Sex is like pizza: Even when it’s bad, it’s not really that bad, right? Maybe not.
A recent piece in Psychology Today by Aaron Ben-Zeév, Ph.D., explores the concept of “junk sex.” Using intimacy as the “nutritional value” of healthy sex, he suggests that junk sex includes no intimacy, is reliant on “wild, intense desires,” and can be addictive. Much like junk food, he reasons, it offers no nutritional value and too much of it can easily become detrimental to one’s health.
However, like the occasional “cheat day,” indulging in junk sex once in a while won’t derail your entire healthy lifestyle. The key is to recognize when it’s becoming an unhealthy habit.
“Junk sex is sex that leaves you feeling guilty or unsatisfied,” says clinical psychologist and author Belisa Vranich. “It’s a lot like junk food-you get to that end and you’re like, ‘Uh, I wish I hadn’t done that.’ Both with junk food and junk sex, you figure you’ll learn each time, but somehow you get pulled back in.”
