Disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system are fraught with such pathological deviations as decreased sexual activity or neurosis. According to statistics, the age of people suffering from this problem varies. This category includes both young people and more mature ones.
The human nervous system has a certain reserve of strength and energy, which is spent and has time to recover. But in the process of super-heavy loads, mental work, long periods of time without rest and sleep, the nervous system is depleted, and disruptions in its functioning begin. Regular exhaustion leads to increased fatigue, lethargy, irritability and apathy. Among all these consequences, sexual neurasthenia may also occur.
Sexual neurosis is characterized by a disorder that appears as a result of the development of psychological mechanisms. The provoking factor can be any stress, experience, or character traits. Often the problem originates from childhood, but can be acquired during an unsuccessful experience in adolescence.
The disease can be divided into two types:
- those that manifest as pathological disturbances of a sexual nature due to experiences, behavior or functionality. Among them there is a division according to severity in terms of existence and perception, as well as concentration and emphasis on the problem;
- those that do not have a neurotic nature of appearance, but provoke disruptions due to underdevelopment, any damage, or deformations.
Causes of pathology
Incomplete rest and regular stress lead to a decrease in all indicators of the body, because in this state it exhausts even reserve reserves. The disease develops due to the following factors:
- personality traits. Excessive emotionality and impressionability can become neurosis and lead to negative consequences and poor health;
- inability to let off steam and get rid of the negativity accumulated during the day, because at work one cannot avoid difficulties and brain or mental activity. Simple techniques, breathing exercises or work with a psychologist can correct this condition;
- unbearable loads. The frantic pace of life that modernity dictates to us sometimes does not imply proper rest and sleep. A dangerous form of the disease can develop if stressful situations are not given vent.
Provocateurs can be poor nutrition, alcohol and tobacco abuse, poor sleep, sedentary lifestyle, sedentary work, and acute chronic diseases.
Neurosis can be accompanied by various manifestations, such as severe headaches, migraines, temperament swings, sudden changes in mood, loss of strength, decreased productivity, poor memory, apathy, pain in various systems and internal organs, etc.
Treatment of sexual neurasthenia and its causes
Disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system are fraught with such pathological deviations as decreased sexual activity or neurosis.
According to statistics, the age of people suffering from this problem varies. This category includes both young people and more mature ones. The human nervous system has a certain reserve of strength and energy, which is spent and has time to recover. But in the process of super-heavy loads, mental work, long periods of time without rest and sleep, the nervous system is depleted, and disruptions in its functioning begin. Regular exhaustion leads to increased fatigue, lethargy, irritability and apathy. Among all these consequences, sexual neurasthenia may also occur.
Sexual neurosis is characterized by a disorder that appears as a result of the development of psychological mechanisms. The provoking factor can be any stress, experience, or character traits. Often the problem originates from childhood, but can be acquired during an unsuccessful experience in adolescence.
Possible consequences of neurasthenia
A person adapts to neurotic changes in the body through compensation:
- presenting a more attractive image of a partner, idealizing and revaluing his real qualities and appearance;
- constant self-improvement in the process of having sex by learning new techniques, positions, experimenting with various practices, giving more importance to your achievement of pleasure;
- Difficulties with erection are brightened up with the help of prolonged caresses and skillful foreplay. The ascension of spiritual pleasures above the physical act, the idealization of relationships with a partner. Entertaining stories about their achievements and skills, endless flirting, boasting about victories and a comprehensive demonstration of their sexuality and experience.
With the development of sexual neurosis, a person tries in every possible way to get away from the problem. He looks for problems in partners, avoids intimacy, and tries to find a replacement for sex in other activities and benefits. Such a person always has excuses for himself, because he does not want to realize his sexual inadequacy. This is especially true for men.
Often such a person looks for opportunities to test his abilities on the side. Such a decision can lead to two outcomes: it will suffer the same failure as in the previous relationship, or a relationship with a random partner will bring success. Usually in such a couple the relationship is so aggravated that it soon breaks up, because one of the partners still cannot stand it.
