Something’s been bugging me all week. …
The last thing I want this blog to do is scare anyone away from getting treated for depression. In dwelling on the sexual side effects of the Prozac-type drugs, I don’t want to leave the impression that you have to choose between happiness and horniness—that in swallowing that pill, you are kissing goodbye to sex.
If anything, the sexual side effects have been blown way out of proportion by the media relative to their seriousness and to the benefits of the drugs. Even slapping on the label of “sexual dysfunction” is alarmist.
Granted, I did tell you that nearly three-quarters of everyone on the drugs may have these side effects. But I’d wager that few have symptoms that, in the scheme of things, are really worth complaining about. For most of us, all it amounts to is a few weeks of—gasp!—anorgasmia while our body discovers a new balance following that first flood of psychoactive chemicals into our brain tissue.
And consider the source of the information: PDSDs (people living with depression and sexual dysfunction). We’ll whine about anything, right? Enroll us in a study, survey us for symptoms, then stand back and watch us spew out data. I mean, what isn’t wrong in my life? And thanks for asking.
This is all to say that I’m scrapping my planned blog about my many sexual misadventures while under the influence of sexual-dysfunction-causing medication (and often a beer or two … or eight). Call me a tease, but trust me: Nothing smart or good can come from adding to the hype about these side effects.
Yes, it’s frustrating and a little lonely when your partner shifts into high gear and leaves you in the dust. Yes, you may find that faking an orgasm is preferable to facing your partner’s awkward questions and hurt feelings. And yes, you may lose a second date, or even a romance, because “the sex just isn’t there” for your partner.
But no, if you don’t have a lover, it’s not because your Effexor has decreased your libido and your need for intimacy. Look on the bright side! With roughly 8% of the American population on antidepressants, there’s plenty of other cold fish in the sea. (Kidding.)
Famous last words: These drugs can help you identify, attack, and even solve the Big Problems, and if, in the process, they mess with your mojo, you can deal with that too.
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