I’ve been the higher desire spouse in my marriage for a few years, but in the last few weeks, my sexual interest has dissipated like mist. I know the reasons why—mainly stress and shoulder/neck pain—but it’s still thrown me off to be back in whatever territory.
This morning, I was considering how many days it had been since my husband and I shared physical intimacy, and the number was that gap that would normally have me heading toward serious craving. Instead, I was like, “Meh, I could take it or leave it.”
And mind you, I love sex. Like big, puffy heart with an arrow through it love it.
But what I’m going through now is what a fair number of spouses deal with regularly. For those with no drive and those trying to understand their spouse’s lack of drive, I thought I’d breakdown what it feels it like. And what each spouse can do to yet pursue mutually fulfilling sexual intimacy.
Just Not in the Mood
Hubby: Are you in the mood?
Wife: Nope.
That’s how the conversation would go if my husband asked me about my interest in sex. At any given time, am I in the mood? No, I am not.
The physiological urge to engage in sex simply isn’t there. My body feels like it’s in neutral rather than the first, second, and upper gears I used to feel. That feeling—or lack of it—is also separate from another question my husband could ask:
Hubby: Don’t you want to be close to me?
Wife: Absolutely.
But with my stress, fatigue, and pain (for which I’m in physical therapy), my preference would be snuggling on the couch or getting a much-needed back rub. Maybe a walk holding hands or dinner out. Sleeping cuddled up beside him. Those all sound great.
Not being in the mood for sex does not currently correlate with my desire for connection with my husband.
Getting in the Mood
Whether you’re the lower or higher desire spouse, I believe in the importance of getting in the mood—that is, preparing your mind, body, and heart for physical intimacy with your beloved. I wrote a chapter about it in Hot, Holy, and Humorous: Sex in Marriage by God’s Design. Our Sex Chat for Christian Wives podcast has two episodes on this topic, along with a (fantastic and low-priced) webinar titled Getting in the Mood. And Chris Taylor and I did a webinar (also fantastic and low-priced) for Knowing Her Sexually on Helping Your Wife Want to Have Sex.
But here’s the reality: It’s possible to do many of those preparation techniques and still not have an urgent desire for sex. A lower desire spouse may not get to the point of feeling like having sex even moments before intimacy unfolds.
We may have to adjust our expectations. All those lead-ups matter and can make everything go more smoothly, but if we’re expecting to get all the feels before the kissing or touching begins, we may miss out on the most important part of getting in the mood.
A Shift in Sexpectations
Perhaps the most important part of getting in the mood is…getting to it. In recent years, sexperts have talked a lot about why “in the mood” isn’t the right phrasing for a lot of folks. We had previously built expectations based on those with spontaneous desire, aka initiators, pursuers, or higher desire spouses.
Here’s a typical version of that progression:
But for a those with responsive desire, aka receptive spouses, responders, or lower desire spouses, desire may not precede arousal. Instead, their progression looks more like this:
If a spouse, or both spouses, spend a lot of effort trying to get a receptive spouse to feel desire ahead of time, they may both be disappointed. Rather, knowing this is how some spouses work—and that this progression is just as legitimate—we can take the pressure off and just decide to give it a go.
So, my husband and I might have this conversation:
Hubby: Are you in the mood?
Wife: Nope. But I’m open to seeing if you can get me in the mood.
With that attitude, sex is more likely to happen. But if after a while of arousal, a spouse still isn’t feelin’ it, it should be okay to say, “I’m sorry, but can we try again later? I want to be into this, and my body isn’t cooperating right now.”
Good Sex Begets Good Sex
Originally, I titled this section “Sex Begets Sex,” in the way that sleep experts tell us that getting enough sleep overall can help us fall asleep better at bedtime. But that’s not right. Because the sex has to be good sex for a lower desire spouse to want to repeat it.
Many no-drive spouses have reasons they’re avoiding sex, and having more sex can yield more tension. If there are underlying reasons why someone isn’t just in neutral gear but in park or reverse, those should be addressed before moving forward.