Troubleshooting
Diagnosis of pathology is problematic and untimely, because such a delicate problem creates many obstacles to seeking help. People of any age are not always ready to talk about difficulties in their intimate life and trust a specialist, denying to the last the presence of any deviation.
Even frequent constipation, absent-minded attention and pain in the lumbar spine can give a competent specialist the first grounds for diagnosing sexual neurasthenia.
With timely treatment and diagnosis, treatment takes on average about two months. In more severe cases - longer.
Before starting treatment, it is necessary to limit all factors that provoke the central nervous system, adjust your diet, start moving more, do exercises, perform light physical activity, and eliminate the use of alcohol and tobacco products. Sexual activity is also excluded during the period of treatment; testing your abilities must be postponed.
To improve the functioning of the nervous system, a full eight-hour sleep and walking in the fresh air are important. For sexual neurasthenia, physical work, gymnastics, yoga, Pilates are very important. It is very important to find an activity that will distract from negative thoughts, reduce irritation, fatigue and apathy towards everything that is happening, switching the patient’s attention.
Drug therapy is prescribed in combination with rest and relaxation. Usually these are sedatives, vitamin complexes, and general strengthening substances. Hormonal drugs are also prescribed that increase libido and have a positive effect on blood circulation, metabolic processes and the functioning of the central nervous system.
Physiotherapeutic procedures, acupuncture or massage are effective. Impact on certain nerve centers and points of the body can activate the work of certain organs. You can use warm baths with soothing herbs.
An important part of the treatment journey is working with a psychologist who will tell you how to gain confidence and get rid of fears and concerns.
Sexual neurasthenia is considered one of the manifestations of general human neurasthenia. But complex feedback connections are determined between these states. Strong suspiciousness, special wariness, and the dominance of anxious reactions lead to a decrease in sexual tone, and its decrease, in turn, gives rise to new annoying emotions and deepens self-doubt.
Very often, men complain of insufficient and inappropriate erection, as well as premature ejaculation. All this may be interconnected with reasons that are psychological in nature.
A nervous environment and sudden unpleasant impressions from intimacy have a restraining effect on the genital centers. In such a situation, an erection may not come or suddenly end. A nervous, impressionable person overly concentrates his attention on the failure generated by such a random situation. And as a result, inhibition appears in him in the future, already arising according to the principle of a conditioned reflex.
Everyone knows that irritation of very sensitive nerve endings located in the external intimate organs reflexively generates excitation of the genital centers. And the same, if not more profound effect is produced by impulses coming from the cerebral cortex and sensory organs. For example, this can be said about the exciting influence of smells. It is not without reason that in ancient times women used various rubs that heightened sensuality. Predetermined music, color combinations, and many other external stimuli can also act to this extent.
If similar impressions were once combined with pleasant sexual feelings, they will continue to play a stimulating role. And, on the contrary, if they were accompanied by failure, they may turn out to be a brake.
It happens that a man begins to consider himself impotent, comparing his capabilities with the capabilities of other men, familiar from their stories. But you should be aware that sexual potency, like other physiological functions, is extremely personal. It depends on the pattern of higher nervous activity, the physical structure of a person and his state of health. Men who are well physically developed always have greater potency than those who are too well-fed. With all this, sometimes even an athletic build does not provide a guarantee against sexual disorders, and external physical weakness may well be combined with perfect well-being in this regard.
Treatment should begin by stopping drinking alcohol and smoking. Sexual activity will have to be temporarily stopped. And what is completely unacceptable is to strive to “test” yourself in relationships with other women. It is very important to properly regulate work and rest, to ensure normal sleep, and not to have sleepless nights of worry. The diet must be varied, with the right amount of meat, seafood, fats, fish, eggs, raw vegetables and fruits. All dishes with spicy seasoning will have to be thrown out of the diet. Overweight people may be advised to lose some excess weight. It is also necessary to do physical exercise. Systematic muscle activity is very useful for all functional sexual disorders.
