Why do people keep saying asexuality was classified as a mental disorder?
Asexuality is not officially listed as a mental disorder but there are two mental disorders that ace people claim pathologize ace people (even though neither deal explicitly with sexual attraction).
There’s SAD–Sexual Aversion Disorder–basically this is sex revulsion that leads into completely avoiding any ‘genital contact’. More severe symptoms include panic attacks, dizziness, and loss of breath. Less severe symptoms include associating guilt and shame with sexual content. This is often related to trauma and, like, it’s not wrong to relate a trauma response that includes panic attacks to mental illness. To be diagnosed, the person must be seriously unhappy while experiencing life difficulties and there must not be a physical cause for this.
I think we can all agree, panic attacks and life-upending unhappiness and avoidance can be considered a mental illness without this being a statement about ace people. Especially since the diagnosis has nothing to do with sexual attraction and it’s even noted people with SAD can experience sexual attraction and have sexual fantasies. This is not disgust about sex or even disinterest in sex, this is guilt, and fear, and panic attacks about sex.
The treatment is psychotherapy–counseling–and potentially medication for panic attacks.
Then there’s Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder–HSDD–which has an exception for ace people. Like, if you say you’re ace, they won’t diagnose you. But it’s basically a chronic (and often sudden) loss of interest in sex that must be distressing to the person involved. Again, this is a loss of interest in sex, not a lack of sexual attraction. This diagnosis also involves trying to figure out if this stems from trauma (so the trauma can be coped with), painful intercourse (aka a physical condition that might want to be looked at), or even tumors. The primary goal of diagnosis is figuring out the cause of HSDD, which, again, often includes actual physical ailments that should be investigated and, if possible, treated. If it’s a hormonal imbalance, treatment can be offered but again, none of this is mandatory. If it’s situational (like disinterest in your married partner), they can offer counseling, if you want it.
If a dentist points out I have crooked teeth and I say I’m chill with that, no one is forcing braces on me. This is the same thing.
So, basically, with both disorders you have to be seriously unhappy with feeling that way about sex, go to a doctor on your own to express said distress, and then consent to treatment. I’ve searched around and I’ve seen no places claiming to treat teens for these things. I’ve seen no places bragging about this being conversion therapy and how they can “fix” aces, definitely not in the way there are still businesses in the US that forcefully convert minors and adults from “sin” and “homosexuality.”
I haven’t seen anything about how parents can force their teens to go through this treatment (which is often just counseling to get rid of distress and treatment for potential physical causes).
So, like, I’m really wary of these claims because neither SAD nor HSDD are about sexual attraction. Both are aimed at decreasing distress.
I’m sure there are some fucked up therapists who hear someone talk about being ace and comment on it rudely. Maybe even ask if the person wants treatment. And that’s fucked up. They should be fired. But that’s not institutional.