In my case, however, our marriage has involved a lot of good sex. I recognize that if I engage, it will feel good. I just don’t feel like engaging right now. It’s like having memories of getting together with friends or visiting your favorite tourist spot and wanting to do that again sometime, but not today. Maybe tomorrow, or the next day.
But if I roll with that feeling and keep putting off sex, the memories of our delicious intimacy fade even further into the background, and I forget a bit more what great sex does for me, for my husband, and for our marriage.
Sex can be seen as exercise for your marriage—something you can say no to at times because today is not the day, but something you don’t want to put off for too long or it’s difficult to get back on track. Having good sex makes you remember why having good sex matters.
What It Feels Like to Have No Sex Drive: "Having good sex makes you remember why having good sex matters." #marriage #Christiansex @hotholyhumorous Share on XMore Ways to Stay on Track
Because I believe that sexual intimacy is an important part of a thriving marriage, I want to keep having it with my husband. Even if I don’t feel some independent urge to rip off all his clothes and have my way with him.
That’s why I’m returning to some of the advice I and others have given to couples with a sex drive mismatch. Here’s a quick breakdown of some of those ideas.
Cultivate Sensuality
Feeling sensual can lead to feeling sexual, and both spouses can help the responder look for ways to cultivate sensuality. From bubble baths to massages to special scents to dancing, we can look for ways to awaken love through our five senses.
Schedule Sex
Some balk about putting sex on the calendar, but it can be helpful for both spouses to know it’s coming. The initiator can stop worrying about how long until the next time, and the receptive spouse can prepare for that special time as needed. I also love how Matt and Jen of Intimate Covenant have answered the charge that scheduling sex makes it boring: “Don’t schedule boring sex!” Exactly. Treat this like a date you both can’t want to go on.
Flirt More
In marriage, that sexual response cycle shouldn’t start with desire or decision and end with resolution. Rather, when sex is seen properly as a physical manifestation and nurturer of relational intimacy, interest is being stirred throughout the day. Small touches, sweet words, kind gestures, and outright hubba-hubba moments create an atmosphere that makes transitioning to sex much easier.
Remember
Make time and space to consider how good sex has felt before. What did you like about it? What positive result did it have for your relationship? What might you want to try again, or for the first time? Pull on past memories of pleasurable lovemaking to spur you on to the next encounter.
Communicate
When a sexual interest mismatch occurs, both spouses tend to draw wrong conclusions about the other. The way through this is to simply communicate what’s going on, what might help your interest, and especially how much you love your spouse. So many pursuers would feel better if they simply heard that their mate desired them as much as ever but were just struggling with the physiological part, while so many responders would feel better if they simply heard that their mate loved them as much as ever apart from getting their next climax. In fact, such sentiments might increase interest and/or improve physical intimacy when it does happen.
Sex Is Not About Sex
Since my stress levels should decline and my neck/shoulder pain go away (dear God, please), I expect to be shifting back into gear soon. But many spouses have a longer season of disinterest or remain the lower desire partner throughout their marriage.
One of the best mindshifts we can make is to embrace that sex is not about sex. It’s not merely a physical act that gives us pleasurable sensations. It’s not about reaching orgasm this time or every time. Sex as God intended is about intimacy.
Reminding ourselves that sex both nurtures and expresses intimacy can help us tend to its flourishing, even when that can be a bit more challenging. And it can help us pursue other forms of intimacy when sex can’t or doesn’t happen as soon as we’d like.
“I’m sorry, but can we try again later? I want to be into this, and my body isn’t cooperating right now.” I have to disagree and would feel incredibly rejected. Instead, perhaps explain it is not a time to expect an orgasm, and that has been my wife’s decision at times. We still have a wonderful time and we are both satisfied. I admit that I don’t understand how she can be so satisfied without a big finish, as I would be incredibly frustrated without getting to a big ending, but she assures me that she doesn’t always need to climax and knows that she always can when she wants to.
As far as flirting, I have to remind myself where initiating intimacy goes, which is nowhere. I rarely try anymore. Unless she initiates, the gates are closed and locked. Fortunately, we enjoy intimate times fairly regularly, but not as often as I would like. We have discussed it, agreed to do better, but she always falls back into the same pattern, so I just leave it alone.