You cannot sleep on your back, because in this position the blood stagnates in the spinal cord and irritates the genital centers located in it, causing them to become aroused, which is not at all desirable at the moment. Depending on the condition, all kinds of sedatives, restorative and tonic medications are prescribed.
Treatment in a hospital is not recommended, since there are no distracting experiences in the hospital. And as a result of this, the person becomes completely absorbed in his illness, which completely reduces the effectiveness of treatment. And we must remember that sexual neurasthenia is curable. Firm confidence in this is one of the main guarantees of success.
Neurasthenia
is a mental disorder caused by nervous weakness. The main cause of the disease is prolonged emotional stress, which leads to exhaustion of the nervous system.
Neurasthenic syndrome
is formed under the influence of long-term mental trauma, which occurs during frequent exposure to an unfavorable environment at home or at work. As a rule, this is associated with increased mental or physical stress, due to working conditions or overwhelming demands.
Neurasthenia in children
most often arises due to conflicts with parents who make excessive demands and express constant dissatisfaction with the child’s achievements. When a baby experiences severe overload, mental and physical, and realizes that he is still incapable of the results that are expected of him, sooner or later a malfunction occurs in his nervous system.
Psychologist Mikhail Labkovsky: About childhood psychotraumas and adult neurotics (editor's note).
Easily tired, asthenic individuals are susceptible to neurasthenia
, with a weak nervous system. As a rule, these are suspicious people with a highly developed sense of duty. Neurasthenia also develops under the influence of factors that deplete the nervous system - starvation, constant overwork, lack of sleep.
Sexual neurasthenia is characterized by sexual disorders that predominate in the general clinical picture of the patient.
Symptoms of neurasthenia
The signs of neurasthenia are very diverse.
First of all, this is a weakening of the functions of internal inhibition. This is typical for the following symptoms: 1. Increased irritability.
The person becomes extremely unrestrained, which has never happened before. Even for minor reasons, a person can show an inadequate, violent reaction - screaming, throwing objects, breaking furniture.
2. Sensitivity to small stimuli.
A person with neurasthenia is very sensitive to small everyday irritants that a healthy person would ignore. For example, to the ticking of a clock or the rustling of a newspaper.
3. Frequency of emotional outbursts.
Outbursts of rage with neurasthenia are short-lived, however, they can be repeated frequently. Consciousness is maintained during attacks.
4. Increased tearfulness.
Excessive excitability can also be caused by tearfulness, which was previously unusual for a person.
5. Memory disorders and absent-mindedness.
It is difficult for a person to concentrate his attention; he tries to avoid any mental effort.
6. Impact on sex life.
At the first stage: men experience premature ejaculation, which can develop into obsessive syndrome. Women fail to achieve pleasure due to their inability to relax and distract themselves from extraneous thoughts. At the second stage: men's potency weakens, women become frigid.
7. Increased irritability to light and sound.
8. Painful sensitivity to cold and heat.
9. Insomnia.
The patient is overwhelmed by incessant thoughts about problems and adversities, because of which he can toss and turn in bed for hours. Eventually, the person develops a fear of “not falling asleep,” which further increases the feeling of anxiety. The sleep itself is shallow. More details about the treatment can be found at the link.
10. Feeling tired in the morning.
A person wakes up in a bad mood, he does not want to get up and start a new day. Feels drowsy and tired during the day. Only towards the end of the day does a person begin to feel more alert, which ultimately prevents him from going to bed on time.
11. Constant feeling of fatigue - physical and mental.
It is difficult for a person to think, his mood is depressed. Everything stops being interesting. Nothing makes me happy.
12. Headaches and dizziness.
Feeling of heaviness on the head, as if wearing a helmet or a squeezing hoop.
13. Painful sensations in various parts of the body.
Pain in the back and muscles, cold extremities, difficulty breathing, sweating, problems with the gastrointestinal tract, increased urination, dry mouth and, conversely, increased salivation.
