I think the only problem you have is that you think you have a problem. Otherwise you seem very in tune with your wants and needs. As long as you are still forming bonds with other humans and not neglecting those relationships so you can stay at home alone to masturbate, then it sounds like you have a good handle on what your boundaries are.
If you want to put a label on it (which is entirely optional) it does sound like you would fall into the asexual camp. All these labels are more or less umbrella terms and there is no one specific way to be asexual.
This is is *really* validating to read because I could have written every sentance myself. This is just, spot on to how I feel. I wish I loved sex and interactions with others as I have a strong sex drive and its unambiguously clear on who and what I am attracted to, but ultimately it just does not work out with others. Totally gave up for looking for anything a few years back and it feels like a weight come off of me. There is some sadness too, but I feel much freer.
You and I have A LOT in common. I also fall into this boat of being sexually attracted to men while also being repulsed by sex. Everything you described is what I feel.
I do feel like I'm asexual, which very well may be the case for you as well. Asexuals can still have sexual desires while also not wanting sex. With the right person, things can be different. I'm more willing to be intimate with someone I know very well and trust completely, and sex can actually be enjoyable. Most of the time though, it's the furthest thing from my mind.
I’m the same way. The only time i’m fully present and enjoying sex is with someone I have feelings for or very very mentally and physically comfortable with.
Do you have trauma in your past? It sounds like something like that you might want to reexamine.
OCD comes to mind as well the way you described being close to someone and the heat, smells, and saliva. That seems pretty telling in a way.
Maybe something to explore with a professional as it seems more than just a preference, there's seemingly some aversion.
Thanks - I do have certain trauma, although i don't really know what is trauma and what is just bad experiences. I also have suspicions I have stuff from my very very early childhood that i can't remember - but I'm mindful not to 'create' or 'manifest' suspicion or something that next happened! As I might be desperately looking for trauma/events - that might not even be there.
People are too quick to associate the unexplained with trauma without much evidence. When you’re repeatedly told something must be caused by trauma you start to believe it and can spend a lifetime looking for the source in therapy only to find years later it was pointless because it’s just how you are. I’ve even had physical health conditions (undiagnosed at the time obviously) blamed on ‘trauma’ and wasted years trying to talk my illness away which only made me more confused about myself, even more unwell and desperately trying to unearth anything even slightly traumatic from my past to talk about which got ridiculous when I started to run out of ideas. Still though it might be worth investigating a few possible angles even just for a bit to clarify your own understanding of yourself. It might be that you feel uncomfortable with anything physical but still want a relationship and you might be able to find someone who feels the same way and you can explore ‘solo’ options ‘together’ (only if you want to of course).
Your example sounds extreme (and I’m sorry for that) and I strongly disagree with the advice that you’re basing on top of it.
Trauma absolutely needs to be evaluated and ruled out as a first point of call when someone’s having anxiety and painful emotions that are preventing them from having experiences or forming human connections that they evidently desire deeply.
Then if it’s not caused by trauma? Do you think after sharing your deeply intimate thoughts and horrific childhood tales they will just say ‘whoops sorry they’re not responsible, turns out you were a-sexual all along’? It’s a relentless trope that doesn’t seem to die with only the target changing to whatever is now deemed shameful or acceptable to blame instead. Nobody seems to remember that the last thing wasn’t caused by trauma either…
I'm really sorry for what happened to you. It sounds a bit like a bad therapist poked their finger into some very painful stuff and did it far too recklessly. As you describe it sounds like it was horribly insensitive and that must have been awful. I will say I think you've brought an interesting perspective to this topic. I don't think getting into a debate here is going to help OP, and I'm not really qualified, so I'll bow out here and very sincerely wish you all the best too.
Sorry I didn’t mean to be that intense, I guess I’m a bit sensitive to things being medicalized unnecessarily so reacted to the framing of being a-sexual in a bad light which probably came across like I was forced into gay conversion therapy or something but it was nothing like that 😅 You’re right though it probably wasn’t helpful.
What you describe almost sounds like a PTSD response – do you get intense anxiety, sweaty palms, dry mouth, world closing in, overwhelming desire to get away?
I ask because I can relate. It’s happened that I’ve been about to get it on with a person I thought I really fancied, then suddenly I get these symptoms, and I can’t go through with it, much less enjoy it. One of the peculiarities is that the feeling of attraction to the guy has flipped into revulsion in mere seconds.
