Celibacy and psychiatric illness

Started by Jiminy Cricket
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Jiminy Cricket

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Does prolonged celibacy contribute in any way to the development of psychiatric illness?

Can sex be used to treat psychiatric illness?

It would seem so to me, because of the chemical changes in our bodies and brains that occur during and after sexual activity.

Any thoughts?
 
If we could just get Medicare to pay for the prostitutes...
 
judging from the amount of public masturbation occuring on the inpatient psych units [at least, according to nurses at my institution], i'm hard pressed to support your hypothesis.
 
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i have thought about this concerning some of the Roman Catholic priests...
 
OTOH, I've seen a lot of lives screwed up (no pun intended) by too much sex...🙁 Or at least the wrong kinds of sex.

In all things moderation, I guess. Or maybe it's about the trusting relationship that is supposed to be associated with this supposedly healthy activity.
 
I can't speak with authority on this since I'm still a student, but I'd be surprised if celibacy causes mental illness. It seems more likely for mental illness to cause celibacy, since some mental illnesses make it hard for a person to form/maintain relationships with others. On the other hand, promiscuous behavior is considered a common trait of borderline and bipolar patients, so I don't think sex is much help as a cure...
 
peppy said:
I can't speak with authority on this since I'm still a student, but I'd be surprised if celibacy causes mental illness. It seems more likely for mental illness to cause celibacy, since some mental illnesses make it hard for a person to form/maintain relationships with others. On the other hand, promiscuous behavior is considered a common trait of borderline and bipolar patients, so I don't think sex is much help as a cure...
Click to expand...

Since when is it necessary to form or maintain a relationship with someone in order to have sex?
 
Once you get past the 'giggle factor' and take the question seriously, things get interesting...

One of the most unexpected movies I've ever seen--"Bliss"--dealt with this topic. I picked it up (at Blockbuster, of all places) since I am a Terence Stamp fan--an unorthodox British actor--and I was dumbfounded.

"Bliss" starts out like a "Lifetime Channel" TV-movie. Maria, a woman who can't achieve orgasm and has OCD, turns to enigmatic Sex-Guru Balthazar (played by Stamp) to help her clear her anorgasmic hurdle.

You're probably thinking what I was thinking--a nice excuse for tawdriness and rapture filmed in soft focus.

But about 20 minutes in, "Bliss" takes a turn for, well, the transcendent. Balthazar uses sex (Tantra? Kundalini yoga? See the film and experts, PLEASE let me know) to heal Maria's horrible childhood abuse.

The film deals with the way Sex can be used to heal emotional and psychiatric imbalances.

It's a brave, thoughtful and surprisingly metaphysical movie. I don't think I'll ever forget it. Well worth taking a look.

Cheers!
 
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