you react
do you simply think like nah not
interested or do you get all anxious or
tense and just want to get out of that
situation according to the diagnostic
and statistical manual individuals with
sexual aversion disorder feel extreme
aversion and persistently avoid sexual
contact they're overwhelmed with fear
and anxiety if they even think about
having any kind of sexual interaction
but those who are asexual aren't usually
so bothered with sexual themes they
might avoid them simply because they're
not interested but not because they're
repulsed by them I won't look
that lack of Interest might be another
way to distinguish the two in a 2021
study asexual individuals and those with
a sexual aversion disorder were shown
sexual and non-sexual images the
researchers wanted to know if any of
these groups would pay greater attention
to the sexual ones as expected the
results showed that asexual participants
paid less attention to images depicting
sexuality
but those with sexual dysfunction did
pay attention and they initially focused
on the sexual image instead of the
non-sexual one this suggests that those
with sexual disorders may still be
interested in sex-related things but not
as intensely as they did before the
onset of their Disorder so if you do
feel some interest and some sexual
attraction but feel held back to act on
it it may be worth exploring these
feelings further
feeling bothered
the anxiety and the lack of interest in
sex could make a person feel a bit down
about themselves
do you feel that way it could be a sign
there's something more than asexuality a
2015 study compared groups of asexuals
and those with a sexual desire disorder
study findings showed that those with
the disorder had significantly greater
psychological distress and even higher
levels of depression than asexuals did
this might mean that those who suffer
from some kind of sexual dysfunction
feel bad about it and wish they could
change they might feel like their lack
of sexual desire makes their lives
emptier or their relationships harder to
navigate and while asexuals still may
have some difficulties with romantic
partners and societal expectations
generally they don't mind their
orientation and are able to accept
themselves the way they are
the beginnings
the same 2015 study found another key
difference between the two groups
asexuals described their experience as a
more lifelong pattern of no sexual
desire or attraction this was different
from the group with sexual desire
disorder they remember having sexual
feelings and experimenting with sex in
their younger days so as an asexual it's
possible that you've always had a
different experience with attraction
than those around you you may have felt
confused by your peers experiences of
developing crushes and dating but later
realized that your lack of sexual desire
or attraction was Duty or asexual
orientation
but if you have experienced sexual
attraction in the past but now feel
averse or uncomfortable around sex it
may be helpful to reflect on whether
there was a specific experience or event
that triggered this change
could something have happened that was
difficult for you to handle and made you
feel this way
if that's the case talking to a mental
health professional can provide a
supportive and non-judgmental space to
explore these feelings further so now
that you've heard the differences do you
think your lack of sexual attraction
might actually be something deeper or do
you think it's just the way you roll
hopefully this video helped you gain
some more insight into your own
sexuality as well as sexuality in
general
if you do question your sexual
orientation and wonder if it's something
else we encourage you to seek help from
a sex therapist or any kind of
professional and if you're still not
comfortable talking about it simply
getting to know about yourself more
could be a great first step in the
meantime please remember that your body
is amazing and regardless of your level
of desire you are deserving of love and
respect
this video has helped you or you think
it could be helpful to others please
share it and remember you matter