People often aren’t prepared for post-sex sadness. After an intimate encounter with their lover, no one anticipates crying or feeling nervous. However, studies reveal that 46% of women and 41% of men experience this at some point in their life. Relationship issues or poor sex are not the cause of post-coital dysphoria. Even after having amazing, fulfilling experiences, people might still feel terrible. Suddenly, waves of melancholy, worry, or even wrath hit, seemingly out of the blue.
Physicians were unsure of how to handle patients who complained of post-sex blues until around 2011. Many were dismissed or labeled as psychological. We now know that these reactions have actual biological causes.
Sex alters the chemistry of the brain. After an orgasm, dopamine floods your system and causes a severe crash. increases in prolactin. Oxytocin has peculiar properties. This chemical mixture is easily handled by certain brains. Others don’t.
As more therapists become knowledgeable about post-coital dysphoria, it has become easier to receive appropriate treatment. However, it still takes some effort to find the correct aid.
Why Some People Experience This
Researchers are currently working to determine the causes of post-coital distress. Our current understanding suggests that a combination of hormones, personal history, and brain chemistry are involved.
The largest component is most likely the neurochemical angle. Your brain releases a lot of feel-good hormones when you have sex. Some of these swell after climax, while others collapse. Most folks have little trouble riding this wave. Others, however, experience an emotional crash.
Hormones also interfere with everything. Women frequently observe that during specific weeks of their cycle, their symptoms significantly worsen. Mild post-sex blues might become full-blown emotional breakdowns due to fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone. Similar problems can occasionally arise in men with low testosterone.
People’s processing of personal encounters is influenced by their past experiences. Although sexual trauma is a clear contributing factor, other factors are also important. Hearing that having sex is unclean or shameful as a child might lead to internal conflicts that blow up after vulnerable situations.
Depression and other mental health issues make things more difficult. Sex can cause chemical changes in your brain that can make mood regulation even more difficult. Similar to this, anxiety disorders intensify typical emotional reactions into something debilitating.
Key Factors That Cause PCD:
- Following a sexual climax, brain chemicals fall.
- Changes in hormones during menstruation
- Negative sexual encounters or past trauma
- Cultural shame or religious guilt regarding sex
- Anxiety, depression, or other mental health conditions
- Fear of closeness or becoming overly intimate with someone
The causes of post-coital distress are also influenced by attachment patterns. Even with loving partners, those who are always afraid of being abandoned may experience fear after having sex. The proximity may suffocate those who have trouble being near.
Receiving Appropriate Assistance
Locating therapists that genuinely understand sexual health is essential to addressing post-coital distress. Ordinary counselors frequently lack sufficient training in this field. Specialists who treat sexual dysfunction and associated mental issues are typically needed by patients.
Finding an anthem psychiatrist or other licensed mental health practitioner with expertise in sexual health can help folks with insurance coverage obtain and afford treatment.
Many questions about the onset, duration, and triggers of symptoms are asked at the initial visit. Therapists are interested in specifics regarding family history, relationships, and medical history. To evaluate hormones or rule out thyroid issues, blood tests may be required.
Most people feel a great sense of relief when they discover that PCD is a legitimate medical diagnosis. When people realize they’re not broken or strange, the guilt and uncertainty that exacerbate symptoms begin to fade.
Many patients find that cognitive behavioral therapy helps them recognize the mental processes that exacerbate their post-sexual suffering. “I always ruin good things” and “There’s something fundamentally wrong with me” are examples of common habitual thoughts. CBT encourages people to challenge these automatic responses.
Various Therapy Types
Patients can examine personal triggers in a judgment-free environment during individual sessions. Therapists assist clients in comprehending the relationships between their feelings, ideas, and bodily responses during and after intercourse.
Many patients benefit from couples work because partners typically don’t comprehend what’s going on. After having sex, if someone suddenly becomes depressed or nervous, their partner may feel abandoned or perplexed. Both individuals are better able to deal when they are informed about the issue.
Patients whose symptoms are caused by traumatic events respond well to EMDR. This method aids in the distinct processing of challenging memories by the brain. However, not all therapists use EMDR because it calls very specialized training.
Instead than fearing possible emotional breakdowns, mindfulness training enables people to remain in the moment during private moments. Frequent meditation enhances emotional control in general, which benefits many facets of life.
Options for Medical Treatment
Therapy and, if necessary, medical care are typically used in effective post-coital dysphoria treatment. First, medical professionals rule out physical factors that could produce post-sexual emotional reactions, such as hormone imbalances, thyroid conditions, or adverse drug reactions.
Patients whose symptoms correspond with changes in hormones benefit from hormone therapy. Women who observe that their PCD worsens during specific cycle phases can use birth control pills to even out fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone. Men with known low hormone levels may benefit from testosterone replacement therapy.
Making judgments about medication requires careful consideration of each person’s unique circumstances. Certain mood stabilizers can cause new issues by interfering with sexual function. Physicians must balance potential advantages against potential disadvantages.
In many cases, team methods are more effective than individual ones. While therapists provide counseling, psychiatrists may prescribe medication. In addition, some individuals see urologists or gynecologists who specialize in sexual health concerns.
Options for Medication
Although there is currently no specific prescription for post-coital dysphoria, a number of pharmacological types can be used to treat contributory factors. When depression or anxiety problems are present, antidepressants are most frequently prescribed.
SSRIs can reduce mood swings that exacerbate episodes of PCD. However, these drugs might occasionally lessen sexual desire or make it more difficult to experience an orgasm. Bupropion is one of the more recent antidepressants that may result in fewer sexual issues.
Anti-anxiety drugs aren’t the best long-term options, although they do aid during severe attacks. Because benzodiazepines are addictive, most doctors don’t prescribe them for long periods of time. These are most effective as short-term fixes as patients acquire new coping mechanisms.
For underlying medical issues that exacerbate their symptoms, some people require medication. When thyroid issues interfere with mood control, thyroid medicines can help. If little sleep exacerbates emotional issues, sleep aids may be helpful.
Important Treatment Components:
- Working on coping mechanisms and triggers in individual treatment
- Medical examinations to identify and address hormonal imbalances or other health concerns
- Couples therapy when relationship issues exacerbate symptoms
- Lifestyle modifications such as stress reduction, improved sleep, and exercise
- When treating underlying mental health disorders, medications are used.
- Frequent check-ins to monitor progress and modify treatment regimens
Recuperation and Prospects for the Future
With the right care, most people experience noticeable improvements, however recovery times might vary greatly. Within a few weeks, some people observe improvements. Others must labor consistently for several months before they noticeably improve.
Eliminating all symptoms isn’t always possible or required. Instead of expecting sporadic bouts to go away entirely, many patients learn how to manage them well. Reducing frequency and intensity while improving coping mechanisms becomes the aim.
Maintaining good health necessitates constant focus on relationship dynamics and mental wellness. Mood is naturally regulated by regular exercise. Emotional stability is supported by sound sleeping practices. Supportive environments for ongoing healing are created through open communication with partners.
Even after achieving their primary treatment objectives, some patients still benefit from frequent therapy check-ins. Others are content with yearly meetings to assess development and address novel issues. The most important thing is to figure out what suits each person’s particular circumstance.
As more medical professionals become aware of post-coital distress, treatment continues to advance. Future treatments will likely be more focused and successful as a result of a deeper comprehension of the underlying reasons.
SOURCE: ART OF HEALTHY LIVING
