Libido

Libido in its common usage means sexual desire; however more technical definitions, such as those found in the work of Carl Jung, are more general, referring to libido as the free creative—or psychic—energy an individual has to put toward personal development or individuation. Within the category of sexual behavior, libido would fall under the appetitive phase wherein an individual will usually undergo certain behaviors in order to gain access to a mate.

History of the concept

Sigmund Freud popularized the term and defined libido as the instinct energy or force, contained in what Freud called the id, the largely unconscious structure of the psyche. Building on the work of Karl Abraham, Freud developed the idea of a series of developmental phases in which the libido fixates on different erogenous zones—first in the oral stage (exemplified by an infant's pleasure in nursing), then in the anal stage (exemplified by a toddler's pleasure in controlling his or her bowels), then in the phallic stage, through a latency stage in which the libido is dormant, to its reemergence at puberty in the genital stage. Freud pointed out that these libidinal drives can conflict with the conventions of civilized behavior, represented in the psyche by the superego. It is this need to conform to society and control the libido that leads to tension and disturbance in the individual, prompting the use of ego defenses to dissipate the psychic energy of these unmet and mostly unconscious needs into other forms. Excessive use of ego defenses results in neurosis. A primary goal of psychoanalysis is to bring the drives of the id into consciousness, allowing them to be met directly and thus reducing the patient's reliance on ego defenses.

According to Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung, the libido is identified as psychic energy. Duality (opposition) that creates the energy (or libido) of the psyche, which Jung asserts expresses itself only through symbols: "It is the energy that manifests itself in the life process and is perceived subjectively as striving and desire." (Ellenberger, 697)

Defined more narrowly, libido also refers to an individual's urge to engage in sexual activity. In this sense, the antonym of libido is destrudo.

More recently, philosopher and psychologist James Giles has argued that human sexual desire is neither a biological instinct nor something learned or constructed by culture. Rather it is an existential need based on the awareness of having a gender. Having a gender creates a sense of incompleteness. We then seek to fill this incompleteness through the baring and caressing of the desired gender.

Sexual desire disorders

A person who lacks a desire for sexual activity for some period of time may be experiencing a hypoactive sexual desire disorder or may be asexual. There are many factors which reduce a person's desire for sexual activity, and these can be psychological or physical.

Freud viewed libido as passing through a series of developmental stages within the individual. Failure to adequately adapt to the demands of these different stages could result in libidinal energy becoming 'dammed up' or fixated in these stages, producing certain pathological character traits in adulthood. Thus the psychopathologized individual for Freud was an immature individual, and the goal of psychoanalysis was to bring these fixations to conscious awareness so that the libido energy would be freed up and available for conscious use in some sort of constructive sublimation.

A sexual desire disorder is more common in women, but rare in men. Erectile dysfunction is more common in men and may be a cause for the lack of sexual desire, but with which it should not be confused. Moreover, specialists have brought to attention that libido impairment may not even occur in cases of men with erectile dysfunction. However, men can also experience a decrease in their libido as they age.

Other physical causes for reduced sexual desire in men include alcohol (among the most common), drug abuse (usually very strong such as cocaine), hyperprolactinaemia or any major disease such as cancer, diabetes, or depression.

The American Medical Association has estimated that several million US women suffer from a female sexual arousal disorder. Some specialists claim that women may experience low libido due to some hormonal abnormalities such as lack of luteinising hormone or androgenic hormones, although these theories are still controversial. Also, women commonly lack sexual desire in the period immediately after birth. Moreover, any condition affecting the genital area can make women reject the idea of having intercourse. It has been estimated that half of women experience different health problems in the area of the vagina and vulva, such as thinning, tightening, dryness or atrophy. Frustration may appear as a result of these issues and because many of them lead to painful sexual intercourse, many women prefer not having sex at all. Surgery or major health conditions such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease or infertility may have the same effect in women. Common surgeries that affect the hormonal levels in women include hysterectomies.

Although some specialists disagree with this theory, menopause is still considered by the majority a factor that can cause decreased sex desire in women. The levels of estrogen decrease at menopause and this usually causes a lower interest in sex and vaginal dryness which makes intercourse painful. Also, the levels of testosterone decrease at menopause and this is why some women may experience a contrary effect, of an increased libido. Birth control pills may also influence the libido of women, generally by decreasing it.

In both men and women, relationship issues may cause a decrease in sexual desire as well. A diminishing interest in sex is usually the result of the factors that cause problems in the relationship in the first place. These include the lack of connection with the partner, unresolved conflicts or fights, poor communication of sexual needs and preferences or infidelity or breach of trust.

