The very drug that you’re taking to feel fetter, may actually be causing more harm than good. Here’s what you need to know about antidepressants and their effect on one’s sex drive.
Depression is a mental illness that can consume you. You feel sad, are demotivated, want to sleep all the time, and feel like a burden for others. In a state like this, sometimes practices such as meditation, exercising, deep-breathing, etc., too only provide temporary relief. So what do you do to simply get rid of this feeling and be joyous again? You turn to antidepressants.
We understand your pain and need. But what you need to know is that antidepressants may be causing you more harm than good.
Research in Drug, Healthcare, and Patient Safety shows that antidepressants can lower your sex drive, cause erectile dysfunction, can make it harder for you to achieve an orgasm, among other issues. Having decreased sexual excitement can in turn have an impact on your self-esteem, and lead to relationship trouble as well as problems in your marriage. All this can, as a result, make your depression even more severe.
So do ALL antidepressants lower one’s sex drive?
Any type of antidepressant can cause this issue, however, it’s more common with SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). Brands having SSRIs include Prozac (fluoxetine), Zoloft (sertraline), Luvox (fluvoxamine), Paxil and Paxil CR (paroxetine), Cymbalta (culoxetine), Celexa (citalopram), Lexapro (excitalopram).
Studies on the research on connection between antidepressants and sexual dysfunction have shown that as many as 73% of people taking SSRIs have experienced trouble with their sex life. In a study by the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, the frequency for sexual side effects was 65% for paroxetine (Paxil), 56% for sertraline (Zoloft), 54% for fluoxetine (Prozac), and 59% for fluvoxamine (Luvox)
How do SSRIs give rise to sexual problems?
To understand that, we first need to look at how SSRIs work in treating depression. People suffering from the same have low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is responsible for making you feel happy. SSRIs enhance its availability but the important point to note here is that low levels of serotonin are also associated with obsessive thinking (example: one consumed with the thoughts of their newfound lover).
Therefore, serotonin enhancing drugs reduce obsessive thinking, which is a critical component to one feeling romantic, infatuated, etc. Studies have shown that SSRIs also help in calming the anterior cingulate gyrus (the region in the brain where overactivity can give rise to obsessive thinking) and the basal ganglia (the region in which overactivity can cause anxiety)
With the increased availability of serotonin in the brain due to SRRIs, people feel more calm, relaxed, less anxious, and less obsessive. However, they also feel the same way when it comes to romance. They lose interest in sexual activity due to lower libido.
Know the risks before taking antidepressants
Antidepressants are a sure shot way to feel better with immediate effect, no doubt. However, in the process of curing one mental condition, they may give rise to another. So in the end, you’re caught in a vicious cycle. Why not opt for safer and long-lasting ways to feel better? For example, you can start by having saffron.
Saffron is known to increase sexual arousal and reduce anxiety
This spice has over 150 active substances in it and is associated with happiness and reducing anxiety. Scientific study too proves that saffron is equally effective as SSRIs Prozac and Zoloft. This natural herb has been found to increase one’s sexual drive. In fact, it is also considered as an aphrodisiac and referred to as the “viagra for women.”
A 2018 study in Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine discovered that saffron can reduce erectile dysfunction in men. In a 2012 issue of Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical & Experimental, it was stated that women who suffered from major depression experienced sexual dysfunction due to taking Prozac. But after taking 30mg of saffron a day for 4 weeks, they experienced a boost in sexual arousal.
Aside from taking saffron, an even more guaranteed way of getting rid of your depression is by undergoing brain training.
What you need to know about brain training technology Neurofeedback and how it helps treat depression
US, FDA-approved and NASA-inspired brain training technology Neurofeedback is one that helps restore the balance in your brainwaves.
Our brain works in patterns. These patterns are formed as a result of learned fears and habits, trauma, injury, or birth defects. Irrespective of the cause for dis-balance of brainwaves and fixed patterns, these can be changed with the help of brain training.
For example, your habits like walking, cycling, using your smartphone, driving, etc. are a result of neural pathways formed in the brain with repetition. These have become fixed patterns.
The more these pathways are used, the stronger they become. That is why you don’t have to think and concentrate while doing these things. They happen automatically.
Even your tendency to get anxious, stressed out, overwhelmed, angry or your depression even, is a learned behaviour operating in fixed patterns. That is why self-control, will power, positive thinking, do not really help much.
But brain training helps you break free from these fixed patterns and lead a happier and more joyous life. To learn more, watch this video.
Brain & Co. offers med-free treatment that could help you overcome some of the challenges that come with depression/anxiety/sleep issues/ADHD etc. Visit our website or give us a call to learn more.
