Stress Is Affecting My Sex Life: What Should I Do?

Sexual intimacy isn’t just pleasurable: It has plenty of health benefits, too. Unfortunately, lots of issues can take a toll on your sexual wellness, including stress, an all-too-common problem for millions of Americans.

At STL Medical Weight Loss, Joseph Moleski, DO, and Margaurette Walsh, PA-C, help patients manage sexual health concerns using a holistic approach focused on both physical health and emotional wellness. Here, learn how stress affects sexual wellness and what we can do to help.

How stress affects libido, performance, and satisfaction

Stress affects sexual wellness in a multitude of ways, and understanding the complex interactions between stress and libido can help you take steps to improve both.

Stress and hormones

When we’re stressed, our bodies release cortisol — the hormone responsible for the fight-or-flight response. Also called the stress hormone, cortisol forces our bodies to prioritize survival functions, resulting in a decline in sexual desire. Chronic stress can cause long-term decreases in testosterone and estrogen, hormones that play major roles in sexual wellness.

Stress and mood

Stress takes a toll on us emotionally, too, often causing moodiness, anxiety, or irritability that can make it difficult to feel close to our partners. Chronic stress erodes our ability to successfully cope with stress, leading to an emotional distance that makes intimacy even more challenging (and certainly less satisfying).

Stress and energy

The physical strain caused by chronic stress commonly leads to feelings of fatigue and lethargy, along with increased interest in many activities, including sex. When we’re fatigued, we don’t have the energy, stamina, or desire to have sex or to take other steps to maintain healthy relationships.

Stress and weight

When we’re stressed, we also tend to eat more or make unhealthy eating choices (or both). Over time, this effect leads to weight gain that can sap our energy, make sex uncomfortable, or make us feel less confident in intimate situations.

Stress and sexual response

Fatigue and weight gain aren’t the only physical manifestations of stress. Ongoing or chronic stress can also cause physiological changes that make sex less practicable or less comfortable. Stress hormones reduce lubrication inside the vagina and reduce blood flow to the penis, two concerns that can lead to difficulties having sex or achieving arousal and pleasure.

Stress and alcohol

In addition to unhealthy eating habits, many people turn to alcohol to manage stress. When consumed on a regular or excessive basis, alcohol suppresses sexual response and libido, making it more difficult to “perform” or to feel arousal or satisfaction.

How to improve your sexual health

Improvements in both stress and sexual health begin with a medical evaluation and assessment. Our team performs evaluations designed to identify the root cause (or causes) of both stress and sexual wellness issues, featuring blood tests and other lab work when needed to ensure your treatment targets your unique needs.

Next, we design a treatment plan just for you. Most plans feature multiple therapies to support your whole health and reduce the effects of chronic stress. Depending on your needs, your plan may include:

• Nutritional guidance to help you eat healthier
• Therapies and lifestyle changes to improve sleep
• Medical weight management
• Stress management techniques
• Medication management for chronic medical conditions

We also offer ongoing support through in-person visits or convenient telehealth appointments that let you find the support you need right in the comfort of your home. In addition to helping manage stress through optimizing your physical wellness, we can recommend additional resources, like couples counseling, to assist with relationship concerns. 

We may recommend other lifestyle changes, like daily exercise or activities like journaling, to help you organize your thoughts and feelings and identify potential sources of stress. Of course, we help you prioritize self-care to calm your thoughts, learn better coping skills, and improve your peace of mind.

Optimize your sexual wellness

Sexual wellness plays a major role in your overall wellness and your quality of life. Learning to manage stress using a multifaceted approach can help mitigate the negative effects of stress and improve your relationship with your partner.

To learn more about the sexual wellness treatments we offer, call or book an appointment online with STL Medical Weight Loss at our locations in Chesterfield, Missouri, or Dallas, Texas, today.