Sex and Depression
Channel: BioBalance Healthcast
Date: 2017-10-02

Read more at www.biobalancehealth.com

Last week we talked about orgasm and depression. We discussed what depression is and how it impacts your ability to desire sex and or your ability to function sexually. We discussed medicines and how they work in the treatment of depression, and the side effects that many of them generate sexually.

This week, we want to talk about what to do if you are depressed and on medicines for depression and are experiencing side effects from the medicine or the illness that complicates your ability to have sex, be sexually satisfied, or manage the relationships you have while undergoing these issues in your life.

One of the most important things to bring up is the issue of good communications between you and your partner when you are depressed or on antidepressant medicines.  In doing therapy with patients suffering from these conditions, we always try to speak with them about the importance of understanding what is going on and having the communication skills for dealing with it.

Partners need to know if you are depressed and particularly if you are on an antidepressant you probably will not feel sexual desire. That means you may not feel like initiating sex while you are depressed. Your partner needs to know that it is not personal nor rejecting, it is just your body fighting your depression. So your partner needs to understand that it may be their responsibility to raise the question of sexual behavior. They may need to ask for what they want and not feel that they are being ignored or rejected. This is not likely to be their awareness unless there are good communication skills involved.

 Also, it is not uncommon for someone who is depressed to be able to begin having sex and then lose interest. The process for them just goes away. That can cause a lot of distress within the partner unless there are plans in place for communicating about this and the feelings it causes. What should you do when you have these problems?