Sex is supposed to leave you feeling satisfied, but if you feel sad after sex it may be a sign of something more serious. Depression after sex is known as postcoital dysphoria (PCD).
PCD can be triggered by any number of issues. These include: relationship feelings, body issues, and hormone imbalances.
Biological changes
The most common reason you might feel depressed after sex is due to hormone changes. Women, in particular, can experience depression after sex because of these changes. These changes can be due to ovulation, PMS, or pregnancy. If you are suffering from sexual trauma or PTSD it can also contribute to feelings of depression after sex. Certain positions and ways of being touched can be triggering as well.
If you are in a happy relationship, have a fulfilling sex life and have no history of sexual trauma or depression it can be difficult to understand why you would feel this way. It can also be hard to describe your feelings to other people. It is important to remember that this feeling is temporary, and it will pass.
If you are feeling this way on a regular basis, then you may want to speak with your doctor about it. They can help you find the underlying cause of your depression and provide treatment options. In addition, you can talk to a therapist about your feelings. They will help you find healthy ways to cope with them, and they can teach you how to use sex as a tool for self-love rather than as a source of negativity. They can also help you build a stronger sense of confidence and self-worth.
Triggers
Feeling sad after sex is normal and can be caused by a number of things. It may be a result of biological changes that occur after an orgasm, and it can also be triggered by personal issues. These can include anything from relationship problems to low self-esteem. It’s important to identify what is triggering the depression and take steps to address it.
Guilt, body or performance issues, and past sexual trauma are common triggers for postcoital tristesse or dysphoria (PCD). PCD can range from feeling like you’re mourning the loss of a loved one to a deep sense of melancholy. It can last for a few minutes or several hours.
Whether you’re in a long-term relationship or you’re sleeping with a casual partner, it’s worth exploring why you feel depressed after sex. If it’s a regular occurrence and is interfering with your relationship, it may be time to consider counseling or seeing a sex therapist.
It’s also important to consider whether you actually enjoy sex. Some people are able to shut off the emotional side of it and just see it as a physical pleasure, but others need more than that. It’s not healthy to push aside how you really feel, and it’s more hurtful in the long run than it would be if you only did it out of obligation or to appease your partner.
Relationships
If you feel depressed after sex, it is important to talk about it with your partner. This can help you figure out what is causing it and how to stop it from happening in the future. It can also be helpful to talk to a therapist who can help you understand your feelings and find solutions.
Depression after sex is more common than you might think. In fact, a 2015 study found that 46% of women reported feeling sad or depressed after sexual activity. This is called postcoital dysphoria, and it’s a sign that you’re experiencing sexual frustration. Sexual frustration is when you don’t get the pleasure and satisfaction you need from sex. This can happen for many reasons, including a lack of orgasms, fear of intimacy, or a history of sexual trauma.
It’s also possible to feel melancholy after sex if you have unrealistic expectations about the sexual experience. For example, if you’re in a kink relationship with someone who has different needs than yours, it’s important to discuss expectations ahead of time. If you can’t agree on what you expect from sex, it may be better to find a more casual partner.
You may also feel melancholy after sex because you don’t have a deep emotional connection with your partner. This can be difficult to deal with, but it’s important to talk about it. You might need to seek couples therapy or sex therapy, which can help you resolve your issues and communicate more effectively.
Medication
Sadness after sex (also called postcoital dysphoria or PCD) is more common than you might think. It’s a strange feeling, especially because it happens after sexual activity that was wanted and enjoyable. But understanding why it happens and how to deal with those negative feelings can make a big difference.
There is no cure for PCD, but there are ways to help manage those feelings of sadness or depression after sex. In a recent article for Scary Mommy, sex therapist Aliyah Moore discusses some of the things you can do to lessen those negative feelings after sexual encounters.
Her advice includes reducing your expectations and being honest with sexual partners about how you feel afterward. She also suggests avoiding alcohol, sedatives and antihistamines, which can exacerbate those feelings.
If those suggestions don’t work, you might want to talk to a sex and relationship therapist. Those professionals are trained to talk through your feelings of sadness or depression after sex and help you sort them out.
Sometimes those negative feelings are rooted in something bigger than just your physical pleasure and your relationship. A therapist can help you address issues of anxiety or depression, childhood and adult trauma, or other factors that might turn a good sexual experience into a bad one afterward. The good news is that these symptoms are usually temporary, and they will pass with time.
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