Understanding Your Sexual Arousal Type: Responsive Sexual Arousal

This is the second part of a series about sexual arousal types.  The prior article was Understanding Your Sexual Arousal Type: Spontaneous Arousal.   

Understanding Responsive Sexual Arousal

As I mentioned in my prior article, both spontaneous and responsive sexual arousal are normal.  But since spontaneous sexual arousal is most often portrayed in movies and TV programs, many people believe that responsive arousal is abnormal.  This includes people who often come to sex therapy believing they have either low libido or there's something else wrong with them.

As a result, responsive sexual arousal is usually misunderstood, so it's worth spending some time to discuss it here.

One caveat: For a variety of reasons, sexual arousal type isn't always constant.  It can change over time in different contexts, with age, with different people and during different phases of a relationship.  

Characteristics of People with Responsive Sexual Arousal

If you're unsure as to whether you experience spontaneous or responsive sexual arousal, you can take a look at the characteristics of the spontaneous type in the prior article and compare it to the characteristics described below for the responsive type and see which one resonates with you.

The responsive type tends to experience sexual arousal:

• As a reaction to a sexual stimulus

• Within an erotic context

• By experiencing a willingness to have sex with a partner  

A willingness to have sex means starting to have sex before experiencing sexual arousal and then experiencing sexual arousal as a result of getting sexually involved (see my article: For People With a Responsive Sexual Arousal Type, a Willingness to Have Sex is Often Enough to Get Sexually Aroused - Part 1 and Part 2).  

It's important to note that a willingness to have sex doesn't mean that someone is forcing themselves to have nonconsensual sex. 

Instead, a willingness to have sex means that people with responsive arousal know that they'll get sexually turned on eventually as a result of engaging in consensual sex, including kissing, cuddling or whatever gets them turned on. 

This is different from the spontaneous arousal type where arousal often begins with thinking about sex which leads to getting physically turned on.  

For the responsive arousal type, they need to experience it physically first before they get mentally turned on.  This is why starting sexual activities on a physical level eventually gets them turned on mentally.

It's not unusual for people with the responsive type to recognize during or even after sex that they got turned on.  So they might reflect to themselves after sex, "This was good. I enjoyed this.  We should do this more often."

Relationships Where People Have Different Sexual Arousal Types

It's very common for people in a relationship to have different sexual arousal types.  One person might have a spontaneous type and the other might have a responsive type (see the prior article for clinical vignettes illustrating these differences).

A discrepancy in arousal type is one of the most common reasons why people seek help in sex therapy (see my articles: What is Sex Therapy? and What Are the Most Common Issues Discussed in Sex Therapy?).

The person who unknowingly experiences responsive arousal often thinks that they have low libido or no libido, especially when they compare themselves to their partner with spontaneous arousal.  

But responsive arousal isn't low libido.  It's just a different way of getting sexually turned on.  So, when people with responsive arousal realize this, they're often relieved.  Then, they can focus on what to do sexually so they and their partners both get turned on.

Clinical Vignette: Understanding Responsive Sexual Arousal

The following clinical vignette, which is a composite of many cases to protect confidentiality, illustrates how sex therapy can help a couple where they believe one of them has low libido when, in fact, she really has responsive sexual arousal.

Anna

When Anna began sex therapy, she told her sex therapist she felt discouraged about her so-called "low libido" and she worried about the effect this was having on her two year relationship with Mick.  

She told her sex therapist that when she and Mick first got together, they had a passionate sex life.  She remembered that just the anticipation of seeing each other was enough to get them both sexually excited.

But after the first six months, although Mick continued to be enthusiastic about having sex, Anna's sexual interest waned for reasons she didn't understand.

She told her therapist that she often rejected Mick's sexual advances because she "just wasn't in the mood."  She didn't understand what happened and told her therapist, "I feel broken."

As part of the sex therapy assessment, her sex therapist explored Anna's family, relationship and sexual histories in detail over the next few sessions.  