Chris, I’m talking about a situation where a spouse makes a decision to engage but the body isn’t cooperating, as in her vulva don’t swell with readiness or clitoral touching is more irritating than pleasurable, or his penis doesn’t become or stay erect. Now a couple could also say that mental distractions are a reason to disengage, but that’s between the two spouses to figure out. And yes, other options could be on the table, if the couple wants, but a spouse shouldn’t feel forced to follow through if they just cannot get there. Does that clarify things a bit?
Yes, that makes sense. I certainly wouldn’t want intimate times to cause discomfort or pain. Thanks for the clarification.
Bless you. Thank you for sharing
I’m the high drive spouse (I’d be happy with every other day), but since nursing my 4th (who’ll be 1 on Saturday), my libido has been way low. So we have have sex like every 2-3 weeks! I’m not sure when weaning will happen, but I’m very much looking forward to my period returning and feeling like myself again!! Though I am keeping in mind that people say this is what menopause is like…
That’s not what menopause has been like for me. It depends on various factors. If you’re curious about that: How Menopause Impacts Your Sex Life
Good to know; thanks!
“I’m very much looking forward to my period returning and feeling like myself again!!” My wife and I raised a very large family (all grown now). We as well recognized that during the time of nursing her libido was quite low. During those time’s we’d recall and laugh about how Scripture says, “…and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.” (Genesis 21:8). Like the patriarch, I looked forward to and rejoiced in her libido returning, which it always did. In the meantime, she was very good about trying to manage giving herself to me as MY hormones did NOT wane (!) during lactation.
Due to many health issues (hormones, thyroid issues, chronic pain, etc.), my wife has never experienced an orgasm during our 40+ years of marriage. Even with lots of different medical treatments, her body has not responded. This affected her desire for sex so I needed to lower my expectations over the years. We use to have sex 3 times a month and now we have sex once every 2 months. I think God has taught me that sex is overrated. With so much sex being promoted in our society, I discovered that sex was becoming my idol too. This has helped to accept our frequency of sex in our marriage.
Appreciate the courage in sharing changes that are occurring in you and your spouse’s life.
I’ll admit that change has been nearly simultaneous with my spouse and me.
However, our mental intimacy has elevated at a very high level and has exacerbated our desire to hold each other at night, before we fall asleep and again hold each other when we wake up.
Intimate cuddling every night doesn’t lead to making love like it did 10 years ago, but instead maybe once or twice a week.
When we lay together every night, she still needs her back lightly scratched which requires me to unfasten her bra. (light back scratching causes chills in her whole body) When I’m facing her back side and hold her, she’ll want my arm to reach over her side so my right hand will cup her left breast. We have come to realize that this form of intimacy is emotionally soothing for both of us and puts us to sleep sometimes within minutes. We’ll also want to mix it up we like it when she is cuddling up against my back side or when I’m face down on the bed, we’ll fall fast asleep as well.
Cupping her breast, without (or very minimal) breast or nipple play is still very intimate and personal. She has a light switch mechanism that I do find fascinating where she desires her breast to be held (but not necessarily fondled) every night and then like a flip of the switch will place my hand over her abdominals in her sleep.
This type of cuddling does build the kind of mutual anticipation that will lead to intimacy days later.
Admittedly, if she wanted to physically make love every time she wanted me to cup her breast, I couldn’t keep up with her and probably wouldn’t be touching her breast/nipple as much. The same could be said if my hormones were raging for sex every night, she wouldn’t want my hand touching her breasts with me experiencing an erection pressed against her buttocks.
In saying this, both my spouse and I have admitted that we’d love to have the same “mojo” we had 10 years ago where we were ripping each other’s clothes off every single night, even so our emotional intimacy is much stronger than it was 10 years ago.
We’ve been married more than 40 years and “cherish” every moment we have left together.
My spouse sets her I-phone alarm for 6 am with one of her favorite songs. Lately we wake up to a Kool & the Gang # 1 hit song “Cherish”. The lyrics have a lot of meaning especially as we age.
This is intimacy. ♥
“I’m sorry, but can we try again later? I want to be into this, and my body isn’t cooperating right now.”