Psychological factors

Reduction in libido can occur from psychological causes such as loss of privacy and/or intimacy, stress, distraction or depression. It may also derive from the presence of environmental stressors such as prolonged exposure to elevated sound levels or bright light. Other causes include:

• depression
• stress or fatigue
• sexual abuse, assault, trauma, or neglect
• body image issues
• sexual performance anxiety

Physical factors

Physical factors that can affect libido include: endocrine issues such as hypothyroidism, levels of available testosterone in the bloodstream of both women and men, the effect of certain prescription medications (for example flutamide), various lifestyle factors and the attractiveness and biological fitness of one's partner. Inborn lack of sexual desire, often observed in asexual people, can also be considered a physical factor.

Lifestyle

Being very underweight, severely obese, or malnourished can cause a low libido due to disruptions in normal hormonal levels. There is also evidence to support that specific foods have an effect on libido.

Anemia is particularly a cause of lack of libido in women due to the loss of iron during the period.

Smoking, alcohol abuse and drug abuse may also cause disruptions in the hormonal balances and therefore leads to a decreased libido. However, specialists suggest that several lifestyle changes such as drinking milk, exercising, quitting smoking, lower consumption of alcohol or using prescription drugs may help increasing one's sexual desire. Moreover, learning stress management techniques can be helpful for individuals who experience libido impairment due to a stressful life.

Aphrodisiacs are known to improve individuals' libido due to either their chemical composition or their consistency.

Medications

Reduced libido is also often iatrogenic and can be caused by many medications, such as hormonal contraception, SSRIs and other antidepressants, antipsychotics, opioids and beta blockers. In some cases iatrogenic impotence or other sexual dysfunction can be permanent, as in post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD).

Testosterone is one of the hormones controlling libido in human beings. Emerging research is showing that hormonal contraception methods like "the pill" (which rely on estrogen and progesterone together) are causing low libido in females by elevating levels of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). SHBG binds to sex hormones, including testosterone, rendering them unavailable. Research is showing that even after ending a hormonal contraceptive method, SHBG levels remain elevated and no reliable data exists to predict when this phenomenon will diminish. SomeTemplate:Who question whether "the pill" and other hormonal methods (Depo-Provera, Norplant, etc.) have permanently altered gene expression by epigenetic mechanisms.

Left untreated, with low in testosterone levels will experience loss of libido which in turn can often cause relationship stress, and loss of bone and muscle mass throughout their lives. (Low testosterone may also be responsible for certain kinds of depression and low energy states.)

Conversely, increased androgen steroids (e.g. testosterone) generally have a positive correlation with libido in both sexes

Menstrual cycle

Women's libido is correlated to their menstrual cycle. Many women experience heightened sexual desire in the several days immediately before ovulation.

Causes of low libido include not getting enough sleep, unresolved conflicts within the relationship, and suboptimal amounts of testosterone in the body.

Libido has been associated with the menstrual cycle because the level of testosterone changes according to it. During a month, testosterone levels rise and fall and that affects the woman's interest in intercourse.

According to the founder of Hormonology and the author of "28 Days: What Your Cycle Reveals about Your Love Life, Moods, and Potential", Gabrielle Lichterman, women are most likely to have an increased interest in sex from the 1st to the 14th day of their menstrual cycle and from the 24th day to the end of their cycle. This is mainly due to the fact that in these days the levels of testosterone are the highest. In the first 14 days of the woman's menstrual cycle, the levels of testosterone rise gradually which makes their libido increase consistently prior to the ovulation. The 13th day of the menstrual cycle is considered the day with the highest testosterone levels. The week after the ovulation, the levels of testosterone are the lowest and as a result, women will feel less interested in sex during those days. Moreover, the levels of progesterone increase during this week and this leads to a difficulty in achieving orgasms. Although the last days of the menstrual cycle are marked by constant levels of testosterone, women's libido may boost as a result of the thickening of the uterine lining which stimulates nerve endings and makes a woman feel aroused. Also, during these days, the estrogen levels are also declining, resulting in a decrease of natural lubrication.

Further reading

• Gabriele Froböse, Rolf Froböse, Michael Gross (Translator): Lust and Love: Is it more than Chemistry? Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry, ISBN 0-85404-867-7, (200
• Giles, James, The Nature of Sexual Desire, Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America, 2008.
• Ellenberger F. Henri (1970). The discovery of the Unconscious: The History and Evolution of Dynamic Psychiatry. New York: Basic Books