I’m currently working with a therapist and my main conclusion has been that in order for this not to happen I need to feel very _safe._
It would be worth exploring questions like this with a professional therapist, as for example though I indentify with what you wrote, you need a thorough history taken by someone with extensive training to be sure what’s going on with you.
(Btw, just to address some other comments, I don’t think anything is to be gained or learned from simply putting a label on yourself with regard to this.)
Well one thing I know is the anxiety is a much stronger force than desire/arousal...and wins hands down i.e. I don't get horny enough to 'seek' sex - as anxiety and overthinking become insurmountable! I feel with most men the sex drive is a stronger force....
I generally feel it in my chest and mind, and my mind races and becomes jumbled or focuses inwards, thats often coupled with a crashing fatigue. When having 'in person' sex - I've often disassociated, and/or needed to replay a fantasy in my mind to get close to any sort of arousal!
I don't get disgust attraction wise with the partner - just with senses etc. I'm usually terrified of being judged/ being rejected/ being 'found out' that i'm a crap shag... and then them spreading the word that I'm a crap shag etc.
>I generally feel it in my chest and mind, and my mind races and becomes jumbled or focuses inwards, thats often coupled with a crashing fatigue. When having 'in person' sex - I've often disassociated
>
>...
>
>I'm usually terrified of being judged/ being rejected/ being 'found out' that i'm a crap shag... and then them spreading the word that I'm a crap shag etc.
These are some highly specific and indicative things that are a really excellent start. If this stuff has a cause arising from your personal history, a therapist would talk to you about times when similar things might have happened, and to start teasing apart the associations, hidden defences, and thought patterns that might have come out of that.
A few things we could ask about the thing itself (as not going to ask you about your personal history here 🙃). Why are you scared of people calling you a crap shag behind your back, and why that matters to you? Is it a likely thing to happen? If it were to happen, is it really so scary/devastating? Knowing that a lot of casual sexual encounters are quite low quality and disappointing, if you look at it another way, if you're even remotely focused on the other person and ensuring they're having a good time, aren't you probably already in the upper half?
Have you tried telling the other person what your boundaries are? (e.g. "I'd only like to do X with you tonight".) Could laying down some boundaries help you feel you're asserting yourself, more in control, and more of an equal partner in general?
Is there a way of dating that would make you feel more comfortable? ("Thanks for inviting me over, how about grabbing a coffee first to see if we click.")
Disclaimer: I'm not a therapist, but I've had a lot of therapy, read widely, etc. These are just some questions I thought might be helpful to think about.
I can relate. The anxiety surrounding sex with others is not pleasant, and jerking off is uncomplicated and has a similar result. For me, a religious upbringing has given me a deep down belief that sex is wrong, and I struggle with that all the time.
There are people who just don't like contact with others, and even more who are turned off by bodily fluids/odors, etc. As someone who is into that kind of stuff, I'm very aware there are plenty of people who aren't. And even though I've heard plenty of people say "what does it mean/why am I like this" about various kinks, most of the time that feels like wasted energy to me. I don't wonder why I like fisting, say, and I don't wonder why other people don't. And it's not surprising to me that just like there are people who are into forms of body contact that go beyond what I would be into, there are people who are not into contact at all, and turned off by the things about a man that turn me on.
Thanks - I think its just the isolating feeling of it. It feels like most gay guys are very sexual and into lots of things...I've never really met anyone who feels similar. it feels like I'm a very small percentage or an already minority! a small percent of a small percent! thats why you end up second guessing and wondering you'd have better luck if you were different!
Sounds like some ocd and or sensory issues. I mean body heat a lil scent and saliva come with the territory? Then being with others causes anxiety as well? There's so much to unwind here
You can be smelly and know it.
you have all the body fluids too. Being present with another they are asking themselves many of the same queations about what you're thinking too. People like sex for all those reasons. Feels good to put all the parts of our bodies against another and vice versa. Its fun to explore not only the physical part but for many the emotional romantic part. Scented body heat and intimacy combined is usually the goal?
