It seems that my attraction to males is declining (although I'm not attracted to females). I can't tell if it's just my mind playing tricks on me or not. I've accepted the fact that I'm gay about 1 year ago and I've been fine with that. I remember feeling attracted to guys my age, developing crushes, and even having wet dreams with some of them in it. I've been going through some stress in my life (I won't go into detail). I now get anxiety thanks to some recent life experiences. So, mentally, I've been feeling slightly depressed. This makes me think: Does your mental state also affect sexual/romantic attraction? If there are so many things occupying my mind, is it likely that it would be more difficult for me to feel sexual/romantic attraction to guys? I can't tell if my attraction to guys has completely vanished or if it's the things in my life that are causing me stress that is also making me feel less sexually attracted to guys than before. The latter seems more realistic, but I'd like to hear some opinion.
Loosing your sex drive is a symptom of depression, I know that much, so yes your mental state can affect these things.
Such momentary bugs in the system is common, and mental or physical ill-being can act as a catalyst for that.
Thanks everyone. I kind of got the feeling that depression affects sexual desire and/or attraction. I just wanted to make sure.
I am in the exact same situation. I came in terms with my homosexuality a year ago as I came out to my friends. But I've almost lost my desire for men, and I didn't gain any desire for women. I can only share my reflections... Yes anxiety and depression pretty much influence our sexual desires. But there is one more thing! Before I came out and accepted who I am, I was attracted to men a lot. But since then my sexuality became real, if that makes any sense to you. I realized that the things I was attracted to were just a product of fantasy, the porn I preferred seemed irrelevant. Before accepting who I am, I never thought I would enact my fantasies, but once I considered enacting them, they started changing and decreasing. I realized, as funny as that sounds, that I want to really do those things with other men, and once the prospect of it became real it started changing. Does any of this makes any sense to you? Furthermore, yes depression can be a bitch. Running helped me regain some of the flame! I wouldn't recommend anti-depressants...
There was a study (you'd have to look it up I can't remember who conducted it) looking at the effects of exercise on minor depressive symptoms. Turns out exercise was just as effective (for minor depression) as anti-depressants....
