In fiction, [[IntimateHealing sex heals physical wounds]]. Also, sex also heals emotional wounds. Even PTSD, addiction, or depression over terminal illness fade instantly after our hero is in the loving embrace of their love interest. In FanFic parlance, this is often called the 'magical healing cock' and mocked, as it is often {{Narm}}.

Note that TropesAreNotBad. Sex can be a great mood-elevator and, to some degree, help with certain hang-ups or insecurities, or even depression, due to it releasing large amounts of serotonin, a neurotransmitter, the lack of which is believed to be a significant molecular background to depression. The key issue is ''overstating'' this effect. For instance, someone with a case of Dissociative Identity Disorder (a.k.a. multiple personalities) won't suddenly "get better" after some great sex. After all, [[FridgeLogic if sex completely and instantly cured all emotional wounds]], [[ThereAreNoTherapists there would be no therapists]].

See also GladToBeAliveSex, stress-relief through sex in the aftermath of life-threatening experiences.

'''DoNotTryThisAtHome. Seriously.''' Having someone attempt to get over mental or emotional hang-ups by having sex is rarely if ever a good idea, and '''''very''''' illegal if you are counseling them in a professional setting.
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!!Examples:

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[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* ''LegendOfTheBlueWolves'' has a double example, as this "helps" [[spoiler: Jonathan]] to get over [[spoiler: being falsely accused of theft, then beaten and ''raped'' by the culprit]], while also helping [[spoiler: Leonard]] to deal with [[spoiler: the tragic death of his beloved younger brother several years ago (his feelings for Jonathan ''are'' partially driven by a BigBrotherInstinct, as the guy looks a LOT like an older version of said brother)]].
* In ''{{Berserk}}'', while Guts and Casca are making love - Guts begins to have flashbacks of his [[DarkAndTroubledPast dark and horrific childhood ordeal]] of [[spoiler: being anally raped and being betrayed by his adoptive father altogether.]] When this happens, years of repressed post traumatic stress are released as Guts has an emotional breakdown in front of Casca. Afterwards, he tries to go away and deal with his issues on his own, thinking himself a freak and [[DefiledForever soiled]], but Casca gives a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming by giving Guts a CoolDownHug, and said that now that they've revealed their crappy childhoods to each other, that they were truly equal to each other, as friends and as lovers.
* Subverted in Manga/HaouAiren. [[spoiler: Kurumi]] has sex with [[spoiler: her BastardBoyfriend's [[TheDragon Dragon]] Fuuron]] after a ''really'' hard time (including a scene in which she tells him about said problems, and while he's not really receptive he still listens to her), but she doesn't exactly feel better afterwards.
* In AnatoliaStory, [[spoiler: Yuri and Kail]] go through this when [[spoiler: Kail has sex with Yuri to reassure her before they return to Hattusa from Egypt, and Yuri has get ready to challenge Queen Nakia.]]
* Used in Manga/KusattaKyoushinoHouteishiki, when [[spoiler: Masami and Tooru have sex shortly after Masami tells Tooru about having been sexually abused in the past, then collapses crying since he feels tainted -- and Tooru tells him "You're NOT DefiledForever by your past, I love you anyway!".]]
* Kind of seems to be the basis of Bird's Nest and Michel's relationship in Manga/CopernicusBreathing, at least at the beginning. The first time it happens is after [[spoiler: Bird's Nest's {{Freak Out}} when he is reminded of his dead brother and the circus life.]]
** Happens before this after [[spoiler: Mina falls from the trapeze, mirroring the death of Bird's Nest's brother and his consequential {{Freak Out}}]]
* Happens after a {{Slap Slap Kiss}} moment between Jeremy and Ian in {{A Cruel God Reigns}}. Jeremy had been [[spoiler: recounting to Ian all the times Greg sexually abused him]] but later hallucinated that Greg was following him. The trope is strengthened in this instance because of Jeremy's {{Freak Out}} immediately beforehand.
* In SakuraGari, [[spoiler: Masataka and Souma's last sexual encounter]] fits in perfectly, as it takes place after [[spoiler: Masataka's HeroicBSOD where he explains his ChildOfRape backstory to Souma (and few after having learned about Souma's own DarkAndTroubledPast), and Souma replies with both a CooldownHug and a YouAreNotAlone talk.]]
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[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Dolphin did this to Comicbook/{{Aquaman}} after he became embittered after losing his hand to the terrorist Charybdis.