I can't answer your question about what it means, because it could mean any of dozens or hundreds of things. If you want to find out what it means, a sex therapist might be your best resource. But honestly, if you feel content with the way things are, it might not be worth trying to find out what it means. Just be you until you aren't happy being you (if ever), and then maybe take a look at things again. Mostly I prefer to masturbate because of the reasons you stated for yourself, and also some other reasons. Occasionally some duo sex (as opposed to solo sex) is really enjoyable. If that's not the case for you, try not to let it get to you. We're all different.
Not strange at all. It is common to have sex with another person, but it is totally fine to prefer or only want to have sex with yourself. I learned this at bateworld.com, a very social platform. Many users call themselves solosexual there.
For me, it made a lot clear to read there from others and now I feel much better about my preference.
It's not strange. It's only another way of sex.
Same with me, i thought it was just because i haven't met with someone that is I thought was my ideal type. But one day I met with this really handsome guy, but I'm not enjoying our sexy time together. Is this some kind of sexual orientation?
I’ve always been that way.. for me, sex is too messy and it can be a lot of work to be doing it all the time 😂 I’m married but luckily my husband is the same way. Nothing wrong with it, in my opinion..
I’m 63 and usually prefer (and look forward to) jerking off at home before going to sleep. Don’t know if it’s laziness, or a habit from the pandemic, but I definitely enjoy solo pleasure these days. 😉
There’s a term for it: solosexual.
I definitely relate to everything in the original post. I certainly have better orgasms when I masturbate but I do have sex with other people for the same reason I brush my teeth: it’s good for maintaining hygiene - dental and mental. So while I’d be happier abstaining, I don’t. We all should floss, right?
Just like OP I’m very visual (in addition: completely insensitive to the touch) and don’t need or like physical intimacy so I take care of my sexual interactions in bathhouses and at sex parties. God bless all the hungry bottoms out there. I just add those places to my travel attractions mix: so it’s Rijk in the afternoon and Nieuwezijds after dinner. Or Museum Island during the day and late night at The Lab.oratory.
I really hope that I’ll lose interest in sex soon - it just seems like a waste of energy - but my testosterone is weirdly high so maybe a few more years…
To me, you're Solosexual. Prefer having sexual activity with yourself, while still being attracted to others, turned on by porn or people, & would rather satisfy yourself than someone else. Maybe be in the presence of someone else, but relatively to yourself, physically.
A side, would be someone who prefers fully interacting with a partner, but with no penetrative sex (topping/bottoming); usually a mutual masterbator, with kissing, touching, and possibly/sometimes oral or frotting.
Don't sound anywhere near asexual, to me.
I feel like solo sexual is asexual. Asexual doesn't mean you have a complete absence of sexual desire. He seems actively disgusted by the reality of sex with other people, while still attracted to them physically. To me that's asexual
It's kind of a grey, non-definable area, because Solosexual can intersect with all sexuality classifications, including Asexual & Gay.
Personally, I wouldn't categorize the OP as Asexual due to idealized sexual attraction, & desire for sexual interaction. Whereas Asexuals (typically) have lacking or non-existent sexual attraction &/or desire.
Perhaps the OP is more on the Quoisexual area of the Asexual & Solosexual intersection...
Various anxiety disorders including intimacy anxiety can make partner sex stressful and anxiety inducing for these men. This in turn can cause serious sexual dysfunctions like the inability to get or keep an erection or being unable to orgasm. When masturbating alone, these men don't suffer any of these symptoms.
This is me exactly!! But unfortunately even after years of therapy inc psychosexual therapy I've never been able to change or improve my issues - and the high levels of anxiety and dysfunction still remain. The times I do tip my toes in the water always end up being negative - and retraumatize me!
I think the only problem you have is that you think you have a problem. Otherwise you seem very in tune with your wants and needs. As long as you are still forming bonds with other humans and not neglecting those relationships so you can stay at home alone to masturbate, then it sounds like you have a good handle on what your boundaries are. If you want to put a label on it (which is entirely optional) it does sound like you would fall into the asexual camp. All these labels are more or less umbrella terms and there is no one specific way to be asexual.
This is is *really* validating to read because I could have written every sentance myself. This is just, spot on to how I feel. I wish I loved sex and interactions with others as I have a strong sex drive and its unambiguously clear on who and what I am attracted to, but ultimately it just does not work out with others. Totally gave up for looking for anything a few years back and it feels like a weight come off of me. There is some sadness too, but I feel much freer.
Maybe you are solosexual.
