Depression and Loss of Desire

A loss of interest in sex does not automatically happen with age. However, older adults do tend to have more health problems than younger people, and certain conditions and treatments for them can lead to depression. Depression, in turn, can lead to a lack of desire.

If you or your partner have any of the following conditions, your lack of interest in sex may be related to depression:

• Arthritis
• Diabetes mellitus
• Emphysema and chronic bronchitis
• Heart disease
• Parkinson's disease

Your doctor can help you sort out whether your lack of desire has a physical or emotional cause. In some cases, a doctor's reassurance can do wonders. Many people who have had a heart attack, for instance, are afraid that sex may bring on another attack. In fact, the chance of this happening is only about 20 in 1 million!

If you have had any of the following procedures, you have a higher than usual chance of developing depression and losing interest in sex:

• Colostomy and ileostomy
• Hysterectomy
• Mastectomy
• Prostatectomy

Support groups and counseling can help you work through depression and get back to a healthy sex life with your partner.

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Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02215
URL: http://www.positiveaging.org/consumer/lc_sex2.shtml
Category: Life Changes Sex After Sixty
Page Name: Depression and Loss of Desire