How to treat neurasthenia?
An important aspect in the treatment of neurasthenia is the elimination of asthenia.
This is achieved by sufficient sleep, rest, proper nutrition, as well as the use of vitamins, glucose, phytin, calcium glycerophosphate, hematogen and other strengthening agents. With increased exhaustion, it is advisable to treat neurasthenia at home. In this case, bed rest is prescribed and the patient is completely released from work. However, most often it is enough to simply relieve the patient of overload, overtime work and establish the correct daily routine, which provides sufficient time for rest.
If the patient is overly excitable, drug treatment for neurasthenia may be prescribed. Autogenic training is also effective. In case of sleep disorders, it is advisable not to use sleeping pills, but to solve the problem with evening walks, baths, and the exclusion of stimulating drinks at night - coffee, alcohol and carbonated drinks.
Also in the treatment of neurasthenia, it is important to eliminate the traumatic situation if it continues to affect the patient. In cases where this is not possible, the psychotherapist must use suggestion or persuasion to change the patient’s attitude towards the problem. Until this situation is resolved, other treatments will be ineffective.
Bibliography.
Due to disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system, sexual activity decreases and neurosis develops. Problems arise for both young people and older people. The nervous system has a certain reserve of energy and strength; they can be spent, but are not restored. After an extremely heavy mental load, if a person is constantly without sleep or rest, the nervous system begins to deplete, and malfunctions occur in its functioning. Subsequently, the person becomes lethargic, quickly gets tired, is in a state of apathy, and refuses all the benefits of life. It is because of this that sexual neurosis develops.
Main reasons
When a person does not have adequate rest, is constantly in a state of stress, all energy reserves are exhausted. The disease can be caused by a number of factors:
- Personal characteristics. The person is impressionable and overly emotional. Subsequently, everything ends with poor health.
- There is no way to get rid of all the accumulated negativity and let off steam. There are many different problems at work, a person constantly thinks and worries a lot. In this case, there is a simple technique - breathing exercises; it is also useful to work with a psychologist.
- Unbearable loads. Due to the frantic, modern rhythm of life, there is no time for sleep or rest. Subsequently, various diseases develop.
- Alcohol abuse, smoking, as well as unhealthy diet, poor sleep, and sedentary work lead to acute forms of chronic disease. Neurosis is quite often accompanied by migraines, severe headaches, sudden changes in mood, poor memory, loss of strength, depression, and impaired functioning of various organs.
Treatment methods
Sexual neurasthenia can only be cured if the person himself understands that something is wrong with him. Modern doctors have developed a number of techniques that allow them to cope with this difficult disease.
To begin with, the patient is advised to give up all bad habits. They worsen not only physical health, but also psychological health. Sexual neurasthenia can be treated only if the patient is ready to cooperate with doctors and adhere to all recommendations.
Therapy involves abstaining from sex. Also, you should not stay in the hospital for the entire treatment period. This will only depress the patient even more.
Achieving quality sleep is very important for recovery. It is also recommended to relax outside the home more often. Another important part of therapy is proper nutrition. Vegetables and fruits will saturate the body with vitamins, which will allow it to strengthen and recover from stress.
Sexual neurasthenia is in many cases treated with hydrotherapy, acupuncture and other methods. Doctors recommend not to resort to medications, because... This is simply one of the difficult moments in a person’s life, which can be easily dealt with without the help of various medications.
Consequences of neurasthenia
The patient begins to adapt to various neurotic changes due to unusual compensations:
- Imagines more attractive partners, idealizes, overestimates their appearance.
- Tries to improve during sex by using different positions, techniques, and experiments. This is the only way to enjoy it.
- Problems are solved through long foreplay and caresses. In this case, spiritual pleasure is more important than physical pleasure; he idealizes relationships with partners. In addition, some make up stories about their skills, achievements, and boast about intimate victories.
Important!
