Sexercism is a term for the act of having sex with a new person in an attempt to forget about, or get over, a previous relationship. The term is a portmanteau of the words "sex" and "exorcism."
Sexercism is also sometimes called rebound sex. It should not be confused with the similar-sounding term sexorcism, which is an attempt to exorcise an evil spirit from the body through sexual intercourse.
A sexercism is seen as a way to cut emotional ties with a past relationship by forging new ties with someone else. However, that doesn’t mean that a sexercism must necessarily involve a strong emotional connection. Anecdotal evidence suggests that having a one-night stand can help a person get over an ex more effectively than dating or emotionally investing in new people.
However, psychologists suggest that people should exercise caution when deciding to have a sexercism. While some feel liberated from the emotional ties of their past relationships, others may feel depressed after a sexercism. Sexercism can be a temporary way to escape the reality of grieving for a relationship, but these difficult emotions can linger or return after the rebound sex ends.