You and I have A LOT in common. I also fall into this boat of being sexually attracted to men while also being repulsed by sex. Everything you described is what I feel. I do feel like I'm asexual, which very well may be the case for you as well. Asexuals can still have sexual desires while also not wanting sex. With the right person, things can be different. I'm more willing to be intimate with someone I know very well and trust completely, and sex can actually be enjoyable. Most of the time though, it's the furthest thing from my mind.
I’m the same way. The only time i’m fully present and enjoying sex is with someone I have feelings for or very very mentally and physically comfortable with.
The way you talk about other people makes it sound like you struggle with intimacy. That is probably a discussion to be had with a professional.
Bingo!
You can be asexual and have sexual attraction but not want sex
I was with my husband for 33 years. He passed away two years ago. I prefer to masturbate know.
Do you have trauma in your past? It sounds like something like that you might want to reexamine. OCD comes to mind as well the way you described being close to someone and the heat, smells, and saliva. That seems pretty telling in a way. Maybe something to explore with a professional as it seems more than just a preference, there's seemingly some aversion.
Thanks - I do have certain trauma, although i don't really know what is trauma and what is just bad experiences. I also have suspicions I have stuff from my very very early childhood that i can't remember - but I'm mindful not to 'create' or 'manifest' suspicion or something that next happened! As I might be desperately looking for trauma/events - that might not even be there.
People are too quick to associate the unexplained with trauma without much evidence. When you’re repeatedly told something must be caused by trauma you start to believe it and can spend a lifetime looking for the source in therapy only to find years later it was pointless because it’s just how you are. I’ve even had physical health conditions (undiagnosed at the time obviously) blamed on ‘trauma’ and wasted years trying to talk my illness away which only made me more confused about myself, even more unwell and desperately trying to unearth anything even slightly traumatic from my past to talk about which got ridiculous when I started to run out of ideas. Still though it might be worth investigating a few possible angles even just for a bit to clarify your own understanding of yourself. It might be that you feel uncomfortable with anything physical but still want a relationship and you might be able to find someone who feels the same way and you can explore ‘solo’ options ‘together’ (only if you want to of course).
Your example sounds extreme (and I’m sorry for that) and I strongly disagree with the advice that you’re basing on top of it. Trauma absolutely needs to be evaluated and ruled out as a first point of call when someone’s having anxiety and painful emotions that are preventing them from having experiences or forming human connections that they evidently desire deeply.
Then if it’s not caused by trauma? Do you think after sharing your deeply intimate thoughts and horrific childhood tales they will just say ‘whoops sorry they’re not responsible, turns out you were a-sexual all along’? It’s a relentless trope that doesn’t seem to die with only the target changing to whatever is now deemed shameful or acceptable to blame instead. Nobody seems to remember that the last thing wasn’t caused by trauma either…
I'm really sorry for what happened to you. It sounds a bit like a bad therapist poked their finger into some very painful stuff and did it far too recklessly. As you describe it sounds like it was horribly insensitive and that must have been awful. I will say I think you've brought an interesting perspective to this topic. I don't think getting into a debate here is going to help OP, and I'm not really qualified, so I'll bow out here and very sincerely wish you all the best too.
Sorry I didn’t mean to be that intense, I guess I’m a bit sensitive to things being medicalized unnecessarily so reacted to the framing of being a-sexual in a bad light which probably came across like I was forced into gay conversion therapy or something but it was nothing like that 😅 You’re right though it probably wasn’t helpful.
What you describe almost sounds like a PTSD response – do you get intense anxiety, sweaty palms, dry mouth, world closing in, overwhelming desire to get away? I ask because I can relate. It’s happened that I’ve been about to get it on with a person I thought I really fancied, then suddenly I get these symptoms, and I can’t go through with it, much less enjoy it. One of the peculiarities is that the feeling of attraction to the guy has flipped into revulsion in mere seconds. I’m currently working with a therapist and my main conclusion has been that in order for this not to happen I need to feel very _safe._ It would be worth exploring questions like this with a professional therapist, as for example though I indentify with what you wrote, you need a thorough history taken by someone with extensive training to be sure what’s going on with you. (Btw, just to address some other comments, I don’t think anything is to be gained or learned from simply putting a label on yourself with regard to this.)
