Dear Prudence,
I left an abusive relationship a year ago. I’ve spent the past year healing and rebuilding my life (still a work in progress). In that time, I’ve flirted with the idea of casual, carefree sex, but it turns out I’m not very carefree and I’m not ready for casual sex, or any sex at all. Now it’s been a year since I’ve had sex. A year! I like sex. It’s important to me. Will I ever have sex again? Do I need to just grab the next willing and interested party and do it before I forget how? Should I do it even though I don’t really want to right now? Will I ever want to again? Will I die alone? No, but seriously: Is it possible that part of my life is just over? I’m not yet 30, so I hope not. Please, give me some perspective here.
—Melodramatic (But Still Not Getting Any)