Couples who live in areas affected by wars, terrorist attacks, or natural disasters may experience high levels of stress that can impact their sexual behaviors and emotional stability. This situation is known as PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which affects millions of people worldwide. These events create psychological damage to the victims of these conflicts, affecting how they interact socially and physically with others. Couples who are exposed to such situations face many difficulties when it comes to intimacy. In this article, I will discuss the ways in which living near active conflict zones influences couples' sexual behavior, emotional safety, and relational intimacy.
The first thing that happens when a couple lives close to an area under attack is fear. The couple feels threatened about their security and safety and they become worried about what might happen next. Such feelings make them tense all the time, making it difficult for them to relax enough to be sexually aroused.
Imagine you are sitting with your partner watching television while there are bomb explosions outside your house; would you feel like having sex? Of course not! It becomes impossible because you have no control over your surroundings and you are just trying to protect yourself from danger. This leads to emotional distress, causing one or both partners to develop anxiety issues that affect their relationships.
Another way that living in conflict zones influences couples' sexual behavior is that it creates mistrust between them. When two people do not trust each other, intimacy suffers because there is no bonding or closeness anymore. People who live in areas where wars take place cannot rely on anyone since nobody knows what will happen tomorrow or even today; therefore, they keep their guard up at all times. They become suspicious of everyone around them, including their spouses. These feelings lead to low self-esteem, which further worsens the relationship. It also makes communication more difficult as they find themselves arguing often because neither wants to let go of their defensive attitudes.
Relational intimacy refers to how much emotionally connected couples are with each other. Couples who reside near active warzones experience high levels of stress due to constant threats of attacks. That means that whenever something happens, one partner has to worry about the other one being safe, especially if he/she stays home alone during such periods. As a result, there is less time left for building an intimate relationship between partners. The constant fear affects everything from romance to trust issues. You cannot enjoy yourself while thinking about bombs exploding outside your house. It takes away any possibility of intimacy between you and your partner, making things worse than before. Such conditions make people withdraw into themselves rather than open up to others.
How does living near active conflict zones influence couples' sexual behavior, emotional safety, and relational intimacy?
Living in an area with ongoing violent conflicts can have various effects on individuals' relationships. Studies show that partners who reside in regions with high levels of unrest are more prone to experience increased tension and anxiety due to heightened fear of being attacked by insurgents or terrorists (Ross et al. , 2019).