In reality, there are many times when desire and physical arousal don’t match.
There’s a name for when physical and subjective arousal are mismatched: arousal non-concordance.
What is arousal non-concordance?
Simply put, arousal non-concordance can occur when the brain and the body are out of sync.
The existing overlap between participants' physical and subjective arousal is what is used as a marker of concordance.
Some people are more likely to experience arousal non-concordance than others.
Dealing with arousal non-concordance.
It’s easy to see why experiencing mismatched arousal can be extremely frustrating.
“An individual may feel like their body is betraying them,” Dr. Hall says.
“Others report feelings of inadequacy and dysfunction.
These feelings bring stress to a person’s daily life and relationships.
“Self-care and masturbation are great tools for assessing physical responses to stimuli,” Dr. Hall says.
