PTSD can cause a decrease in libido and avoidance of intimacy, particularly for those who have experienced sexual trauma. Anti-anxiety medications can also have a negative impact on sex drive. Treatment options include psychotherapy, medication, and natural remedies. Other symptoms of PTSD include insomnia, social withdrawal, and physical symptoms such as chest pains and muscle twitching.
Among the effects of PTSD on sex are a decreased libido and, for some sufferers, a deliberate abstention from intimacy. While PTSD can keep some from having a healthy sexual relationship, treatment often helps. For some people, however, commonly prescribed medications for anxiety, including those prescribed for PTSD, sometimes have a diminishing effect on a person’s sex drive. While this is a chemically induced reduction in drive, many still consider it an effect of PTSD on sex.
PTSD, often referred to as PTSD, is an emotional and psychological response to a sudden but extremely stressful event. In some cases, the reaction to such an event may even elicit a physical response, as found in studies of the effects of PTSD on a sexual relationship. Some who suffer from the condition share that it is easier to experience sexual intimacy with a stranger than with a partner. Many report, however, that there is a complete decline in libido due to PTSD. Psychologists and other researchers who closely study the lives of people with PTSD also report that this is sometimes the case.
One of the many different causes of PTSD is sexual trauma. In girls and women with PTSD, there is often a complete and ongoing lack of interest in sex or even extreme anxiety about sexual intimacy, particularly if the disorder was triggered by incest or rape. The effects of PTSD on a relationship may also require a woman and her partner to engage in counseling together in an effort to understand and overcome this disorder.
While many psychologists prescribe anti-anxiety medications for people with the condition, some medications have been known to cause a decline in sexual arousal. In some men with PTSD, the medications have rendered them impotent. While this is a common side effect of some anti-anxiety medications, many also consider it related to the effect PTSD has on sex.
Treating PTSD can sometimes be challenging, particularly in people who don’t respond well to medications. Other methods include psychotherapy and can be effective. Over time, many people can and do recover from PTSD, and as they do so, the effect of this on their sex lives diminishes as well. Sometimes natural treatments are also recommended, such as meditation and hypnosis.
In addition to its effects on sex, other signs of PTSD include insomnia, social withdrawal, and repeated flashbacks of the traumatic event. Physical symptoms include chest pains, profuse sweating, and muscle twitching. In more severe cases, people with PTSD may have suicidal thoughts or may act aggressively towards others.
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