Reclaiming Desire: 4 Keys to Finding Your Lost Libido

Front Cover
4 Keys to Finding Your Lost Libido

Anyone who has stood in a supermarket checkout line has seen all the sexy headlines on women's magazines, touting exciting new ways for readers to drive their men wild in bed or to heighten their own sexual pleasure. These are tantalizing promises, to be sure. But they sorely miss the mark.

The fact is, many women aren't interested in more sex or better sex. They aren't interested in sex at all. They used to be, of course. Over months or even years, their sexual desire all but disappeared. And they can't understand why.

Through years of clinical practice, Andrew Goldstein, M.D., and Marianne Brandon, Ph.D., have worked with scores of clients who aren't satisfied with their sex drives. They've seen how women struggle to open up about this very personal and painful problem. And they've seen how it can erode women's self-esteem and strain intimate relationships.

In Reclaiming Desire, Dr. Goldstein and Dr. Brandon present a self-care version of their highly effective holistic approach to treating low libido.

Inside you'll find:
- An exclusive self-test to assess physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual health--the four cornerstones of a healthy sex drive

- Essential information on how major life events like pregnancy, menopause, and divorce can affect a woman's sexual health

- A range of practical measures, from conventional and herbal medicines to mind-body techniques and lifestyle strategies, that can help rekindle sexual desire

- Personal stories that draw upon the real-life experiences of women who once struggled with low libido--and emerged with a greater understanding of their sexual selves

Reclaiming Desire also offers a healthy dose of reassurance and encouragement as an antidote to all of the misconceptions about low libido. As you'll learn, a decline in sex drive doesn't automatically happen with age. And while hormones influence sexual desire and response, they don't determine a woman's sexual destiny. Just as important, low libido doesn't necessarily point to a problem in a woman's relationship with her partner. More than likely, she simply has lost touch with her sexual self.

Unlike those magazine headlines, Reclaiming Desire will more than live up to its promise. With this book, you can reclaim your desire--and make your sex life better than ever.
 

Contents

Getting to Know Your Sex Drive
10
The Sexual Desire SelfTest
24
The First Key Physical Health
31
In Touch with Physical Pleasure
49
The Hormone Factor
72
Testosterone for Your Sex Drive
85
Boosting Dopamine for Better Libido
101
Aphrodisiacs from Medicine and Nature
107
The Hidden Impact of Sexual Trauma
165
The Benefits of Not Wanting Sex
180
The Third Key Intellectual Fulfillment
191
Inside Your Sexual Mindset
204
The Fourth Key Spiritual Contentment
215
Life Passages and Your Libido
229
The Miracle of Motherhood
253
Not Your Mothers Menopause
276

The Second Key Emotional Resilience
119
Cultivating a Healthy Body Image
135
Depression Anxiety and Stress
147
Surviving and Thriving after Divorce
291
Epilogue
307
Copyright

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Page 310 - Can't Get Over It: A Handbook for Trauma Survivors. Second Edition. Oakland, Calif.: New Harbinger Publications, 1996.
Page 310 - Sex and Back Pain: Advice on Restoring Comfortable Sex Lost to Back Pain.

About the author (2004)

Andrew Goldstein, M.D., and Marianne Brandon, Ph.D., are cofounders of the Sexual Wellness Center in Annapolis, Maryland, where they specialize in treating women's sexual health problems. Dr. Goldstein divides his time between Annapolis and New York City; Dr. Brandon resides in Annapolis.

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