Episode 4 Preview: Starting the Conversation Around Sexual Anorexia
When Silence Gets a Name
Kyle sits alone in his dorm room, the soft hum of a laptop. One word, "avoidance," typed into a search bar pulls up phrases that feel like accusations—fear of intimacy, sexual withdrawal. But tonight, one phrase catches Kyle differently: it feels less like blame, more like a map. “What if I’m not broken? What if I’m scared?” he wonders. “And what if scared has a name?”
This is where Episode 104 of Mental Health Rewritten begins—not with answers, but with the power of naming something previously shrouded in shame. Sexual anorexia isn't listed in the DSM-5 or the ICD-11. It's not officially recognized by diagnostic manuals, but it’s a profoundly real experience for those who silently live it. It’s not disinterest or celibacy—it's fear-driven avoidance, an instinctual response from a nervous system trying to protect itself, even when love is present.
In this episode, Dominic Lawson guides us through the narratives of individuals who are courageously naming their fear for the first time, including Janet Bentley, founder of Courageous Survivors. Janet opens up about the transformative power she found in naming her own experiences, turning silent shame into shared understanding. Her journey is echoed by renowned expert Dr. Alexandra Katehakis, founder of the Center for Healthy Sex in Los Angeles, who helps listeners understand how deeply embedded trauma shapes our physical and emotional responses.
Kyle's unfolding story serves as the narrative thread, illustrating how something as simple as naming a fear can lead to deeper revelations about trauma, intimacy, and the complex ways our bodies remember what our minds would rather forget.
Episode 104 asks us a vital question: what if what we've long pathologized as dysfunction is actually a protective response? What if intimacy becomes terrifying not because we don’t want connection, but because we’ve learned its cost too painfully well?
Join us as we begin this delicate but essential conversation—not seeking quick fixes, but starting with the simple, radical act of naming our truths out loud.
Listen to Episode 104, “Starting the Conversation Around Sexual Anorexia,” and step with us into the quiet bravery of understanding ourselves—and each other—more deeply.
Dominic Lawson
Dominic Lawson is a 24x award-winning podcast host, producer, and editor based in Memphis,
Tennessee. A U.S. Army veteran, he studied business administration at National American
University before discovering his passion for podcasting in 2016. That year, he launched "The
Startup Life Podcast," providing listeners with insights into building businesses and advancing in
their careers. Throughout the show's run, Lawson interviewed notable figures such as Marc
Randolph, co-founder and first CEO of Netflix, and Tom Golisano, founder and chairman of
Paychex.
In 2021, Lawson joined Meadows Behavioral Healthcare as a podcast producer, editor, and
host. He took the helm of the "Beyond Theory" podcast, facilitating in-depth conversations with
experts in mental health and addiction recovery. His innovative approach led to the launch of
"Recovery Replay" in April 2022, a groundbreaking podcast that chronicles personal recovery
stories from three distinct perspectives.
Demonstrating his versatility, Lawson introduced the "Black Is America" podcast on February 1,
2022, shedding light on lesser-known African American figures and narratives. The podcast
garnered significant acclaim, earning multiple awards, including the 2023 Webby Award for Best
Podcast-Individual Episode.
The Eight-Crayon Box: Why Boys Are Taught to Feel Less
