Let’s Talk Sex | Why Drugs and Alcohol are Bad for Your Bedroom Performance?

Sex may permeate our popular culture, but conversations about it are still associated with stigma and shame in Indian households. As a result, most individuals dealing with sexual health issues or trying to find information about sex often resort to unverified online sources or follow the unscientific advice of their friends.

To address the widespread misinformation about sex, News18.com is running this weekly sex column, titled ‘Let’s Talk Sex’. We hope to initiate conversations about sex through this column and address sexual health issues with scientific insight and nuance.

In this article, we will delve into the reasons why drugs and alcohol are bad for your bedroom performance.

When it comes to matters of the bedroom, intimacy and sexual performance play a vital role in maintaining healthy relationships. However, certain lifestyle choices can have a detrimental impact on our bedroom performance. Two common factors that significantly affect sexual performance are drug use and alcohol consumption.

For men, alcohol and drug use can cause erectile dysfunction, making it difficult to achieve or maintain an erection and for women, the use of drugs and alcohol can decrease libido and lead to difficulty achieving orgasm. It can also lead to decreased lubrication, making sex uncomfortable or painful.

How Drugs and Alcohol Affect Your Sex Drive and Libido?

We all know that drugs and alcohol can negatively impact your performance in the bedroom. Here’s how:

• Your libido takes a major hit.Both drugs and alcohol decrease your testosterone levels, the hormone responsible for your sex drive. Less testosterone means less interest in sex.
• Arousal and orgasms become more difficult.Drugs like cocaine, opioids, and alcohol make it harder for men to get and maintain an erection and reach climax. For women, drugs and alcohol narrow the blood vessels, making arousal and lubrication more challenging.
• Your senses are dulled.When you’re under the influence, you’re less sensitive to touch, sight, sound and smell — all of which are important for sexual pleasure and intimacy.
• Your stamina decreases. Drugs and alcohol sap your energy and endurance. You’ll tire more easily, making the kind of energetic sex you want less likely.
• Your judgment is impaired.Intoxication often leads to risky behaviour and impaired decision making. You’re more prone to make choices in the heat of the moment that you may seriously regret the next day.

Reduced Physical Sensitivity and Pleasure

Alcohol and drugs negatively impact your ability to feel and respond to physical pleasure during intimacy. They depress your central nervous system, making it harder to become aroused and delaying orgasm. This makes sex feel less enjoyable and satisfying for both you and your partner.

Some substances like cocaine and methamphetamines may temporarily increase libido and arousal, but they also frequently cause erectile dysfunction in men and prevent orgasm in women. Over time, these drugs can damage your nerves and blood vessels, further hampering your ability to become intimate. Using any mood-altering substance to enhance your sex life is dangerous and unsustainable. Relying on artificial means for pleasure or escape from problems will only make the underlying issues worse. The healthiest approach is to connect with your partner through honest communication, foreplay, mindfulness, and learning what you both genuinely enjoy without chemical assistance.

Long-Term Effects on Performance and Relationships

Long-term drug and alcohol use can wreak havoc on your sexual performance and relationships.

• Reduced Libido: Over time, many drugs and alcohol lower your sex drive or libido. They impact the parts of your brain responsible for arousal and desire. Your interest in sex may decrease, and when you do have sex, it may feel less pleasurable or satisfying.
• Erectile Dysfunction: For men, long-term substance abuse is a major cause of erectile dysfunction (ED) or impotence. Drugs and alcohol damage the nerves and blood vessels required to achieve and maintain an erection. What started as occasional difficulty can become a chronic problem that medications struggle to fix.
• Difficulty Orgasming: Achieving orgasm requires a complex interplay of neurological and physiological factors that drugs and alcohol interrupt. For both men and women, the ability to climax during sex may become increasingly elusive and frustrating. Sensations feel dulled, arousal is harder to reach, and the big “O” stays out of reach.
• Relationship Troubles: When sex and intimacy suffer, relationships often follow suit. Substance abuse leads to emotional unavailability, secrets, distrust, arguments, and lack of bonding between partners. Rebuilding a healthy sex life and reconnecting emotionally becomes one of the biggest challenges in recovery. But with time and effort, it is possible.

Ditch the drinks for more satisfying sex

The solution is simple: Skip the substances for better sex. Staying sober will:

• Sharpen your senses so you can better appreciate your partner’s touch, scent and sounds. Paying closer attention to the little details leads to more intimacy and greater satisfaction for both parties.
• Give you greater control and stamina. Without alcohol or drugs in your system, you’ll have an easier time pacing yourself, changing positions and sustaining an erection for as long as you both desire.
• Enable you to be fully present in the moment. When your mind isn’t clouded, you can focus entirely on your partner’s body language, facial expressions and rhythms to determine what they find most pleasurable. Your enhanced connection and responsiveness will make for an unforgettable experience for you both.

Trading a night of drinking or drugs for an evening of sober sex may require a little willpower and self-restraint initially. But discovering (or rediscovering) the joys of intimacy with a clear mind will make it well worth the effort. Your sex life, relationship and overall wellbeing will benefit from this small lifestyle change.

The hard truth is that what you put into your body directly impacts what comes out of it — in and out of the bedroom. If you want to be firing on all cylinders when it’s time to get intimate, lay off the stuff that dulls your senses and slows your body and mind. Your partner will thank you, and you’ll find that natural highs are way more satisfying. Staying in control of yourself means staying in control of your performance and pleasure. Make the smart choice — your sex life depends on it!

Prof (Dr) Saransh Jain is the winner of the Swasth Bharat Rattan Award and is a Certified and Licensed Sexologist by the American Board of Sexology. He is currently a Senior Consultant at Dr SK Jain’s Burlington Clinic in Lucknow. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.