Is asexuality real?

[thamsenman]

Is asexuality real? do asexual people get turned on by anything or are just unable to "organize" their sexual impulses or orgasm to an actual human being (not pornography).

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[jdwmont]

Wow... I'm working the graveyard in a psych facility and was taken aback by the overall strangeness of that post.

 

[wholeheartedly]

Wow... I'm working the graveyard in a psych facility and was taken aback by the overall strangeness of that post.

you'll probably be even more taken aback by this ...


http://www.asexuality.org/home/

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Hmmm. How does Rule 34 apply then?

(Honestly--only a few years into this business and nothing surprises me too much anymore...)

 

[Red Beard]

I don't know, but my fiancee insists that Morrissey is asexual.

FWIW.

 

[Anasazi23]

Is asexuality real? do asexual people get turned on by anything or are just unable to "organize" their sexual impulses or orgasm to an actual human being (not pornography).

In general, I've tended to think of this as lying on the PDD spectrum. Also, I would screen for Cluster A stuff, as I've seen it there too. This, of course, assumes there is not a more metabolic (hormone-driven) cause.

 

[peppy]

I would expect that in some cases asexuality is a part of some larger mental condition such as Schizoid Personality Disorder, just like hypersexuality can be part of conditions like a manic phase of Bipolar Disorder.
However, I would not jump to the conclusion that someone who has no interest in sex but is otherwise capable of having healthy interaction with other people, functioning in society well, etc. is mentally ill. I can believe that they are simply on the left tail of the bell curve of sexual interest.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Kinsey thought so.

 

[whopper]

Why wouldn't it be real?

 

[Doc Samson]

I don't know, but my fiancee insists that Morrissey is asexual.

FWIW.

Morrissey WAS asexual. He's admitted to a few relationships since the mid-90s or so, but has never openly defined his sexual orientation.

 

[thamsenman]

So, Cluster A, PDD, schizoid personality disorder, bi-polar what else?

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

So, Cluster A, PDD, schizoid personality disorder, bi-polar what else?

It's not that clear cut. Asexuality is quite rare, and often what people may think is asexuality is actually something else entirely. In a case of someone trying to figure out their gender identity (which gender they identify with, which is different than what sex they are based on biology) sexual orientation (which gender they are attracted to in a sexual manner) and related issues, they may report that they are asexual because they are unsure of who they are and who they are attracted to at the present time. Being unsure and being quite vulnerable as they figure things out, often precipitates the person to reject all sexual feelings, which again can look like asexuality.

True asexuality can still happen in the above instance, but more likely than not they will eventually experiment and see where they fall. To further complicate things, a person can identify with one sexual orientation, but participate in behaviors that are not congruent with their identification. About 5-10 years ago the idea of "being on the down low" became popular, and the term describes a sub-set of men who identified with one sexual orientation, but participated in behaviors that were not congruent with them. Typically men who identified as heterosexual, but they participated in homosexual acts. It is some fascinating stuff, though a bit off-topic in this discussion.

So in short...yes it exists, but it is more likely a zebra than a horse, and specific Dx's while they may have more instances than other areas, it is far from a direct corrolation.

 

[thamsenman]

It's not that clear cut. Asexuality is quite rare, and often what people may think is asexuality is actually something else entirely. In a case of someone trying to figure out their gender identity (which gender they identify with, which is different than what sex they are based on biology) sexual orientation (which gender they are attracted to in a sexual manner) and related issues, they may report that they are asexual because they are unsure of who they are and who they are attracted to at the present time. Being unsure and being quite vulnerable as they figure things out, often precipitates the person to reject all sexual feelings, which again can look like asexuality.

True asexuality can still happen in the above instance, but more likely than not they will eventually experiment and see where they fall. To further complicate things, a person can identify with one sexual orientation, but participate in behaviors that are not congruent with their identification. About 5-10 years ago the idea of "being on the down low" became popular, and the term describes a sub-set of men who identified with one sexual orientation, but participated in behaviors that were not congruent with them. Typically men who identified as heterosexual, but they participated in homosexual acts. It is some fascinating stuff, though a bit off-topic in this discussion.

So in short...yes it exists, but it is more likely a zebra than a horse, and specific Dx's while they may have more instances than other areas, it is far from a direct corrolation.

excellent post, props friend