The sex therapist explained sexual arousal types, including spontaneous and responsive types, and she emphasized that both types are normal.  

She told Anna that she wasn't broken--she just experienced arousal in a different way after the initial excitement related to the early stage of the relationship.  

She explained to Anna that the early stage of a relationship usually includes new relationship energy (NRE) where people feel a rush of dopamine and oxytocin, but NRE wears off anywhere from a few months to a few years.  

After NRE subsides, she explained, the initial excitement subsides and it becomes evident that one person might have a responsive type of sexual arousal, which seemed to be the case with Anna.

Based on Anna's sexual history, the sex therapist evaluated that Anna did not have low libido.  She told Anna that responsive sexual arousal often gets mistaken for low libido.  Then, she suggested, since Anna didn't have a sexual problem, that Anna invite Mick to join her in sex therapy sessions so they could work on their different experiences of arousal together as a couple.

Working together in sex therapy, Anna and Mick learned how they each experienced sexual arousal as individuals and what they needed to do to have good sex together (see my article: What is Good Sex?).

As part of their sex therapy, they explored their sexual memories of being together when they first started seeing each other.  One thing they both agreed upon was that during the early days the anticipation of knowing they would be sexual was a powerful aphrodisiac for both of them (see my article: A Cornerstone of Eroticism: Longing and Anticipation).

They also learned about their particular sex script as a couple and what changes they could make so sex would be more pleasurable for both of them (see my article: Relationships: Understanding Your Sex Script).

Their sex therapist provided them with psychoeducation about emotional aphrodisiacs and helped them to increase the erotic energy between them by building longing and anticipation into their sexual activities.  

One way they accomplished this was they planned to have sex at least a few days in advance.

At first, Anna and Mick thought that planning to have sex would be unsexy.  This was because they were both stuck on the idea that hot sex should happen spontaneously and effortlessly like the way they saw it portrayed on TV and in movies.  But they soon learned that planning to have sex could be very sexy.  

During the days before they planned to have sex, each of them allowed themselves to have sexual fantasies about what they wanted to do sexually.  

They also learned how to be sexually playful with each other leading up to the day they planned to have sex by sending sexy texts messages to each other and playfully teasing each other in other ways.  This helped to build sexual tension, longing and anticipation for each of them.

Understanding Responsive Sexual Arousal

Anna and Mick became aware that if they both slowed down and spent more time engaging in foreplay, sex was more pleasurable for both of them (see my article: Rethinking Foreplay as More Than Just a Prelude to Intercourse).

By the end of sex therapy, Anna no longer felt broken. Both she and Mick developed a better understanding of spontaneous and responsive sexual arousal and what they each needed to get turned on, so sex became exciting again for both of them.

Conclusion

Everyone is different when it comes to how they experience sexual arousal.

It's not unusual for each person in a relationship to experience discrepancies in sexual arousal, but if each person understands what the other needs to feel sexually aroused, these discrepancies can be worked out in sex therapy.

Getting Help in Sex Therapy

Sex therapy is for individual adults and people in relationships.

Sex therapy is a form of talk therapy. It doesn't involve any nudity, physical exams or sex during sessions (see my article: What Are the Most Common Misconceptions About Sex Therapy?).

Many people feel uncomfortable talking about sex even with their partners, and sex therapy can people to get comfortable so they can communicate about sex more effectively (see my article: How to Talk to Your Partner About Sex - Part 1 and Part 2).

A skilled sex therapist can also help you to discover your sexual arousal type as well as your sex script so you can make changes to have a more satisfying sex life.

Rather than struggling on your own, seek from a skilled sex therapist.

About Me

I am a licensed New York City psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR, AEDP, EFT, Somatic Experiencing and Sex Therapist.

I work with individual adults and couples.

To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during regular business hours or email me.

