Why Am I Always Horny?

Why am I so horny? We’ve all been there! Being horny isn’t a bad thing, but if you’re always turned on, you may wonder why.

I know most people focus on low libido, which is a significant concern for some. However, I wanted to address the opposite. Libido alone is an individual feeling, so there’s really no such thing as a person being too horny.

However, if you can’t focus on your everyday life because your sexual thoughts and sexual energy are too high, it’s important to learn about the potential causes and what you can do to stop it.

Factors Affecting Sex Drive (How Horny You Are)

1. Diet

Some aphrodisiac foods can increase libido in some men and women. Chocolate and cheese contain phenylethylamine. This substance is an amphetamine that naturally gets manufactured by your brain to simulate love. Likewise, PEA is often thought of as being responsible for the hormonal rush you get during sex.

Research is inconclusive as to whether aphrodisiacs are effective, but some, such as omega-3 fats, avocados, and oysters, do contain minerals and vitamins that support your overall and sexual health.

2. Hormones for a High Sexual Desire

When thinking about your sex drive and hormones, testosterone levels often come to mind. Testosterone is linked to sexual function and desire in both genders, so when that’s high, the libido is usually higher.

There are plenty of bodily processes and lifestyle factors associated with higher levels of testosterone. They include hitting puberty, ovulation, and regular exercise. Sometimes, a woman’s hormonal birth control will raise their testosterone levels, which leads to a higher sex drive.

Though testosterone is linked to libido, it’s actually more nuanced than this. Both progesterone and estrogen affect libido, too. Estrogen is clearly linked with vaginal lubrication and blood flow to the genitals (physiological arousal).

However, we also have to think about the hormones contributing to connection, pleasure, and arousal. These include oxytocin and dopamine. They often flare up when you’re being romantic, so your libido is typically higher when you begin a new relationship!

3. Frequent Masturbation to Raise the Sex Drive

Masturbating frequently can indirectly and directly increase libido. When we ignore the body’s arousal cues and drive for too long because of stress, distraction, or no partner, the signals go dormant.

The more you engage in sexual activity of any sort, the easier it becomes to get physiologically aroused. Masturbation can help with that.

Likewise, masturbation increases the release of your hormones, such as testosterone and dopamine. While masturbation is a solo sport, it could boost pleasure with your partner, as well.

People who masturbate know what they like and can then communicate that to their partner. Therefore, they see more satisfaction in their personal relationships, which leads to better sexual communication and intimacy.

4. Alcohol for More Sexual Urges

Usually, people think that alcohol makes them feel hornier than normal. However, the relationship between your sex drive and alcohol is quite complicated.

One journal published a review in 1995 that stated alcohol consumption can increase subjective arousal, sexual desire, and pleasure in women, though it could lower physiological arousal. This is said to happen because alcohol will increase testosterone levels in women but simultaneously decreases their genital responsiveness. Therefore, it’s harder to orgasm.

Lowered inhibitions often make people become more open to sex than they would be if they were sober.

5. Pregnancy

A few factors can increase a woman’s sexual arousal during pregnancy. Women’s bodies have more estrogen, which can boost their sex drive. Likewise, there’s more blood flow in the genital areas, which will improve and increase sensation. These feelings are totally normal and can even be good.

Most women wonder, “Why am I horny all the time while pregnant? Is it safe?” In most cases, it is okay to have sex while pregnant unless your OB/GYN or doctor advises against it. However, sex could become uncomfortable as you move into the second and third trimesters, so you may have to use new positions.

Heterosexual couples can try the woman lying on her side and the male partner behind her. If there are two female partners, the pregnant one will likely be comfortable on her side, though the partner can be in a different position.

6. Menstrual Cycle

Feeling horny during or before your period is normal for women. The body experiences significant hormonal changes throughout the menstrual cycle, which could decrease or increase libido.

Overall, testosterone and estrogen will peak during ovulation, which happens roughly 14 days before your period. Those hormonal fluctuations often heighten the sex drive.

During your period, there’s more blood flow to the genital and pelvic regions. This is similar to the higher blood flow to the penis for an erection, so the vagina might get stimulated more easily. It’s okay to perform sexual activities during a period, though protection is usually best.

7. The Seasons

Some studies suggest that men could experience a drop in testosterone in the summer, which lowers their libido. Likewise, they could peak in the fall. Overall, this connects seasonal changes with sex drive.

Mood changes triggered by the seasons can affect sex drive, too. If you know you have seasonal depression, you might see a drop in your libido during those times. Women with low sexual desires are more likely to experience depression symptoms than women without a low sexual desire. Therefore, mental health and libido are very closely linked.

If you’re like me, you associate winter with seasonal affective disorder, but symptoms can pop up in the summer, as well. In a sense, this disorder is the response to drastic changes in sunlight and weather, which happen at the end of spring and the end of fall.

8. Your Bladder

Women might feel horny when they have a full bladder. The vagina, clitoris, and urethra are close together, so a full bladder will usually put more pressure on the genitals, which can stimulate arousal.

