Postcoital dysphoria: what it is, causes, symptoms and treatment

Sexuality produces a world of questions that vary depending on the person who experiences it. Although it is true that each human being has the possibility of deciding how he wants to live his sexuality, some discomfort may appear if conflicts arise before, during or after the act.

There are people who cannot enjoy the precise moment due to impossibilities, both physical and psychological. In this sense, different feelings of unhappiness can also be generated after intercourse, which gives rise to a clinical condition that has unfavorable consequences in daily life. If you want to know more about it, in this Psychology-Online article, we will give you more information about Postcoital dysphoria: what it is, causes, symptoms and treatment.

Index

1. What is postcoital dysphoria
2. Causes of postcoital dysphoria
3. Symptoms of postcoital dysphoria
4. How long does postcoital dysphoria last?
5. Treatment of postcoital dysphoria

Postcoital dysphoria is a mental mood disorder characterized by the presence of feelings of sadness, emptiness, unhappiness, anxiety and/or shame after having had sexual intercourse. It should be noted that these symptoms can occur in the company of another person or through masturbation.

When taking into account the delimitations implied by the DSM-V^[1], it is possible to place postcoital dysphoria within the group of mood disorders. In this sense, it can be said that it shares clinical conditions typical of a depressive disorder. Despite this, the truth is that the DSM-V has not established specific criteria to address the particularity of this clinical condition.

In order to more accurately determine the origins of this problem, it is necessary to emphasize its origin. Next, we will show you the main causes of postcoital dysphoria:

• Organic factors: After the sexual act, certain neural components are released that produce pleasure. However, cases of postcoital dysphoria may be associated with a deregulation of the immune system. central nervous system that causes a decrease in the chemical substances that generate this sensation of welfare. In this way, other components arise that cause discomfort in the person.
• Environmental factors: Traumatic experiences also influence the emotional aspects of a person after a sexual encounter. In this sense, it is possible that the appearance of postcoital dysphoria is linked to unpleasant experiences that have been experienced in the past in relation to one's own sexuality. This produces a pattern of behavior that persists over time. In addition, family conditions also have an impact on the person's emotional state.

In this article you will find the answer to why do I feel bad after having sex.

How do I know if I have postcoital dysphoria? If you want to detect it in time, it is important that you know what physical manifestations They arise when a person suffers from this condition. In the following items, we will highlight the most important symptoms of postcoital dysphoria:

• Sudden sadness after sexual intercourse.
• Feeling of inferiority.
• Low self-esteem.
• Anxiety.
• Difficulty falling asleep.
• Variable mood.

It should be noted that these symptoms in isolation do not necessarily constitute a diagnosis of postcoital dysphoria. It is essential that this clinical picture be ruled by a health professional specialized to evaluate the conditions of each patient in a personalized way.

Beyond the fact that each person will have a different evolution of this pathology, the truth is that the duration of the feelings after the sexual encounter ranges between a few minutes or hours up to a certain number of consecutive days.

In general terms, the symptoms they give way when the person has been able to compose himself at an organic level. However, in some cases, this can last over time if the causes lie in environmental factors.

Despite the consequences caused by postcoital dysphoria, there are currently different ways to alleviate the symptoms involved and improve the quality of life of people who suffer from it. Find out how to treat postcoital dysphoria below:

• Psychological therapy: psychotherapy allows you to develop tools to manage situations of stress and/or discomfort. In the case of postcoital dysphoria, the causes that give rise to the disorder are addressed so that the person can adopt strategies to cope with complex situations in their daily lives. Both short-term and long-term therapies have been shown to have good effectiveness in treating postcoital dysphoria.
• Medication: If the cause is determined by organic factors, it may be necessary to perform medical studies to corroborate the presence of neurological alterations. Furthermore, there are medications to regulate hormones, however, it is important that the supply of this type of medication must be supervised by a health professional.

This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Postcoital dysphoria: what it is, causes, symptoms and treatment, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.

1. American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders (5th edition). Arlington: Panamericana Medical Publishing.

• Cadenas Blanco, M., Fernández Rodríguez, M., García Vega, E., Guerra Mora, P. (2019). Satisfaction with life in people with gender dysphoria: Case-control study. desexology magazine, 8 (1), 5-12.
• Gil Vera, V.D. (2019). Postcoital sexual dysphoria in married life. desexology magazine, 8 (1), 77-81.