Hi Sandra, I am a happily married man in my early 50's. I've always had a healthy libido but after a long period of intense stress I'm now struggling with this for the first time. My wife has been great but I'm really keen to recover this important aspect of my life, along with my energy levels, which have plummeted. Please help, John.
Hi John, I'm so glad that you asked this question. Whilst a lost libido is one of the most common outcomes of unrelenting stress, it's often the one we're the least comfortable talking about.
It's important to understand that a low to non-existent libido is one of the most common results of stress for both men and women. Our adrenal glands respond to stress with the release of adrenalin and cortisol, stress hormones that help our bodies respond to challenge. However, the body produces these hormones at the expense of reproductive hormones such as testosterone and estrogen. This helps us respond to life-threatening situations by focusing hormone production for survival rather than procreation, shutting down our sex drive in the process.
Traditional medicine can and does help in this area, but perhaps not in the way that you might have been led to believe on a late-night advertisement for a herbal product. Plant-based medicine works very differently to restore libido than pharmaceutical medicines; they work best to restore sex drive when taken regularly over a period of weeks, sometimes months, depending on the severity of the situation and the extent of stress. Because plant medicines work to restore the optimal functioning of the body, it's also normal to see a return of vitality, energy, endurance and an improved mood.
Key medicinal plants for restoring libido are:
