Hypersexuality and Sex Repulsion

Trauma can affect sexuality in ways that aren’t often talked about. Two common responses are hypersexuality and sex repulsion and sometimes, people experience both.

Hypersexuality involves intense urges for sexual activity, often beyond “typical” levels. People might seek out sex compulsively, even if it brings little pleasure or even harm. For trauma survivors, this can come from many places:

• Feeling like sex is the only way to be loved or valued

• Trying to “redo” trauma or regain control

• Dissociating or defining themselves through sexual activity.

Sex repulsion, on the other hand, is when sexual activity (or even thinking about it) feels disgusting or anxiety-inducing. This can be linked to:

• Fear of losing control or being triggered

• Shame or guilt about sexual feelings

• Subconscious associations between arousal and fear from childhood trauma

Some people swing between the two or even feel both at once, like being compelled to have sex while also feeling disgusted by it.

Both responses are valid. Trauma can create complex reactions to sex, and you are not alone if your experiences don’t fit the “norm.”