A word that can invoke desire, nervousness, discomfort, fear, excitement and a whole host of other feelings in different people. Because sex can be such an intimate and pervasive part of being human, it only makes sense that our mental health can change how we relate to it. When you live with a mental illness like borderline personality disorder BPD , it can touch all aspects of your life — including your experiences in the bedroom. Maybe past sexual abuse or emotional trauma coupled with BPD symptoms makes you afraid of or disgusted by sex. To open up the discussion around this sensitive topic, we turned to our Mighty BPD community. We understand sex can be embarrassing to talk about, but please, if sex or lack of sex is adversely affecting your life because of BPD, talk to your partner, a trusted friend or medical professional.

When Fifty Shades of Grey was first published in , it opened up widespread discourse about the nature of sexual masochism to audiences that had never before contemplated the issue. Is masochism just a fancy term for victimization? Or is it an expression of healthy sexual desires? Within the BDSM community, of course, these questions are nothing new.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or the position of the United States Air Force, Department of Defense, or US government. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , various forms of impulsivity are associated with borderline personality disorder, including sexual impulsivity. The existing empirical literature indicates that patients with borderline personality disorder appear to differ from patients without this personality disorder in a number of relevant ways. Specifically, those with borderline personality disorder are more likely to exhibit greater sexual preoccupation, have earlier sexual exposure, engage in casual sexual relationships, report a greater number of different sexual partners as well as promiscuity, and engage in homosexual experiences. In addition, patients with borderline personality disorder appear to be characterized by a greater number of high-risk sexual behaviors; a higher likelihood of having been coerced to have sex, experiencing date rape, or being raped by a stranger; and the contraction of more sexually transmitted diseases.

Sex addiction goes by many names, such as compulsive sexual behaviour, nymphomania, and hypersexuality. Some individuals affected by sex addiction develop compulsive behaviours or thought patterns associated with the sexual practices that are usually shared by consenting adults. Other sex addicts develop compulsive patterns linked to less common behaviours or thoughts that may or may not violate laws or socially accepted standards.