Orgasm Anxiety
You’ve probably heard about performance anxiety. It’s the annoying anxiety that stops you from getting fully aroused or reaching climax. It can be incredibly frustrating, but it’s important to remember that it can 1) is not your fault and 2) can be dealt with!
What’s orgasm anxiety / sexual performance anxiety?
In simple terms, anxiety makes it more difficult to reach a climax. Your state of mind has a huge impact on your ability to feel pleasure and orgasm, hence intrusive thoughts can harm your ability to orgasm.
Facts & Figures
- ✿ Roughly 5%-10% of heterosexual sexually active women have never experienced an orgasm
- ✿ When you’re aroused your body releases dopamine, but when you’re stressed, your body releases cortisol, which is not conducive to orgasming and can prevent a vagina from getting wet
- ✿ For people with penises, stress hormones will create narrow blood vessels, and with less blood-flow to the penis it can be more difficult to have an erection
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Overcoming Orgasm Anxiety
- ✿ There is no “cure-all” for orgasm anxiety, but feeling comfortable with the person you’re with and good communication is key, be open with your partner
- ✿ Talk to friends or a therapist for advice
- ✿ Remember!! You don’t need to orgasm to have pleasure & orgasming isn’t the only goal of sex
- ✿ Practice self-love and body positivity
- ✿ “Take orgasming off the table” because if you’re stressed about orgasming, you will likely not orgasm, so don’t make orgasm a goal of sex
- ✿ Increase adrenaline and your heart rate increases dopamine and serotonin in the body
- ✿ Foreplay is important! Warm yourself/your partner up first, it will help with arousal and general comfort
Sources: Refinery29, WebMD
