The Monster Under The Bed

Sex, Depression, and the Conversations We Aren’t Having

Almost everyone has had some interaction with depression. You’re not alone, and you can have successful relationships and satisfying sex with depression.

JoEllen Notte will help you understand how sexual function is affected by depression and what keeps us from effectively addressing it. Heavily informed by the author’s research, including surveys of over 1,000 people and interviews with close to 200, this is the first book of its kind.

With practical tips and real-life examples, this is both a guidebook for people with depression and the people who love them, as well as a reference tool for mental health professionals.

Whether it’s you, a family member, a friend, or a partner who is affected, depression has the potential to touch us all. Even so, many of us don’t know how to handle depression becoming part of our sex life and, popular responses to the topic leave much to be desired.

The Monster Under The Bed: Sex, Depression, & the Conversations We Aren't Having. 242 pages. Paperback.

"JoEllen Notte began an important conversation about mental health and sexual health when practically no one was talking about it. She has led the way in expanding public dialogues about the intersection of these very important issues with her thoughtful writing and presentations based on her groundbreaking original research. JoEllen dared to speak about a topic no one else would and has changed the way we think about sex and depression. Her work is, quite simply, invaluable."—Tristan Taormino, sex educator, host of Sex Out Loud Radio, and author of Opening Up

"JoEllen Notte takes taboo subjects, sex and depression, and makes them approachable for anyone ready to take the journey. With her wit, empathy, and knowledge, JoEllen makes it safe to people to explore their deepest pleasures and their biggest fears." —Shadeen Francis, MFT

"JoEllen Notte is one of my favorite sex ed writers. I read what she has to say because not only does she tackle two of the most sensitive topics in our culture - sex and depression - but Ms. Notte informs and educates readers using her delicious wit. This makes the tough parts accessible; not easy to do with an often challenging subject. I appreciate the tips, knowledge, and advice she shares and one can easily see she is an expert on the topic." —Lanae St. John, sexologist, author of Raising Sex Smart Kids

JoEllen Notte is a certified sex educator, writer, speaker, sexuality researcher, and mental health advocate. She blogs at The Redhead Bedhead and has been published by the BBC, Glamour, Bitch Media, xoJane, and Kinkly.