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[[folder:Fan Fic]]
* In the Kalash93 story, [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/106068/1/relax/intimacy Relax,]] a soldier regularly visits this one prostitute when he's on leave. We see a session which begins with him very obviously freaked out and not at all well, but he calms down during the act. It's actually quite heartwarming.
* The ''AxisPowersHetalia'' fanfic [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5053133/1/Some_scars_are_easy_to_hide "Some scars are easy to hide"]] has Lithuania and Poland having sex to help Lithuania get over his depression and anxiety resulting from having been sexually abused by Russia. Notable for giving rise to the [[MemeticMutation meme]] "I'm damaged goods, Feliks!"
** Another Hetalia fic, "Mistakes", has China attempting to do this with a random hooker, and then later with France, in an attempt to heal himself. [[SubvertedTrope It does not work]].
** Subverted in the fic "Cages". A recently colonized Taiwan has sex with ImperialJapan after [[spoiler: having been forced into footbinding/introduced to opium addiction/raped by China in the prequel ''Dollhouse'', and then rescued by Japan once he takes her in]] -- but it doesn't fix her problems either. She does somewhat heal under his care ([[spoiler: and helps an also colonized!Korea to emotionally heal from Japan's much harsher treatment]], but it's ''not'' due to having sex with Japan.
* FanFic/AGrowingAffection: Kakashi seeks sex from his lover as a distraction from a recent trauma. After a later event, Hinata does the same for Naruto.
* A LostForever Digimon fic has the grown up Koushirou and Jyou as a couple. Jyou is driven to a powerful HeroicBSOD at the start after [[FailureKnight failing to save the lives of a young boy and his parents]], and he discusses the incident with Koushirou (whom he thought about since he knew about his past, and that's one of the reasons why Jyou splintered so badly), who then helps him relax and forget about it via sex.
* James applies this to Jessie several times in CoriFalls's ''{{Pokemon}}'' fanfiction.
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[[folder:Film]]
* Horrendously subverted in the movie ''[[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070294/ The Legend Of Hell House]]''. The young female psychic thinks that by offering herself to the ghost of a tormented young man, he might know peace and move on. Let's just say that this does ''[[{{squick}} not]]'' turn out to be a romantic and cathartic experience like that one scene in ''Film/{{Ghost}}''. She [[spoiler: gets violated by the vindictive apparition, which was never a young troubled man but the ghost of the house's murderous old owner]].
* ''[[http://www.movierapture.com/attackgirlsswimteamversustheundead.htm Attack Girls Swim Team vs. The Undead]]''
* In the movie ''BabyBoy'', the main character loses his temper and slaps his girlfriend, and then she starts breaking down and crying uncontrollably. So he picks her up, carries her to the bedroom and gives her oral sex while sad music plays. She forgives him and it's never mentioned again.
* Very much subverted in ''Film/{{Antichrist}}''. The main character's husband thinks it's a good idea to [[WhatAnIdiot treat her depression himself.]] She uses sex as a method of dulling the pain. It ends badly.
* Subverted in ''HorribleBosses''--Kurt's attempt to "fuck the crazy out of" Julia has only temporary effects.
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[[folder:Literature]]
* Marian helps RobinHood through his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from TheCrusades by sleeping with him in the novel ''Lady of the Forest'' by Jennifer Roberson.
* A somewhat more literal example appears in ''Literature/BrokenAngels'', the second in Creator/RichardKMorgan's [[Literature/TakeshiKovacs hard sci-fi series]]. The protagonist, [[SociopathicHero Takeshi Kovacs]], tracks down Tanya Wardani, the only archaeologist with the knowledge required for his mission - unfortunately, she's [[spoiler: been tortured far enough that she's withdrawn from reality]]. It's stated that normally, she would takes months, maybe years to recover from this - however, Takeshi doesn't have that long. So, he uses some of his [[SuperSoldier Envoy]] mental conditioning techniques to bring her back. It's described this way in the novel:
--> Envoy co-option techniques make rather brutal use of the deep wells of psychosexual energy that drive humans at a genetic level. Properly mined, the matrix of animal strength on tap in those places will speed up psychic healing by whole orders of magnitude. You start with light hypnosis, move into quick-fix personality engagement and thence to close bodily contact that only misses definition as sexual foreplay on a technicality. A gentle, hypnotically induced orgasm usually secures the bonding process, but at the final stage with Wardani, something had made me pull back. The whole process was uncomfortably close to a sexual assault as it was.
