Table of contents:
- Recognizing the phenomenon of stress after sex in men
- Causes of stress after sex in men
- 1. Hormonal changes
- 2. Emotional conditions and trauma
- 3. Negative stigma about sex
Men are often considered to have great sexual desire, always want to have sex, and enjoy sexual activities more than women. In fact, men can also experience stress after having sex or post-coital dysphoria . Instead of feeling happy, having an intimate relationship creates lasting negative emotions.
Recognizing the phenomenon of stress after sex in men
Post-coital dysphoria (PCD) is characterized by feelings of sadness, stress, frustration, or even depression after having sex. This condition can occur even if you have sex with your partner with consent (consent).
Intimate relationships can make someone emotional, but many people think this only happens to women. Men are considered to always enjoy sex, so not many realize that they too can experience PCD.
A number of researchers at Queensland University of Technology, Australia, conducted a survey involving more than 1,200 men from a number of countries. This survey aims to determine the percentage of men who experience PCD by assessing the symptoms, such as the appearance of sadness, dissatisfaction, annoyance, and stress after having sex.
As a result, as many as 41 percent of respondents admitted to having PCD. As many as 20 percent of them experienced PCD in the last month, and about 4 percent of the total respondents admitted that they almost always experience PCD every time they have sex.
Respondents experienced different negative emotions. Some men don't like being touched, want to be alone, and want to leave immediately after having sex. There are also those who feel empty or think there is something wrong with him.
Loving intimate relationships can actually benefit both physical and emotional health. However, in men who have PCD, stress and negative feelings after sex actually make this activity no longer enjoyable.
Causes of stress after sex in men
Cause post-coital dysphoria not known with certainty, considering that there are not many studies that discuss this phenomenon. However, experts suspect PCD is associated with hormonal changes, emotional state, and stigma about sex.
1. Hormonal changes
Some experts suspect that PCD may be related to increased levels of the hormones dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins during sexual activity. All three are hormones that provide relaxation and reduce stress after sex.
To compensate for high dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins, the body produces the hormone prolactin. Increased prolactin makes these three hormones decrease drastically. As a result, you feel the negative emotions that are the precursors to PCD.
2. Emotional conditions and trauma
If you have experienced trauma related to sex, this activity may lead to negative emotions in the future. Sex, which is supposed to make you feel good, will actually remind you of trauma.
Apart from trauma, bad or embarrassing experiences related to sex can also cause stress after sex. Therapy with a psychologist will help you get to the root of the problem so that sexual activity no longer seems terrible.
3. Negative stigma about sex
Sex is a normal part of any relationship. However, not a few people judge sex as taboo because the environment teaches it so. They end up seeing sexual intercourse as something dirty and shameful.
This kind of stigma is very difficult to break, even when a man is an adult and tries not to believe it. As a result, intimate relationships actually cause negative emotions and feelings of guilt.
Stress after sex does not only happen to women, but also men. This condition is even quite common in men, it's just not widely revealed because men express their feelings less often than women.
The emotions you experience do not need to be taken seriously as long as they do not reduce the quality of the sexual relationship as a whole. However, if you start to get annoyed, try to consult a psychologist to determine a solution.