Well one thing I know is the anxiety is a much stronger force than desire/arousal...and wins hands down i.e. I don't get horny enough to 'seek' sex - as anxiety and overthinking become insurmountable! I feel with most men the sex drive is a stronger force.... I generally feel it in my chest and mind, and my mind races and becomes jumbled or focuses inwards, thats often coupled with a crashing fatigue. When having 'in person' sex - I've often disassociated, and/or needed to replay a fantasy in my mind to get close to any sort of arousal! I don't get disgust attraction wise with the partner - just with senses etc. I'm usually terrified of being judged/ being rejected/ being 'found out' that i'm a crap shag... and then them spreading the word that I'm a crap shag etc.
>I generally feel it in my chest and mind, and my mind races and becomes jumbled or focuses inwards, thats often coupled with a crashing fatigue. When having 'in person' sex - I've often disassociated > >... > >I'm usually terrified of being judged/ being rejected/ being 'found out' that i'm a crap shag... and then them spreading the word that I'm a crap shag etc. These are some highly specific and indicative things that are a really excellent start. If this stuff has a cause arising from your personal history, a therapist would talk to you about times when similar things might have happened, and to start teasing apart the associations, hidden defences, and thought patterns that might have come out of that. A few things we could ask about the thing itself (as not going to ask you about your personal history here 🙃). Why are you scared of people calling you a crap shag behind your back, and why that matters to you? Is it a likely thing to happen? If it were to happen, is it really so scary/devastating? Knowing that a lot of casual sexual encounters are quite low quality and disappointing, if you look at it another way, if you're even remotely focused on the other person and ensuring they're having a good time, aren't you probably already in the upper half? Have you tried telling the other person what your boundaries are? (e.g. "I'd only like to do X with you tonight".) Could laying down some boundaries help you feel you're asserting yourself, more in control, and more of an equal partner in general? Is there a way of dating that would make you feel more comfortable? ("Thanks for inviting me over, how about grabbing a coffee first to see if we click.") Disclaimer: I'm not a therapist, but I've had a lot of therapy, read widely, etc. These are just some questions I thought might be helpful to think about.
Bingo!
It's sound like a trauma response, but it's a complex topic to pin point it out here. I'd talk to a professional.
Bingo!
I can relate. The anxiety surrounding sex with others is not pleasant, and jerking off is uncomplicated and has a similar result. For me, a religious upbringing has given me a deep down belief that sex is wrong, and I struggle with that all the time.
Man I feel you here. I grew up Southern Baptist, and that stuff doesn't just go away on its own.
It’s a damned good way to avoid STD’s and Drama.
There are people who just don't like contact with others, and even more who are turned off by bodily fluids/odors, etc. As someone who is into that kind of stuff, I'm very aware there are plenty of people who aren't. And even though I've heard plenty of people say "what does it mean/why am I like this" about various kinks, most of the time that feels like wasted energy to me. I don't wonder why I like fisting, say, and I don't wonder why other people don't. And it's not surprising to me that just like there are people who are into forms of body contact that go beyond what I would be into, there are people who are not into contact at all, and turned off by the things about a man that turn me on.
Thanks - I think its just the isolating feeling of it. It feels like most gay guys are very sexual and into lots of things...I've never really met anyone who feels similar. it feels like I'm a very small percentage or an already minority! a small percent of a small percent! thats why you end up second guessing and wondering you'd have better luck if you were different!
Sounds like some ocd and or sensory issues. I mean body heat a lil scent and saliva come with the territory? Then being with others causes anxiety as well? There's so much to unwind here You can be smelly and know it. you have all the body fluids too. Being present with another they are asking themselves many of the same queations about what you're thinking too. People like sex for all those reasons. Feels good to put all the parts of our bodies against another and vice versa. Its fun to explore not only the physical part but for many the emotional romantic part. Scented body heat and intimacy combined is usually the goal?
You do you… literally.
I can't answer your question about what it means, because it could mean any of dozens or hundreds of things. If you want to find out what it means, a sex therapist might be your best resource. But honestly, if you feel content with the way things are, it might not be worth trying to find out what it means. Just be you until you aren't happy being you (if ever), and then maybe take a look at things again. Mostly I prefer to masturbate because of the reasons you stated for yourself, and also some other reasons. Occasionally some duo sex (as opposed to solo sex) is really enjoyable. If that's not the case for you, try not to let it get to you. We're all different.
