A Crisis is Perfect for a Trauma Bonding Affair

There is Nothing Like a Disaster to Boost Some Stressed-Out People’s Libido.

Trauma bonding. It’s what brought Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock’s characters together romantically in the 1994 movie Speed. They couldn’t do much sexy stuff in the speeding bus they were in, but you can bet that once they got off that crazy thing, they made a beeline for the bedroom. Why? Because sex is a great way to relieve physical and emotional stress during a crisis!

It doesn’t matter how oppressive or permissive a culture is, when things go completely sideways, people find a way to fuck away their fears. Sometimes the sex includes a committed partner. Sometimes it’s a total stranger. Sometimes it’s a trained professional, either in person or via the miracle of the internet.

Initially, the idea of someone pursuing sexual pleasure during a devastating flood, tornado, monsoon, earthquake, war, or other extremely traumatic disaster seems ridiculous. What kind of sick pervert wants to get jiggy while fearing for their life? According to Psychology Today, a lot more people do it than you might think.

The New York Times reported in 1977 that during the mid-20^th century, the then Soviet Union experienced a surge in extramarital affairs and non-traditional gender behavior. The catastrophe for the Soviet citizens to endure and survive was WWII and the utterly brutal regime of Joseph Stalin. Political persecution led to executions, imprisonment, and forced labor camps, along with an explosion in heavy industry and mandatory farm collectives produced famine and over development of the countryside.

Additionally, it resulted in a significant number of births, regardless of the ease of access to contraceptives. This can also be seen in 1999 Turkey, 2001 Gujarat India, and 2005 Pakistan. Each of those three situations saw citizens coping with devastating earthquakes that killed tens of thousands of people, injured hundreds of thousands more, destroyed countless buildings, and left millions homeless. On its surface, these do not sound ideal for romance or sex, yet in all instances, they resulted in population increases.

It's possible that some people just get off on the idea or practice of fornicating among the ruins of their civilization but most of the people doing it have other motives. They may not even know why their libido has become so insistent but, as they say, nature finds a way.

After a natural disaster, survivors, especially those who remain in areas struck the hardest or located closest to the source of destruction may find intercourse comforting and reassuring. It may help soothe the immediate effects of posttraumatic stress disorder and, by doing so, begins the process of restabilizing the population.

We see the same results when the trauma is caused by disease epidemics. After the Black Plague in Europe and the pre-vaccine days of COVID-19, birth rates increased, so we know sex was happening. The heightened birth rate did not last for long once a COVID vaccine was developed. Likewise, after the Plague, it took a while for enough of the population to be replenished before a rebound was felt. Nonetheless, there was a whole lotta fuckin’ going on.

When people struggle to survive or cope emotionally with a human-caused disaster, similar coping devices are employed. They do not necessarily stem from the same source of stress as other types of crisis-inspired copulation. There’s little doubt that in all causes of trauma-bonded sex strong motivators are physical and emotional reassurance and connection, but in some cases, the very act of love or sex can be a radical political act of defiance. A willingness to participate in unconventional relationships while under the thumb of an oppressive regime is an act of civil disobedience.

An article that appeared in the Los Angeles Times after the September 11 attacks is referenced by Psychology Today to illustrate how some of those who witnessed the events in-person, on the television, or via the internet explained their sudden horniness. Like soldiers shipping off for war, Americans after 9-11 were suddenly acutely aware of the sobering, trauma-linked realities of mortality, vulnerability, and uncertainty. The result for many was a boost in sexual appetite and a decrease in partner selectivity.

Unfortunately, these dangerous times don’t just inspire an urge to get up close and personal with others for mutually consensual purposes. Whether a woman be a homemaker, college student, university professor, brain surgeon, or exotic dancer, their chance of being the victim of sexual violence increases. It’s nothing new, either. Even a little knowledge of history contains at least one story of a conquering tribe, army, or mob that delighted in raping and pillaging. Along with the reassuring potential for free or commercial sex during or after a crisis there is a dark cloud of danger to be aware of and avoid.

But, for those determined to share some love-sweet-love during a catastrophe, what is it about all the snuggling, cuddling, kissing, talking dirty, oral sex, threeways, porn downloads, strip club visits, anonymous encounters, jack-off sessions, and Full Monty fuck sessions that ultimately makes it worth the effort?

Dopamine.

Dopamine is the best friend humans didn’t consciously realize they had, let alone wanted to spend a lot of time with. Frustration, stress, annoyance, anxiety, sorrow, favorite foods, success, romance, and life-affirming sex can all boost the level of dopamine in our brains. Too much of the unpleasant, “oh, my god we’re going to die” response can harm dopamine production, however.

What dopamine does is make us happy. It is our reward for surviving horrors. It gives us hope that things will be better. It boosts our sense of motivation so we can do more than just be victims of circumstance. It is a gift from nature that has kept the human species alive for millenia. No matter the cause of trauma, dopamine is there to cheer us and pump up our libidos.