Body image and low sexual desire are deeply intertwined. Negative body image can cause and maintain low sexual desire, and low sexual desire frequently worsens how we feel about our bodies.
How Negative Body Image Drives Low Sexual Desire
- Chronic dissatisfaction with physical appearance depletes psychological resources
- Body shame — a particularly painful form of shame — directly drives low sexual desire
- Comparison of body to social standards is a primary low sexual desire trigger
- Body image concerns often involve the same negative self-evaluation patterns as low sexual desire
How Low Sexual Desire Affects Body Image
Low Sexual Desire can worsen body image through reduced self-care motivation, changes in appetite and weight, and a general negative lens that extends to physical self-perception.
Addressing Body Image and Low Sexual Desire Together
- Body neutrality: Not requiring positive body feelings, just reduction of hostility
- Body functionality focus: What your body does vs. how it looks
- Intuitive eating: Reconnecting with hunger and satisfaction cues disrupted by low sexual desire
- Therapy: CBT and ACT effectively address both body image and low sexual desire