* Subverted in the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' novel ''Imzadi''. Deanna Troi, shortly after meeting Riker for the first time on Betazed, suggests that they take off their clothes and spoon, saying that it's a technique she learned in her psychotherapy classes for moving past the desires of the flesh. And they do precisely that--lie there naked and talk without doing anything sexual. Later, Deanna's professor says he's never heard of any such technique (except in treating sexual dysfunctions, natch) and that it would probably lead to sex.
* ''Literature/ForWhomTheBellTolls'' is an early and successful example. Maria wants Robert to make love to her to replace her rape memories.
* In the A.J.Quinell's book ''Snap Shot'', The sex between on of the protagonists (a war photographer) and a psychologist (another protagonist) who showed compassion towards him, help him to finally get ride of a trauma he got in one of his missions.
* In ''Literature/TheStolenThrone'', the first prequel book to the ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' video game, Rowan comforts her future husband Maric shortly after he executed his former lover, Katriel, for being a spy. After hours of sobbing and holding each other, it's strongly implied that they make love for the first time. Notably, it doesn't resolve Maric's guilt over Katriel's death, which he feels even years later. It just helps him cope.
* The relationship between CassandraKresnov and her unit shrink (in her back story) consisted of a literal version of the trope.
* In the ''HeraldsOfValdemar'' 'verse, there is a profession called kestra'chern which is a combination of healer, therapist (physical ''and'' mental), masseuse, makeover artist, and high class whore. They do different things for different clients, who have different needs. Amberdrake, one of the main characters of ''The Black Gryphon'' and a NonActionGuy, is rather irritated at how the public seems to fixate on the "whore" part of the job. It's mentioned that he's attracted to one of his clients, but won't make overtures to her until her rounds of EpiphanyTherapy are done.
** It should also be noted that all true Kestra'chern will give the client what they feel the client NEEDS (subject to consent), and not necessarily what the client wants. Thus, someone going there for sex may be surprised if they end up not getting it. This is made clear by the Kestra'chern (although some clients may not really believe it).
* Possibly the most royally fucked-up example of this trope ever committed to the printed page crops up in ''The Weapon'', by Michael Z. Williamson. The DesignatedHero attempts to use it to cheer himself up after he and his unit massacre an entire village full of non-combatants in a scene that is very clearly inspired by the My Lai Massacre, only with official sanction. This isn't even the most disturbing chapter in the book.
* John D [=MacDonald=]'s thriller hero character Travis [=McGee=] almost always ends up providing sexual healing to {{Distressed Damsel}}s as well as sorting out their material problems.
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[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* Series/{{Angel}}'s season-long decent into darkness and apathy is cured by sleeping with Darla, his sire and enemy.
* Averted in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. Buffy tries to get rid of her Season 6 HeroicBSOD by having lusty rough sex with Spike, but keeps dropping back into depression because the SecretRelationship makes her feel even more guilty.
* ''{{Dexter}}'': Dexter's relationship with Leila in season two apparently puts him on the road to recovering from his addiction to murder. Or not.
* ''CallMeFitz'': After burying Babs, guess how does Fitzy comfort Ali.
** Earlier in the episode, Fitz gets this from Meghan.
* ''Series/ChrisRyansStrikeBack''. The protagonist has sex with a pretty female army sergeant, but then gets taken down a peg when the female intelligence agent says she's a professional HoneyTrap who had sex with him because the shrink said he was suffering from sexual inadequacy issues. "In short, you needed a shag."
* Subverted in ''ParksAndRecreation''. Chris temporarily feels better after having a one night stand with Bobby Newport's campaign manager, but he eventually plunges into depression.
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[[folder:Video Games]]
* Played with in Jack's route in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2''. The sequence that makes her somewhat less psychotic is clearly "intimate," but doesn't involve sex. Earlier in the game, it's possible to have sex with her, but this confirms her belief that people only care about her sexually, and results in a bad end to the romance.
* Subverted in ''CrossChannel''. Misato decided that having sex with Taichi would be the best way to atone for her sin of [[spoiler:sending her father to jail]]. Of course, she's also implied to be [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-defeating_personality_disorder self-defeating]], and the sex arguably made the whole situation worse. At least it helped in [[spoiler:sending her back to the original world]].
* Tomohiro helps his friends this way in {{LEAVEs}}.
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