I wish I would’ve known it was okay to speak these two sentences when I was first married. Instead, I had sex even though it was awful. Do not deprive, right!? I literally thought I owed it to him and by forcing my body to go through the motions. I learned how to disconnect my brain from my body. I trained myself to disconnect during sex. I made excuses like, “It’s fine, I don’t need an orgasm”, “My body is broken”, “I wasn’t meant to experience pleasure”, “Maybe I’ll get to orgasm later, it’s fine”. I assured him over and over that I was fine. I wasn’t, but I had no words. The saddest part is I started to believe it myself. I thought I was broken, I thought it was my duty as a wife, I though my my pleasure was subordinate to his sexual release. I went on to have an affair 10 years later because I was convince that I couldn’t experience sexual pleasure with my husband. The marriage bed was a place I served and I resented every minute of it. If I only had the words to use then……… Thank you for your ministry to women. Thank you for allowing women to the opportunity to expect pleasure. Thank you for allowing women the space to say no, even in marriage.
Oh no! I’m so sorry you went through that, and that others taught you such a wrong understanding of God’s teaching on sexual intimacy. You shouldn’t have had to go through that! Glad you figured out that sex is supposed to be MUTUALLY DESIRED AND ENJOYED. (Yes, I was yelling that last part for some folks who needed to hear it again. ~wink~)
So sorry for your physical pain and your stress, what a bummer.
On a humorous note- “Is it harder to feel all those hot, loving feelings in Texas in the winter after you have had time in romantic France?”
Somehow falling and cracking a rib at Thanksgiving, put a damper on my wife’s desire. Not sure why.
What hope is there for women whose libido and ability to orgasm is basically at zero due to being on antidepressants. I have tried everything to get off of antidepressants but I always end up with a mental breakdown and unable to function. But, on them, I have no drive. Sex is irritating to me, something I feel like I have no choice but to participate in and endure, and it makes me really really sad to feel this way. I don’t know what to do to change it and it doesn’t seem like articles ever address this (especially from a Christian perspective) and I’m just stuck with no options. It’s a really hard and sad place to be in, not caring if I ever had sex again, and feeling like I have no choice but to participate in and endure so that my husband isn’t deprived. It’s gotten to where I dread it because I know I’m just going to fail and be disappointing to him. It doesn’t help that I know he’s not happy with my weight, so that has caused a whole other level of difficulty. I wish I knew what to do to make things better.
Oh, I’m so sorry! That’s a rough situation you’re in. (I’ve written about depression a few times here: Is Depression Impacting Your Sexual Intimacy?, Is Seasonal Depression Impacting Your Marriage?). And yes, antidepressants can definitely dampen or kill sexual interest. Have you spoken to your healthcare provider about options? Because some antidepressants have been known to have less of an effect in that area (e.g., Wellbutrin). That’s where I’d start.
And in the meantime, you should feel “I have no choice but to participate in and endure”! Absolutely not. If sex is irritating, uncomfortable, or painful, it can feel traumatic to your body to do it anyway. Rather, it’s best to take a break, let your husband know you need to regroup and look for answers so that you can participate with pleasure and joy, and work on other areas of intimacy in the meantime.
Also, “I know I’m just going to fail and be disappointing to him. It doesn’t help that I know he’s not happy with my weight” indicates the problem isn’t just sex. Please find a Christian counselor or trustworthy mentor to discuss your marriage concerns. God wants our marriages to make it, but not in the sense of white-knuckling our way through bad experiences but rather finding love, honor, and unity in that covenant relationship. And He cares not just about your marriage, but about you.
Praying for answers!
Thank you for your kind response. Sex doesn’t physically hurt thankfully, but it doesn’t feel pleasurable most of the time. It takes so much out of me just to bear it and I’m really sad about that. I have talked to the doctor about Wellbutrin but it hasn’t been an option for pregnancy or breastfeeding (currently I’m neither pregnant or breastfeeding, but we would like one more baby). It’s just really tough. I know I’m a disappointment in so many ways, and I’d like us to see a therapist or mentor, but he hasn’t been super open to that. So I feel stuck and alone.
Thanks for the article link about depression. I’ll check it out.