Depression can have a strained relationship with sex. The connection between depression and sex is not new.
When a person is depressed and the brain chemicals that stimulate desire and arousal are not pumping and the brain is not firing the way it normally does, one may find they are disinterested in sex, have no arousal or desire, have trouble with getting and maintaining erections, and may find that their body just does not function the way they are used to.
Now add to that mix anti-depressant medication, specifically SSRIs and we now know this can be toxic for sexual functioning.
For decades, people have complained that when they went on anti-depressants, they had a loss of sexual feeling or desire and that their sexual functioning was impaired. We now know that long-term use of SSRIs can create long-lasting impacts. Whether these are reversible is not yet known.
A recent article from Canadian drug policy researcher, Alan Cassels, presents a harrowing picture of how dire this connection may be.
Dr. David Healy has been studying PSSD, (Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction), and his recent study showed evidence based on over 300 case studies that people are experiencing a tremendous loss of sensation and other sexual impairments. He believes that almost everyone who takes an SSRI/SSNI will experience some form of sexual dysfunction. He found that people experienced:
ââŠpremature ejaculation and persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD), but other drugs were also linked to âgenital anaesthesia, pleasureless or weak orgasm, loss of libido and impotence.âââŻ
One of the most troubling aspects of this horrendous situation is that doctors all-too-often dismiss patientâs sexual concerns, particularly women. As medicine has been increasingly driven by the pharmaceutical industry, the shortcuts for doctors to just prescribe a pill and send a patient away have been too easy and the financial kickbacks and conflict of interest troubling.
This new research is illuminating what many people have known for a long time: that anti-depressants not only adversely impact their sexual expressing and experience, but that it may create a whole other level of mental and emotional distress to lose sexual pleasure and ability to have sex in the way they are used to.
In my work, I experience so many people who feel they have missed out by not having the sexual experiences theyâve wanted for such huge chunks of their lives. This brings a whole other element to the soup that keeps us from the erotic power and sexual ecstasy many of us desire.
There are many ways to develop ourselves sexually and falling into despair about the impacts of anti-depressants certainly will not be the cure. Seeking support, education, new opportunities for growth and exploration is key to taking control of it.
With COVID, people have truly been suffering emotionally and the use of SSRIs have risen dramatically. Itâs so important that we talk about the impact on our sexuality and sexual functioning, that we not be afraid to talk about it and to ask questions of our doctors.
We get to hold them to a higher standard and make sexuality the important part of the equation that it is.
We all get to be well emotionally, mentally and sexually and one does not need to eclipse the other.
Personally i prefer the loss of my sexuality to the fear and panicattacs i had for years. This article kinda makes me feel i have to decide, and yeah thats a tiny bit pressure. Idk if the author expirienced severe depression herself, but i did, and no sex is better than that. Sadly, yeah, but what to do. There is no answer right now.
I took too high a dose of an SSRI (Zoloft) through most of 2020 and it killed my sex drive. I’m still recovering and reconnecting with myself as a sexual being.
However, I have also found previously that taking the lowest effective dose of certain antidepressants actually improved my sex drive, at least in the short term. When my depression/anxiety was at its worst in my 20s, SSRIs helped me calm down enough to sleep, be present in my body, and actually improved my sex life! For me it’s totally a balancing act between using an SSRI to mitigate depression and anxiety symptoms and taking the lowest effective dose to minimize their gnarly side effects. Right now I prefer not to take them, but they are a wise and necessary choice for many at various points in our lives.
this is why, when i decided to try an anti depressant, i made it a point to ask my doctor if I could try wellbutrin first before any SSRIs. it works on different neurotransmitters (norepinephrine and to a lesser extent dopamine) and doesn’t have the reported sexual side effects of SSRIs.
obviously, wellbutrin isn’t right for everyone but it’s worked well for me and I’ve had no sexual issues while being on it – if anything, it actually increased my sex drive and improved my ability to feel arousal.
I know a thing or two about it, I am a woman in my thirties and before citalopram I had a fervent sexuality that grew with me even despite every depressive state I went through. Since the medication I have lost every erogenous sensation in my genitals, I no longer feel any arousal or pleasure although I have maintained sexual desire. It is the worst thing that has happened in my life. I’ve been suffering from it for 7 years now after being discontinued (while taking it I was convinced it was temporary). I hope a cure is found before I find myself old.