When sexual neurosis develops, a person tries in different ways to avoid the problem, he shifts them onto others. Some people specifically avoid sex and look for another partner, believing that this is the only way they can solve their problem. Such people find excuses for themselves; they do not want to realize that they are insolvent.
Many people with neurasthenia deliberately cheat and test their sexual capabilities on others. It all ends in failure, a break in relationships with loved ones. Please note that such relationships cannot last long; sooner or later they end in breakup.
How to fix the problem?
Unfortunately, it is quite difficult to get rid of the problem in a timely manner. Most people don't even realize it. People do not want to admit to themselves that they have serious difficulties in sex, so they are in no hurry to consult a specialist.
In fact, when attention wanders, constant constipation bothers you, you need to see a doctor. This all points to neurasthenia. If you consult a sexologist in a timely manner and undergo treatment, you can get rid of the problem in 2 months.
On a note!
Before therapy, it is necessary to remove from your life all factors that provoke the nervous system:
- Monitor your diet.
- Move as much as possible.
- Exercise.
- Avoid nicotine and alcoholic beverages.
- Forget about sex during therapy.
In order for the nervous system to fully function again, walks in the air are necessary. If sexual neurasthenia develops, it is important to do yoga, gymnastics, and Pilates. Try to find an activity for yourself that will distract you from all the negativity, relieve fatigue, irritation, relieve apathy, and redirect your attention.
In addition to relaxation and rest, drug treatment is necessary. It is recommended to take sedatives, vitamins, and medications to strengthen the body. In severe cases, the doctor prescribes hormones that enhance libido, which have a positive effect on blood supply, metabolic processes, and the functioning of the nervous system.
The following are considered especially effective: massage, physiotherapy, acupuncture. Due to the impact on certain points, nerve centers, certain organs will be activated. It is also recommended to relax in warm, soothing baths with herbs.
In addition, it is necessary to consult with a psychologist in time; he will tell you how to raise your self-esteem, get rid of apprehension, fear, start anew and live a full life.
So, sexual neurasthenia does not develop just like that - it is a consequence of constant and prolonged stress and overload. Don’t put yourself in a difficult state, take active rest, give up bad habits, enjoy life with your family and friends. Intimate life is of great importance for both men and women; it normalizes hormones and protects against mental disorders. Be healthy!
The clinical picture, course, prognosis and treatment of sexual disorders in neuroses depend on the component of which neurosis they are. The pathogenesis and symptomatology of sexual disorders in hysteria, psychasthenia, obsessive-compulsive neurosis and neurasthenia are completely different. They are united only by the psychogenic etiology of neuroses in general and sexual disorders associated with them in particular.
The presence of any isolated form of neurosis in the form of sexual neurasthenia seems completely unreliable, as well as the presence of any special organ neuroses in general.
Temporary disorders of various somatic functions, including sexual function, are included in the clinical picture of neurosis, which is rarely monosymptomatic.
And sexual disorders in various neuroses occupy a main place in some cases, a secondary place in others, and always coexist with various symptoms characteristic of a given type of neurosis.
Vivid ideas have a much stronger effect than the presence of a real object. That is why, often, full-fledged erections outside the object, when experiencing various stages of sexual emotions and actions in the imagination, are replaced by a lack of arousal and erection, or its weakness in a real situation of sexual intercourse.
Such patients often evoke fantastic ideas that turn out to be more powerful stimuli than the real object. The fantasies of such patients usually involve inaccessible or random objects, and often perverse pictures of sexual intercourse. A woman's help and her sexual activity often alleviates or completely eliminates the difficulty of erection. Patients with hysteria usually have difficulty communicating with a woman for the first time. A significant role among psychopathic individuals of the hysterical circle, however, as well as among persons with pronounced hysterical reactions, is played by the desire to be the best, most perfect, unsurpassed sexual partner.
That is why, after overcoming the first fiasco, such individuals usually develop compensatory aspirations to play at being a super-strong man. They willingly look for ways to realize various elements of perverse drives and are always accompanied by a fantastic transformation of the love object. They experience orgasm in an exaggerated and exaggerated form and are always asking what is the assessment of their sexual ability.
