"Exposure to war-whether direct, through loved ones, or through constant media or news coverage-activates stress responses designed for survival. This includes heightened vigilance, intrusive imagery, and rumination about threat."
"Recent research by Lazar and colleagues (2024) studying civilians during the 2023 Israel-Hamas war found that exposure to war-related stress-both direct and through the media-was associated with increased psychological distress and disruptions in sexual well-being."
"Media exposure alone was significantly correlated with desire, arousal, lubrication and erection, orgasm, orgasm satisfaction, premature (early) ejaculation, sexual satisfaction and sexual distress."
War exposure, whether direct or through media coverage, activates survival stress responses that affect intimate relationships and sexual function. People experience varied reactions during collective threat: some lose sexual desire while others seek physical closeness and comfort. Intrusive war imagery can interrupt intimate moments when the brain remains in survival mode. Research on civilians during the 2023 Israel-Hamas war documented that media exposure alone significantly correlated with changes in desire, arousal, satisfaction, and sexual distress. Intimacy during crisis can function as a coping mechanism, helping people regulate fear and stress responses. These reactions are normal psychological responses to collective threat.
Read at Psychology Today
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