Page:Fielding - Sex and the Love Life.pdf/31

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
SEX AND LIFE
13

to treatment by stimulating the defective glands so that they will function in a manner approximating the normal. Generally speaking, however, the congenital case may be considered irremediable.

The case of pseudo-frigidity, however, is not an organic defect, but the person so conditioned is subject to such powerful inhibitions through faulty training, irrational ideals, or some shocking experience in early life, that the normal sex feeling has been suspended. Women constitute the great majority of cases of this kind, because, for obvious reasons, they are more susceptible to the inhibiting influences which may bring about this condition. Notwithstanding that it is not "true," or organic, frigidity, it is often exceedingly difficult to overcome. One of the principal reasons for this is that the individual does not want to be cured. It is largely psychological problem, and may be remedied only by psychic re-education. As people usually do not wish to be re-educated—particularly if they are harboring a set of irrational ideas—the difficulty is almost always tremendous, sometimes quite hopeless. However, when such an individual is mentally open-minded enough to recognize the anomaly of the situation and endeavors to overcome the obstacle, she is already in a fair way to gaining the normal state, and some help or advice from a person with real understanding or insight into the problem, will work wonders.

Side-tracked Sex Energy. The woman possessed of psychic inhibitions governing sexual feeling, frequently presents a difficult problem to those who have to associate with her. Often she evidences remarkable energy—the energy that would normally find expression in different phases of the sex and love-life being utilized in other channels of personal interest and enthusiasm. All of this tends to establish a lack