Understanding Your Sexual Arousal Type: Spontaneous Sexual Arousal

In my prior article, Understanding Why You and Your Partner Might Experience Differences in Sexual Arousal: Spontaneous and Responsive Sexual Arousal, I began a discussion about the differences between spontaneous and responsive sexual arousal.  

Understanding Your Sexual Arousal Type

I also discussed that differences in how people experience sexual arousal is a common problem for couples and often leads to the demise of the relationship if the couple doesn't get help in sex therapy.

In this article, I'm focusing on spontaneous sexual arousal in more detail, and I'll discuss responsive arousal in detail in my next article.

Characteristics of People With Spontaneous Sexual Arousal

If you're not sure which sexual arousal type you are, see if the characteristics listed below resonate with you and then read the upcoming article article on responsive arousal to see if you identify with those characteristics (I'll post a link at the end of this article when I've written this second article).

According to sex educator and author, Dr. Emily Nagoski, who wrote Come As You Are, 75% of men and 15% of women experience spontaneous sexual arousal and both types are normal.

The following general characteristics describe many individuals with spontaneous sexual arousal:

• Sex is very important to them.

• They're curious about sex and thinking about sex most of the time regardless of the circumstances and context.

• They love any opportunity to talk about sex and if the opportunity doesn't naturally arise, they might create an opportunity.

• They're very aware of their bodies, especially when they're sexually turned on.

• Their body is easily and spontaneously aroused sexually for no apparent reason.

• They're often ready for sex at any moment. 

• They have frequent sexual fantasies.

• They're often frequent masturbators.

• They often use sex, either solo sex (masturbation) or partnered sex, as a way to relieve stress and anxiety.

• They often exude sexual energy--it's like sexual energy is coming out of their pores and others are often aware of it and can get turned on by it.

• They're more likely to be the sexual initiator.  If they don't actually initiate sex, they give off flirty vibes and let the other person know, sometimes subtly and sometimes boldly, that they're sexually turned on and open to having sex.

• They're often willing to have sex anywhere and anytime without any particular external sexual stimulation or sexual initiation from the other person.  If they're particularly turned on, this might mean that they have car sex or other types of public place (parks, movies, dark corners in museums and so on).

• For women: Spontaneous sexual arousal often includes the following characteristics:

• Nipples are hard (often visible for women with large nipples)
• Genitals become wet
• Clitoris, in particular, is engorged with blood, erect and becomes more sensitive
• Body temperature rises
• Blood pressure might rise 
• Breath is often deeper
• Skin tone might become flush
• Licking or biting lips

• For men: Spontaneous sexual arousal for men often includes many of the same characteristics that women experience, and in addition:

• A focus on their penis
• Penis can get hard and erect fairly easily when aroused and for no apparent reason
• Physical contact including touching the other person's arm, shoulder, back or leg or pressing their leg against the other person if they're seated
• Voice often becomes deeper
• Awareness of the other person's body, which they're checking out
• Complimentary to someone they're turned on by
• Sit with their legs spread when they're with someone they're aroused by
• Try to get physically close to the other person

Clinical Vignettes

The following clinical vignettes, which are composites to protect confidentiality, are about people of the same and different arousal types:

Scenario 1: Ken and Jill: 

Two People With Spontaneous Sexual Arousal

When Ken and Jill met at a mutual friend's party, they were sexually attracted to one another instantly.  Ken noticed Jill's sexy vibe and he was instantly drawn to her.  He was also aware of his sexual response to her and to her body.

Jill was also aware that she was sexually turned on by Ken immediately and she was already having sexual fantasies about what she and Ken could be doing sexually later on that night.  She noticed that when they sat down on the couch, Ken sat close to her so that his leg was touching and slightly pressing hers, and she felt tingles all over her body.  

By the end of the night, they were back at Jill's place having passionate sex.  

Scenario 2: John and Ann: 

One Person With Spontaneous Arousal and One Person With Responsive Sexual Arousal

John and Ann met on a dating app. When they met for their first date, John was immediately drawn to Ann sexually.  He could barely listen to what she was saying because he was so turned on.  Although Ann liked John, she wasn't sexually turned on. 