Comparisons with other men that are not in their favor are usually painfully experienced. The entire appearance and behavior of hysterical personalities bears the stamp of play, playing up a sexual situation, infantility, the desire to recognize their exclusivity, and fantastic experiences.
Kinds
Conventionally, neuroses of a sexual nature are divided into those that:
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Sexual disorders in hysterics
Having overcome the first difficulty, such persons do not complain of any difficulties in the future. They reappear only when the object changes. A characteristic feature of such patients is the search for help and care from a woman, often purely psychological, often manual, in overcoming their first fears. It can be assumed that such sexual disorders in hysterics reflect phase states characteristic of hysteria in general.
Psychopathologically, we are talking about a large proportion, about the predominance of fantasy, figurative ideas over direct stimuli, about the infantilism of these patients, about being stuck on children's sexual ideas and worries about themselves, their constantly inherent desire to be in the center of attention of others, to enjoy recognition and boundless worship from sides of other persons.
Experts have observed in such patients, in the event of the first failures, a desire for compensatory use of certain perverse techniques. Much depends in such cases on characterological characteristics, sexual experience, and the woman’s attitude towards them. The therapeutic prognosis in such cases is usually good.
Psychotherapeutic assistance can be provided not only directly to the patient, but also through his partner. Such individuals may also experience a reduction in the time of sexual intercourse, and in severe cases, premature ejaculation.
Medications, like physiotherapeutic measures, can only be used for indirect suggestion. In sexopathology, there is positive experience in the use of neuroleptics and tranquilizers for excessive excitability and ardor in such patients. In the event of several fiascoes, hysterical phobias may develop, which are easier to overcome compared to psychasthenic ones.
It is necessary to emphasize the great therapeutic possibilities of exposure through a partner in such patients. Hypnotherapy is also useful for overcoming phobic attitudes, but it is ineffective for other symptomatological manifestations of sexual disorders in hysteria. Diagnosis of hysterical disorders of sexual function is established not only by the general picture of the disease, but also by the presence of other signs of this type of neurosis. Great importance is attached to the attitude of such patients to their inferiority.
In women with severe hysteria, and especially in hysterical psychopaths, various degrees of frigidity are very common. One can even consider frigidity one of the important symptoms of hysterical psychopathy or severe hysteria. Characteristic of hysteria is the desire to compensate for it with external forms of behavior. Such persons are flirtatious and often play the role of passionate natures in life. Some of them also experience a similar imitation of sexual arousal and orgasm during sexual intercourse. The forms of expression of frigidity are different.
These include:
- lack of excitement, but without disgust,
- aversion to sexual intercourse,
- the occurrence of arousal without the possibility of orgasm.
The presence of erotic dreams with orgastic experiences in them has a known prognostic significance in treatment. The same hysterical mechanisms that are characteristic of men also occur in women.
A large proportion of fantastic experiences, the desire to play a larger role than it actually is, the search for roundabout ways to overcome suffering, compensation for suffering with external forms of behavior, often an exaggerated game of passionate nature with the desire to capture the imagination of a partner.
However, this game is largely designed for itself and is of a substitutive, compensatory nature. The therapeutic prognosis is more severe in patients with a pronounced and difficult to overcome aversion to sexual intercourse, which forces such patients to avoid sexual activity with the help of various imitations of somatic suffering or aggravation of a truly existing disease.
Causes and symptoms of sexual neurasthenia
The emergence of a neurotic state is facilitated by:
- Obsessive thoughts. Fear of unwanted pregnancy is a common cause of mental disorders and sexual disorders in women with neuroses. Excessive anxiety can be caused by overwork, craving for alcohol and stress, which negatively affects sexual performance if there is a desire to have an intimate relationship.
- Negative experiences from the past. Neurosis can be triggered by memories of failures, especially if the sexual partner showed dissatisfaction. Men are afraid of being weak at a crucial moment, women are haunted by the fear of being unable to achieve orgasm.
