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Asexuality-an orientation or a mental disorder?


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Recently,i've been reading a lot about asexuality in order to better understand it as well as myself.And as i was reading,i came across some pretty interesting articles and questions.

People were asking what causes asexuality and if it was some kind of a disorder.

Then i came across articles and pages dedicated to psychology talking about ISD (Inhibited Sexual Desire) and SAD (Sexual Aversion Disorder).Both of these disorders are claimed to might be the cause of asexuality in people.

While ISD causes a person to have either a super low sex drive or none at all,SAD makes a person avoid sex and sexual contact and situations as much as possible as well as sex-repulsion.

As you can see,these symptoms are almost identical if not complitely identical to what we define as asexuality.

So could this orientation of ours actaully be a result of a disorder?What do you think?

I honestly hope that it isn't.My whole life i thought i was broken,and if it really is a disorder then my biggest fears would be proven true.

 

P.S. It really isn't my intention to make anyone uncomfortable or scared for their sanity.I'm just here to have a little debate and to see what your opinions are.Thank you♠💖

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The DSM 5 lists asexuality as an exception in these disorders. If a person identifies as asexual and is not distressed about their lack of sex drive/sexual attraction, they can't be diagnosed with these disorders. HSDD is another one.

So according to the most trusted diagnostic manual for therapists, asexuality is not a disorder. I believe that should answer your question :) 

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39 minutes ago, Laurann said:

The DSM 5 lists asexuality as an exception in these disorders. If a person identifies as asexual and is not distressed about their lack of sex drive/sexual attraction, they can't be diagnosed with these disorders. HSDD is another one.

So according to the most trusted diagnostic manual for therapists, asexuality is not a disorder. I believe that should answer your question :) 

Oh,i see.Thanks a lot💖😊

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43 minutes ago, Ciki said:

...Then i came across articles and pages dedicated to psychology talking about ISD (Inhibited Sexual Desire) and SAD (Sexual Aversion Disorder).Both of these disorders are claimed to might be the cause of asexuality in people...

Adding to what @Laurann wrote, in research studies, some animals (like sheep) have been observed to be asexual and not interested in sex at all, even when placed with other animals of the same species.

 

So, there would be something unfair, wrong and disrespectful for animals to be thought of as okay/allowed to be asexual, but not humans.

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Funny, the OP's described phenomena sort of sounded like:

 

Everyone likes chocolate. I don't like chocolate, is that caused by the chocolate-aversion-disorder?

 

I guess for some people, in some stages of their lives, it is meaningful to confirm their behaviour as the result of something that is not their fault, and that confirmation can be made by calling that behaviour officially for a disorder. It's sort of, when labeling doesn't help you get comfortable with yourself.

 

Obviously, there are more - in want of a better word - "real" disorders that affect your life far more than lack of interest in sex, and there it can be legally necessary to have a disorder officially diagnosed by a professional so that you can get help. But it sounds like a rich people's problem, if there were a subsidy to be applied for to help you cope with your chocolate-aversion-disorder (CAD). Just food for thought here... I'm not a psychologist or so...

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Some people may confuse asexuality when they have a disorder. Some have found a sexual desire component exists after working through issues. However, for some, the lack of interest in sex is just natural and that is the orientation. It can be hard to tell which one it is though for the person until they work through things if they have things to work on. But, doesn't much matter as long as distress is not present at the lack. 

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everywhere and nowhere
2 hours ago, Laurann said:

The DSM 5 lists asexuality as an exception in these disorders. If a person identifies as asexual and is not distressed about their lack of sex drive/sexual attraction, they can't be diagnosed with these disorders. HSDD is another one.

So according to the most trusted diagnostic manual for therapists, asexuality is not a disorder. I believe that should answer your question :) 

I hate the idea of making exceptions for asexuals. It creates a double standard, and even worse - a double standard based on a very random criterium, because it can be a random thing whether one particular person has heard of asexuality. If one has never heard of it, one is unlikely to identify as asexual... I hate this exception because it is borne out of fear of admitting that sex isn't universally wonderful and desirable. It's used to upkeep all these sex-normative ideas and magnanimously "exempt" asexuals from them.