Unfortunately, these body parts are so close together that women are often at a higher risk of getting UTIs from sexual activity.

9. Situational Factors

There are many situational factors that might make someone feel horny. However, female desire is rarely spontaneous. Sexual desire is considered a biopsychosocial event. For it to happen, you need specific factors to be in play.

Here are some common factors that might turn you on in the moment:

• A New Relationship – Often called “the honeymoon phase,” this describes the start of a relationship. Partners can’t stop touching each other. Usually, their brains are filled with those feel-good hormones (dopamine and oxytocin). Therefore, they feel more sexually aroused and horny. You don’t need other situational factors because you’re so high on that new relationship energy.
• Being Around Attractive People – When you’re around people you think are attractive, you might think, “I am horny” all the time. This is especially true when you touch or flirt with them. You’re creating a personal micro-erotic climate, which can make you hornier because they’re activating the events that cause desire for you.
• Erotically-charged Situations – Dirty talk, sexting, watching pornography, and other sexually charged situations can trigger arousal and desire within the brain. This is more of the psycho-social aspect of passion, but it still plays a part.

Can You Be Too Horny in Your Sex Life?

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with feeling horny all the time. A healthy sexuality and sex life are crucial for a better quality of life and your overall health. Sexuality is healthy and normal, so having sex in any amount can positively contribute to your physical and mental health.

Some people naturally have higher sex drives than others. However, this should only be a problem if it’s disruptive or distracting for you. Being too horny is possible if it causes difficulty in life, though. If that happens, there are certain methods you can use to release sexual energy, which I’ll talk about below.

What’s Hypersexuality?

Hypersexual disorder is now defined as an inability to regulate one’s sexual behavior, leading it to become a source of significant personal distress. However, experts are hotly debating this topic.

Some experts don’t agree that it’s real, and it’s not recognized in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual

of Mental Disorders). Likewise, most therapists and counselors claim there’s not enough evidence to support a sex addiction.

However, if your experiences are leading to risky sexual behavior, or you feel like you have a sexual addiction, it’s best to talk to a sex therapist or seek professional help and support.

Overall, out-of-control sexual behavior is a real thing, but it isn’t classified as a disease. Instead, it’s all about finding balance between your emotions, values, pleasure, and sexuality.

Dealing with Horny Feelings Safely

Here are a few ways to deal with constant arousal:

Masturbate

The easiest way to get out that sexual energy when you’re constantly horny is to masturbate. Mindful masturbation and somatic techniques can energize the body while releasing stored erotic energy. Tantric practices could be helpful because it moves the energy into other things. Plus, you can continue with your sexual habits, even if you don’t have a partner.

Have Sex Regularly

When you’re feeling horny and have a partner who consents, you should have sex. Frequent intimacy will increase your overall satisfaction with the relationship. Likewise, sex has many health benefits, such as lowering stress, improving cognitive functioning, and more. You’ll also release sexual tension. Sex experts recommend partners have sex about every 48 hours.

Exercise

Though it’s a different physical activity, exercise can lower stress and even release those feel-good hormones. Overall, it could reduce the built-up sexual tension within your body if you can’t have sex regularly or don’t want to masturbate.

Find Other Sexual Outlets

Phone sex and virtual sex are some creative outlets to get that sexual energy out without engaging in the physical act. Watching porn alone or with a partner can scratch the itch, but it might lead to more sex. Regardless, it’s likely not going to hurt.

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness meditation is meant to help people focus on the moment at hand and connect with their breathing. The technique can treat addiction and may even assist with compulsive sexual behavior problems if they’re interfering with daily life.

Sometimes, people use meditation to get the masturbation effect without actually doing it.

When Should You Get Help?

If you’re feeling horny, and it’s interfering with your daily life (relationships, work, and other areas of life), or it’s distressing you significantly, you need to get help. You can work with a sex therapist or another reputable professional, such as a counselor. Usually, they will call it a sex addiction, even if that’s not considered real or legitimate in the professional world.

In many cases, men and women start engaging in risky sexual behaviors, which could damage their health. For example, you may sleep with multiple partners and end up with an STI. Likewise, you might forego a serious relationship or cheat if your partner doesn’t feel horny as often as you.

One major hang-up for those who feel horny a lot is shame. Usually, this comes from the stigma surrounding sexuality and masturbation. There’s no reason to feel ashamed because of your sexual interests. You can have a healthy sex drive without it being taboo.

A professional can help you work through those negative feelings.

Final Thoughts on Why You’re Horny All the Time

Why am I so horny all the time? It’s a question I get asked a lot, surprisingly, and many everyday factors could make you feel hornier than usual. Sometimes, you can control them, such as masturbating and what you’re eating. However, others are inevitable, such as the change of season or hormonal fluctuations.

It’s important to understand that a high libido is normal. Feeling horny is the body’s way of telling you that it feels good and wants sex. Unless your libido is interfering with daily life, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the sexual urges you experience.