After three dates, Ann had mixed feelings about inviting John up to her apartment, but she invited him with the understanding that she wanted to "take things slowly." Although he was a little disappointed, John agreed.  

After settling on the couch, John initiated a kiss and Ann responded.  Although she enjoyed kissing John, her mind was preoccupied with thoughts about an interview she had the following day, so she told John she needed to end the date early.  Once again, John was disappointed, but he liked Ann and he decided to give things a chance between them.  

For their next date, John arranged for a candlelight dinner at a quiet and romantic restaurant and Ann was pleasantly surprised. By then, she had gotten the job offer and she was no longer stressed about that.  

When they went up to John's apartment, John was very turned on, and Ann wasn't turned on at that point.  But when they kissed, Ann became aware that she felt a sexual attraction for John and they had sex that night.

Discussion About the Two Scenarios

In Scenario 1, both people experienced spontaneous sexual arousal.  They were both aware they were turned on by each other, so they were both ready to have sex.

In Scenario 2, John experienced spontaneous sexual arousal and Ann experienced responsive arousal. For people who experience responsive arousal, context is important.  

Since Ann was preoccupied with thoughts about her upcoming interview, the context wasn't right for her with regard to feeling sexually aroused.

Stress and anxiety can get in the way of sexual arousal for anyone, but this is especially true for people with responsive arousal.  

When John chose a restaurant that had a quiet, calm and romantic environment, he helped to create the right context for Ann, who was also no longer anxious and stressed about her interview.  

Kissing at John's apartment also helped Ann to get sexually aroused (prior to that she wasn't sexually aroused).  

Since she experienced responsive sexual arousal, kissing (or any type of sexual activity) was important to help her to get in the mood.  

If these two people continued to see each other, they both would need to be aware of the other person's sexual arousal type with John slowing down to give Ann a chance to get turned on and Ann being willing to start sex (kissing, touching) in order to get turned on.

As I will discuss in my next article, people with responsive sexual arousal often need the context to be conducive to sexual arousal, and they often don't feel sexually aroused until they begin having sex. 

In this case, I'm using the word "sex" in a broad sense--not just sexual intercourse--to include kissing, touching and other forms of sexual activity that occur before intercourse. 

Next Article: Understanding Your Sexual Arousal Type: Spontaneous Sexual Arousal

Getting Help in Sex Therapy

Since 75% of men and only 15% of women experience spontaneous sexual arousal, discrepancies are obviously common in heterosexual relationships.

A discrepancy in arousal type can get worked through in a relationship if each person understands their own and their partner's arousal type and if they're willing to work on it in sex therapy.

Couples therapists, who aren't trained in sex therapy, often don't know how to help clients with different arousal types.  Often, they focus on helping the clients to improve their communication and work on things that will bring them closer together emotionally.  This can work for some couples, but it doesn't always help others because there are many couples who have great relationships outside of the bedroom, including great communication, but their sex life either isn't good or it's nonexistent.

A skilled sex therapist can help couples understand and work with their sexual arousal discrepancy so that they are more sexually attuned to each other and they can have more satisfying sex (see my articles: What is Sex Therapy? and What Are the Most Common Issues Discussed in Sex Therapy?).

Sex therapy is a form of talk therapy.  There is no physical exam, nudity or touching between the client(s) and the sex therapist (see my article: What Are the Most Common Misconceptions About Sex Therapy?).

Rather than struggling on your own, seek help from a sex therapist who is knowledgeable about sexual arousal types and who has helped couples to overcome problems with discrepant sexual arousal.

About Me

I am a licensed New York City psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, EMDR, AEDP, EFT, Somatic Experiencing and Sex Therapist.

I work with individual adults and couples.

To find out more about me, visit my website: Josephine Ferraro, LCSW - NYC Psychotherapist.

To set up a consultation, call me at (917) 742-2624 during business hours or email me.