“If you had given me the choice of going out, beating four men and smashing in a goal from 30 yards or going to bed with Miss World, it would have been a difficult choice.

Luckily, I had both.”
~ George Best, Irish and Manchester United footballer and alcoholic (1946-2005)

You may have just read the quote above, and thought to yourself, “Jeez! What a lucky guy!” However, luck didn’t come into it with George – football genius and addiction did. Yes, he was gifted as a player, in both senses of the word. Opposition players and stunningly beautiful women would literally fall at his feet. However, for the vast majority of his adult life, until it killed him, George was an alcoholic, never able to break free from the iron chains of his addiction.

It was 5 years before his death that George was diagnosed with severe liver damage, with his liver functioning at a life-threatening 20%. Still, he drank. Marriages had failed, with details emerging of violence on his part. Still, he drank. He received a liver transplant 3 years later. Even as a shell of the man he used to be, he was still popular with the ladies. And still, he drank, never stopping until he died.

People in the public eye, such as famous celebrities or sports stars, are deemed to have it all – the amazing lifestyle, the drop-dead gorgeous bed partners, and more offshore bank accounts than notches on your bedpost. However, the famous are human too, as George’s story clearly demonstrates, and they can struggle with addiction and mental illness like the rest of us. Having money doesn’t buy a cure. They can also struggle to maintain anything remotely like a normal sex-life if addiction is part of the rest of their life, as a few of George’s conquests testified to after his demise.

My name is Andy, I’m a thirty-something digital marketing entrepreneur, and a recovering drug addict and alcoholic, who has now notched up over 9 years of being clean and sober. This addiction recovery hasn’t been recorded on a bedpost, in case you were wondering. As a heterosexual male, I know exactly how addiction can directly affect you’re sex-life – your prowess, your desire, your enjoyment, and your emotions and feelings towards your partner.

Once upon a time, the fabled “sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll” lifestyle used to the aspiration of many a young man or woman. Believe me, drugs and/or alcohol can actually stop you being able to do one of the other two, and sometimes both. This article is designed to inform you of just how difficult and unhealthy that may become – here are just 5 of the important facts about substance abuse and sex.

Binge-Drinking & Sex

“Binge-drinking” may be a relatively new phrase linguistically, but its practice is as old as the hills. You can guarantee that many men in Medieval times were often struck down by Erectile Dysfunction from the effects of the odd barrel or two of mead after a hard day laboring in the fields. Here’s another, more up-to-date phrase for you – “whiskey penis.” I don’t believe that warrants an explanation.

• Heavy drinking is proven to be one of the main reasons for erectile dysfunction. This is why:
• The higher the blood alcohol content, the harder it is for the brain to actually sense and respond to sexual stimulation
• Alcohol interferes with the nervous system, which governs your arousal and orgasm
• Alcohol also causes blood vessel dilation, altering the manner in which blood flows to and from said whiskey penis, and
• Lastly, alcohol is also a diuretic, leading to dehydration and the release of angiotensin, a hormone proven to lead to erectile dysfunction

Chronic Alcoholism & Sex

Take your consumption of alcohol to full-scale addiction levels, and your intake may well leave you with a host of medical issues with sex. A 2007 study on the correlation between alcohol dependence and sexual dysfunction found 72% of the test subjects were experiencing one or more of the following:

• Erectile dysfunction
• Difficulty in achieving orgasm
• Premature ejaculation
• Sexual aversion disorder, and
• Reduced libido

Female Alcoholics & Sex

Obviously, it’s not just the gentlemen who can be affected by sexual dysfunction linked to alcohol abuse – women can be too. A more recent study (2017) of women with alcohol dependence found:

• Low desire: 55%
• Unable to achieve orgasm: 52.5%
• Dissatisfaction with orgasm: 50%
• Dissatisfaction in general: 45%

Marijuana & Sex

Did you know that heavy pot smokers have a higher rate of erectile dysfunction than those who don’t use weed? Receptors in the brain can be inhibited by marijuana, and those same receptors can also be found in the penis. “Dope penis…” Additionally, the myth that weed actually improves sexual stamina are just that – myth.

Opioids & Sex

The abuse of prescribed pain relief medicine has snowballed in recent years to epidemic proportions, with many abusers actually moving on to heroin when their prescriptions either run out or stop completely. When you consider that just prescribed levels of opioids cause erectile dysfunction in more than 25% of male patients, it doesn’t take a medical degree to understand that there is also an epidemic of sexual dysfunction within that demographic. Besides the issue of erectile dysfunction, therapeutic levels of opioid use can also lead to:

• Reduced libido
• Lower testosterone, and
• Difficulty in achieving orgasm for both men and women

Reach the point of actual abuse, and every aspect of your sexual performance and sexual satisfaction are affected.

Breaking Free…

Drug and alcohol rehab saved my life, and, unsurprisingly, it saved my sex-life too. Sadly, one particular relationship was too far gone to save, but I guess that’s another article in itself. One thing is clear – substance abuse can seriously affect your sex-life and any close relationship you are in. The impact of the abuse of alcohol, marijuana, and opioids is plain to see, and, unless you break free from the grip of those substances, your sex-life will just turn into a non-event.

Are you concerned about the effects of substance abuse in your life? Do you have any experiences on this subject? Please feel free to leave a comment below.

Photo Credit

Photo is pixabay creative commons

Guest Author Bio
Andrew Macia

Hi, my name is Andy! I was born in Bogotá, Colombia, but raised in Los Angeles, California. I spend my time helping others with their recovery and growing my online business.