I don't want to be treated on some special basis. Either everyone has the right to not desire sex and not be perceived as disordered, or nobody does. I just can't forget about the "people on the other side of the fence", who still have to bear the weight of compulsory sexuality - and obviously not everyone who happens not to be asexual is fine with all those expectations. (Think, for example, about people who decide to "take a break from sex", even if articles  about it are quite annoying for an asexual person because they assume that not having sex for a year - or, even "worse", a few years - is some great achievement... I have never had sex, for 38 years, and don't miss it...) So what I desire is a more radical solution: to finally admit that not desiring sex is as normal as desiring sex. Yes, never ever desiring sex is probably relatively rare (still I don't believe that there asexuals make up only 1% of the population. My guess is around 5%), but this relative rarity doesn't make it less normal. It should be accepted and respected anyway.

You know, I have just given it a bit of a thought today - quite a coincidence, because it was before reading this topic... I thought that perhaps it's a bit of hypocrisy to boldly state in my status that "No, I don't want to be 'normal'", but still insist that asexuality is a part of "normal sexuality" because "normal sexuality" is simply broader than defenders of sexual normativity believe. And I came at the idea that what I really dread is asexuality being considered a disorder. Don't take me wrong - even if asexuality was definitely a disorder which could be treated, I would still choose to remain effectively asexual. But my aversion to the idea of asexuality as a disorder stems, again, from my sex aversion. (See how far it reaches - it doesn't just influence my personal decisions, my sex aversion can also make me more radical in the area of sociopolitical implications of asexuality.) If the medical establishment considers asexuality to be a disorder, it's like saying to asexual people: "You should desire sex". And this is precisely what I don't want. I'm sex-averse, so I don't want to ever have sex, so I don't want to desire sex, so I don't want to be told that my absolute unwillingness to ever have sex is pathological. I simply demand agency, I demand respect for my choices.

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@Nowhere Girl

Yeah, that's why the distress part is also important. It's not just an exception for asexuals. 

Quote

On page 433 & 434

Female Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria 302.72 (F52.22)
A. Lack of, or significantly reduced, sexual interest/arousal, as manifested by at least three of the following:
1. Absent/reduced interest in sexual activity.
2. Absent/reduced sexual/erotic thoughts or fantasies.
3. No/reduced initiation of sexual activity, and typically unreceptive to a partner’s attempts to initiate.
4. Absent/reduced sexual excitement/pleasure during sexual activity in almost all or all (approximately 75%-100%) sexual encounters (in identified situational contexts
or, if generalized, in all contexts).
5. Absent/reduced sexual interest/arousal in response to any internal or external sexual/erotic cues (e.g., written, verbal, visual).
6. Absent/reduced genital or nongenital sensations during sexual activity in almost all or all (approximately 75%-100%) sexual encounters (in identified situational contexts or, if generalized, in all contexts).
B. The symptoms in Criterion A have persisted for a minimum duration of approximately 6 months.
C. The symptoms in Criterion A cause clinically significant distress in the individual.
D. The sexual dysfunction is not better explained by a nonsexuai mental disorder or as a consequence of severe relationship distress (e.g., partner violence) or other significant stressors and is not attributable to the effects of a substance/medication or another medical condition.

 

For a diagnosis of female sexual interest/arousal disorder to be made, clinically significant distress must accompany the symptoms in Criterion A. Distress may be experienced as a result of the lack of sexual interest Arousal or as a result of significant interference in a woman's life and well-being. If a lifelong lack of sexual desire is better explained by one's self-identification as "asexual," then a diagnosis of female sexual interest/arousal disorder would not be made.

Quote

On page 440 & 443

Male Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria 302.71 (F52.0)
A. Persistently or recurrently deficient (or absent) sexual/erotic thoughts or fantasies and desire for sexual activity. The judgment of deficiency is made by the clinician, taking
into account factors that affect sexual functioning, such as age and general and sociocultural contexts of the individual’s life.
B. The symptoms in Criterion A have persisted for a minimum duration of approximately 6 months.
C. The symptoms in Criterion A cause clinically significant distress in the individual.
D. The sexual dysfunction is not better explained by a nonsexual mental disorder or as a consequence of severe relationship distress or other significant stressors and is not attributable to thes effects of a substance/medication or another medical condition.

 

The presence of another sexual dysfunction does not rule out a diagnosis of male hypoactive sexual desire disorder; there is some evidence that up to one-half of men with low sexual desire also have erectile difficulties, and slightly fewer may also have early ejaculation difficulties. If the man's low desire is explained by self-identification as an asexual, then a diagnosis of male hypoactive sexual desire disorder is not made.

And as always, nb's not included. Oh well.

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2 minutes ago, Laurann said:

Yeah, that's why the distress part is also important. It's not just an exception for asexuals. 

But asexuals can also be distressed because it's culturally pushed into people. Or because of their lack of desire causing relationship conflicts.

