Many of us are making an effort to try and take better care of our mental health. We face many things in life that can leave us struggling, and if we are not mentally at our best, it can change other aspects of our lives. Our sex lives being one of them.
How you are feeling mentally could actually be hindering your sex life, and you might not be aware of it. So how do you know if it is? Is there anything you can do to fix it? I take a look on today’s blog.
Understanding your mental health
Now more than ever, people are taking care of themselves mentally. It used to be a case of just “getting over” whatever you were going through or dealing with it. If you were visibly upset about something, you’d be seen as weak. Remember Elsa repeating “conceal, don’t feel” in Frozen? That’s how many people viewed mental health.
That is still the case for some, but many people are rising up and starting to take the subject seriously. If they are upset then they allow themselves to be upset. If they are stressed then they try to find the source instead of ignoring the problem.
We are getting a far better grasp of our own minds. You might start to recognise signs that you are going to have a rough patch and so be able to properly prepare for it. Some people take days off of work in order to give themselves the time and space that they need to properly cope with what they are going through.
A hindrance to your sex life?
We get that feeling depressed or stressed can make it difficult to focus on things in life. You might find yourself distracted at work. You may even return home to that pile of washing up and discover that you don’t have the energy to deal with it. Often, our sex lives get forgotten. But our mental health can have a huge impact on our sex lives.
Studies have shown that things like stress and mental health issues are some of the biggest factors affecting our sex lives and drives. In fact, 45% in one survey said stress caused their sexual problems. A further 26% put their problems down to how they were feeling mentally and the health issues associated.
I’ve suffered with depression and anxiety for a long time. There have been points in my life where my sex drive has been non-existent as a result of how I was feeling inside of my own head. At the time, I didn’t even link the two together. I put the lack of sex in my relationship down to the honeymoon period being over.
Medication doesn’t always help
Sometimes you’ll find yourself taking medication to try and help with your mental health issues. This doesn’t always happen, as your doctor might prescribe some other methods to help you deal with it. But if you do, you should really take notice of how your medication might change things.
It may help to give you control over your health, but it can also be another big stumbling block for your sex life. Many report changes to their sex lives as a result of taking antidepressants. However, this isn’t always a sign to immediately stop taking the medication.
Many doctors recommend giving the side effects a few weeks before you look at changing. It might just be that they are minor side effects which your body will cope with after a while. Of course, if you have any concerns it is worth talking to a medical professional about it.
What can you do?
If you are worried that your mental health is causing some problems for your sex life, there are some things that you can do to help. You might not yet do this, but it is a good idea to keep track of how your mood changes. Are you noticing some patterns before you have a depressive episode? Are there signs that you’re going to be under a lot of stress? Prepare yourself for these times and put yourself first. This can help you control your mental health, instead of letting it control you.
I also cannot emphasise hard enough how important it is to talk to your doctor about how you are feeling. Getting taken seriously can be a struggle sometimes, but talking to them is often the first step. Got some tips for talking to your GP? Share them in the comments below.
Since then she has gained a fine reputation with her blogs on sex advice, sexual health and amusing news stories from around the globe. She is also a campaigner for the rights of sex workers from all over the world.
In her spare time, Lara keeps herself active by going running, and is something of a film buff. She also loves to go travelling.
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