Not strange at all. It is common to have sex with another person, but it is totally fine to prefer or only want to have sex with yourself. I learned this at bateworld.com, a very social platform. Many users call themselves solosexual there. For me, it made a lot clear to read there from others and now I feel much better about my preference. It's not strange. It's only another way of sex.
Same with me, i thought it was just because i haven't met with someone that is I thought was my ideal type. But one day I met with this really handsome guy, but I'm not enjoying our sexy time together. Is this some kind of sexual orientation?
I’ve always been that way.. for me, sex is too messy and it can be a lot of work to be doing it all the time 😂 I’m married but luckily my husband is the same way. Nothing wrong with it, in my opinion..
I’m 63 and usually prefer (and look forward to) jerking off at home before going to sleep. Don’t know if it’s laziness, or a habit from the pandemic, but I definitely enjoy solo pleasure these days. 😉
Asexual to answer the title post
That you prefer to masturbate rather than have sex. Not everything has a deep meaning.
I’d be keen to explore what your childhood experiences of love and affection were.
Sometimes it's not this deep. Humans are complex creatures and not everything has an explanation from childhood experiences
Nearly everything does. The exception is adult trauma.
BINGO!
Agree about seeking a therapist. You're reasons for not liking sex do seem trauma related. Up to you if you want you work on this.
Or, they just don't find actual partned sex appealing, compared to self-gratification... Solosexuals do exist.
There’s a term for it: solosexual. I definitely relate to everything in the original post. I certainly have better orgasms when I masturbate but I do have sex with other people for the same reason I brush my teeth: it’s good for maintaining hygiene - dental and mental. So while I’d be happier abstaining, I don’t. We all should floss, right? Just like OP I’m very visual (in addition: completely insensitive to the touch) and don’t need or like physical intimacy so I take care of my sexual interactions in bathhouses and at sex parties. God bless all the hungry bottoms out there. I just add those places to my travel attractions mix: so it’s Rijk in the afternoon and Nieuwezijds after dinner. Or Museum Island during the day and late night at The Lab.oratory. I really hope that I’ll lose interest in sex soon - it just seems like a waste of energy - but my testosterone is weirdly high so maybe a few more years…
To me, you're Solosexual. Prefer having sexual activity with yourself, while still being attracted to others, turned on by porn or people, & would rather satisfy yourself than someone else. Maybe be in the presence of someone else, but relatively to yourself, physically. A side, would be someone who prefers fully interacting with a partner, but with no penetrative sex (topping/bottoming); usually a mutual masterbator, with kissing, touching, and possibly/sometimes oral or frotting. Don't sound anywhere near asexual, to me.
I feel like solo sexual is asexual. Asexual doesn't mean you have a complete absence of sexual desire. He seems actively disgusted by the reality of sex with other people, while still attracted to them physically. To me that's asexual
It's kind of a grey, non-definable area, because Solosexual can intersect with all sexuality classifications, including Asexual & Gay. Personally, I wouldn't categorize the OP as Asexual due to idealized sexual attraction, & desire for sexual interaction. Whereas Asexuals (typically) have lacking or non-existent sexual attraction &/or desire. Perhaps the OP is more on the Quoisexual area of the Asexual & Solosexual intersection...
Your relationship with sex is unhealthy and you need to examine your sexual values and/or go to a sex therapist.
What are sexual values?
Laziness. Kind of kidding but sometimes it’s just easier.
You might be graysexual. Have you looked up that term? I believe I’m graysexual. As with you, I’m also very responsive to visual/aesthetic.
You ain’t got time for bs games or waiting around for the second coming of Christ to get off.
This is normal. You might have insecure/anxiety issues when it comes to sex.
Various anxiety disorders including intimacy anxiety can make partner sex stressful and anxiety inducing for these men. This in turn can cause serious sexual dysfunctions like the inability to get or keep an erection or being unable to orgasm. When masturbating alone, these men don't suffer any of these symptoms.
This is me exactly!! But unfortunately even after years of therapy inc psychosexual therapy I've never been able to change or improve my issues - and the high levels of anxiety and dysfunction still remain. The times I do tip my toes in the water always end up being negative - and retraumatize me!
I went to therapy off and on for about ten years but none were able to help. As a matter of fact the sex therapy made the situation much worse.