- Problems in relationships. With frequent quarrels and lack of mutual understanding, harmony is lost, partners move away from each other. More severe neuroses arise when there are requests to engage in forms of sexual contact that are unacceptable for a person, indifference or ridicule from a partner.
- Features of the psyche. Neurosis is often found in suspicious people who are critical of themselves and their bodies or tend to control themselves during sexual intercourse in order to prolong intimacy or demonstrate their own strength. People who often experience irritation and feelings of anger are susceptible to neurotic disorders.
- Wrong upbringing. The idea of an act of love as something forbidden and sinful has a negative impact on the development of sexuality. In this case, a person suffers from a feeling of guilt during intimacy, without receiving pleasure.
The clinical picture of neurosis includes:
- psycho-emotional disorders, inadequate perception of a partner’s emotions;
- problems in relationships with the opposite sex, causeless jealousy, vulnerability;
- incorrect assessment of one’s own sexual capabilities (overestimated or underestimated);
- anxious thoughts, fear (in severe cases, phobias and panic attacks develop, accompanied by severe autonomic disorders: tachycardia, increased sweating, fever, feeling of lack of air);
- shyness, conflicting desires, pessimistic attitude, cynicism;
- constant mood swings, low stress tolerance;
- decreased performance, increased fatigue, impaired intellectual activity, insomnia;
- decreased libido, lack of sexual arousal, the appearance of unnatural fantasies, inability to begin or complete sexual intercourse;
- erectile dysfunction of a psychogenic nature;
- dissatisfaction (patients complain of a lack of orgasm and pleasure from sex);
- dizziness, headaches, blood pressure surges, impaired coordination of movements;
- changes in eating behavior (refusal of food, gluttony, constant feeling of hunger, lack of appetite);
- increased urge to urinate;
- premature ejaculation;
- hypochondria (unreasonable fear of illness, body pain, itching in the external genital area).
Hysterical frigidity
In the occurrence of hysterical frigidity, a large role is played by the mechanisms of fixation, conditioned reflex consolidation of rough, unsuccessful, psychotraumatic influences at the onset of sexual activity. Naturally, in the psychotherapy of all sexual disorders, an extended history plays an important role, especially relating to sexual impressions in childhood, casual observations of the sexual life of adults and their perverted assessment, as well as experiences of the beginning of sexual activity and even the first sexual attempts to realize sensual desires.
Completely different mechanisms of sexual disorders in psychasthenia. Libido in such patients is weakened. With strongly expressed drives, neurotic barriers to its implementation usually break through. In psychasthenics, there is a combination of weakness of the drive fund with anxious and suspicious character traits. Establishing the psychasthenic genesis of sexual disorders leads to completely different psychotherapeutic advice and influences.
With psychasthenia, the erection mechanism is often disturbed. Disorders of ejaculation and orgasm are less common. In contrast to hysteria, in psychasthenics and during fantastic sexual experiences (however rare), the erection mechanism is upset.
Due to insufficient sexual arousal and the flow of thoughts, the content of which is far removed from sexual intercourse, the duration of coitus does not suffer. On the contrary, with psychasthenia one can encounter prolongated coitus, which is not associated, as in hysteria, with the desire to surpass everyone and amaze the partner, but stems from weakness of arousal, insufficient saturation of the imagination with the sexual situation.
Therefore, after the end of sexual intercourse, psychasthenics experience a feeling of relief due to the fact that all the ordeals are already behind them. Women suffering from psychasthenia may experience frigidity associated with fears of indecent expression of passion, with a verbal-mental rather than figurative-fantastic assessment, with a rational-critical assessment of the entire situation as a whole.
Of course, weak instincts play a decisive role in the mental experience of sexual life. Phobic ideas about the possibility of pregnancy, infection, and physical distress play a large role. All these symptoms are greatly facilitated by the presence of a loving, caring attitude towards the object, a habitual attitude towards sexual life, often as a marital duty.