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4 minutes ago, Nowhere Girl said:

But asexuals can also be distressed because it's culturally pushed into people.

8 minutes ago, Laurann said:

C; The symptoms in Criterion A cause clinically significant distress in the individual.

The symptoms have to cause the distress. Not the cultural pressure.

 

4 minutes ago, Nowhere Girl said:

Or because of their lack of desire causing relationship conflicts.

Voila, they thought about that too:

8 minutes ago, Laurann said:

The sexual dysfunction is not better explained by a nonsexuai mental disorder or as a consequence of severe relationship distress (e.g., partner violence) or other significant stressors and is not attributable to the effects of a substance/medication or another medical condition.

 

8 minutes ago, Laurann said:

D. The sexual dysfunction is not better explained by a nonsexual mental disorder or as a consequence of severe relationship distress or other significant stressors and is not attributable to these effects of a substance/medication or another medical condition.

 

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The thing is, asexuals can have a high sex drive (it's just that we'll usually call it libido, because "sex drive" implies that it's, well, a drive for sex, which includes other people) and they also might not be avoidant/repulsed by sexual activity.  So neither of those things necessarily exclude asexuality.

 

It really just comes down to whether you desire sex, and/or can find people attractive in a way that makes you desire sex with them.

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AceMissBehaving
7 hours ago, Ciki said:

 

While ISD causes a person to have either a super low sex drive or none at all,SAD makes a person avoid sex and sexual contact and situations as much as possible as well as sex-repulsion.

As you can see,these symptoms are almost identical if not complitely identical to what we define as asexuality.

I think on the outside things like that can appear similar, but there are significant differences between these and asexuality. The biggest being that typically there is some amount of distress around these disorders. For eg being attracted to people but unable to follow through because of either low sex drive or some form of anxiety or phobia. This feeling of distress is absent from asexual people, and typically something that is seen as a marker for something being a disorder. (Like masochism is only seen as a mental health disorder if the feelings cause the person distress)

 

7 hours ago, Ciki said:

So could this orientation of ours actaully be a result of a disorder?What do you think?

I honestly hope that it isn't.My whole life i thought i was broken,and if it really is a disorder then my biggest fears would be proven true

I’ve worried about that too, especially after thinking myself “broken” for so long.


I’m also one of the old folks who grew up without healthy asexuality being even considered a possibility. I say this because it means I also spent years with people trying to fix it. Hormones, partners, “activities”, mental health issues. Literally decades of working on every possible thing to end up almost 40, with well managed mental health issues, a wonderful partner, hormones balanced and managed through a specialist, and still asexual.

 

The existence of various disorders doesn’t disqualify asexuality as an orientation, but I understand the fear, especially in a group with a large amount of trauma associated with having their healthy experience pathologized. 

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Janus the Fox

The absence of anything non-vital/important physical or psychological is not a problem to me.  I hold multiple disorder diagnostics over the years, Asexuality and that of the lack of romance and gender are not distressing for me.

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The only thing distressing to me about being asexual is that there aren't enough of us "out" to be able to reliably find a partner who also wanted nothing to do with sex.  I did have a husband, and then a longtime partnership with a wonderful man, but they were both sexual and thus the relationships were marred by my struggle to be "normal".  

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Theres no definite "reason", some people become asexual because of past events, others become it out of beliefs, I personally was just never interested in sexual acts (excluding 1 person, when I was 22, which makes me grey zone, I suppose).

 

Homosexuality, heterosexuality, demisexuality, etc can all be caused by trauma or etc, but theres also people who are born this way.

 

To call asexuality a mental disorder seems very ignorant, but to say some cases of asexuality stem from mental disorders would be correct.

 

I never even used to have crushes when I was as young as 5; nothing traumatic has ever happened to me. This lasted until I was 22, and now I'm back to feeling no attraction towards anything.

Edited by SincereOne
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Nope, not a disorder. I have no issue also with making the exception for asexuality in the DSM criteria, or saying that the symptoms must cause distress. I have no distress about my lack of desire for partnered sex or a relationship. Several other diagnoses list exceptions to the criteria, and not being distressed or having a significant impact on your life as disqualifying one from diagnosis. I also like to sort things quite a bit. I will sort when it is meaningful to sort, but I will also sort meaningless things. I’ve been known to sort pieces in a trial mix. At times, my mother will accuse that this is OCD. It is not. It sometimes annoys people, but it causes me no distress, and does not impact my life in any significant way. I don’t have any internal compulsion to do these things. 

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