At times of stress in a marriage, women are likely to head to the kitchen and men to the bedroom, according to researchers.
Psychologists have found the two sexes cope very differently during hard times, with women raiding the biscuit tin until they feel better, but men more likely to have sex or watch pornography.
The research also suggests that men want a quick fix from therapy, while women prefer to talk about their feelings and the past.
Dr John Barry, from University College London, who worked on the study, said: "For men, having sex is probably about dissociating from whatever troubles they are having at that particular time " it is escapism.
"There are endorphins released during sex, so it provides a pleasurable feeling, which can act as a type of medication."