Female sexual disorders
Many women experience sexual problems at some point in their lives. With symptoms ranging from pain during intercourse, to anxiety during intercourse, difficulties reaching orgasm, to loss of interest in sex, many of the problems women can face, can be linked to the way they think and feel.
This is where many of the sexual problems faced by women can be different from those faced by men: the causes are often psychological, rather than physiological. This can mean that treatment is more complex than for men, for whom they can sometimes be resolved by medication alone. But, for women's sexual problems, successful treatment often involves delving into the mind.
On this page, we'll look at some of the common sexual problems women face and see how hypnosis can help.
Table of contents
Types of female sexual problems
There are many different problems that can affect your sexual pleasure, or your intimacy with a partner. Some of the most common problems are listed below:
Pain during intercourse
Also known as dyspareunia, pain during intercourse can be very common, especially in women who have gone through or are going through menopause, due to a drop in estrogen levels.
Various other pathologies can contribute to this pain, including endometriosis, ovarian cysts, as well as scar tissue from surgery, and sexually transmitted diseases. But when physical causes are ruled out, painful intercourse is a learned, sex-related response. They may also be due to poor lubrication during sexual intimacy, which may be psychologically related.
If left untreated, dyspareunia can lead to a negative cycle of reduced libido, avoidance of sexual activity or anorgasmia.
Vaginisms
In some cases, women who experience pain during intercourse may be suffering from vaginismus, a distressing condition characterized by an involuntary spasm of the muscles surrounding the entrance to the vagina. Symptoms of vaginismus can be linked to certain physical conditions, but are more often related to psychological factors, such as relationship problems, or a fear of pregnancy.
Early sexual experiences, including unpleasant or painful past experiences, or simply not being ready, can create anxiety and fear around sex, causing the body to protect itself and automatically shut down. Vaginismus is common in women who fear penetration, and this may stem from a long-term sexual phobia, or from previous traumatic or painful experiences, such as sexual abuse, or childbirth.
Anorgasmia
Anorgasmia, or female orgasmic disorder, is the persistent absence or delay of orgasm following stimulation. While many women don't need to have an orgasm to enjoy sex, the inability to reach orgasm can be troubling for some women and their partners.
The reasons why a woman can't reach orgasm vary, depending on medical causes, or linked to deep-rooted psychological problems, which can impact on their ability to "let go". Mental health problems such as depression, or previous traumatic experiences, can also contribute to orgasmic disorder.
Some women may suffer from anorgasmia due to a lack of knowledge about sexual contact, or a very strong fear of intercourse, and a feeling of arousal, often out of fear of losing control. Others may be dissatisfied with their relationship, and with the sexual stimulation their partner provides, or doesn't provide.
Loss of libido
Libido is a very personal and individual aspect of what makes us who we are and, like many other things about us, it can change over time. It's particularly common for a woman to experience a drop in libido at certain times in her life, notably during pregnancy and the menopause, but some women may have it more persistently.
As many factors can lead to a drop in libido, both psychological and physical, it's advisable to consult your GP first. Common causes include hormonal problems, diabetes, depression, excessive fatigue, traumatic sexual experiences, and drug and alcohol abuse.
Although it's common for sexual desire to fluctuate, if your libido is abnormally low, or if it's causing problems in your relationship, it may be time to seek professional help.
Sex addiction
Sexual addiction can sometimes be mistaken for a strong sex drive. But this is not the case. It's not the frequency of sexual activity that determines sexual addiction, it's whether or not you feel in control of your urges.
If you engage in sexual activity that endangers yourself or others, or has a negative effect on your life or the life of another person, it may be helpful to talk to a professional.
How can hypnosis help?
Talking about sexual problems is understandably difficult, and can be embarrassing for many people. As a result, some women may refrain from asking for help. But suffering in silence can make the problem worse, and that can lead to a lot of stress, and unhappiness in life, and for those around you, especially your partner.
Traditional sex therapy is often most effective when both partners cooperate. But one of the advantages of hypnosis is that it can act on an individual, without the partner's participation. When a sexual problem has an emotional, rather than a physical, cause, hypnosis can help to understand and overcome the problem.
Hypnosis offers techniques for quickly identifying underlying conflicts, unresolved feelings about past events and factors beyond conscious awareness. Below, we'll explore some of the ways hypnosis can help you overcome your sexual problems.
Positive thoughts about sexuality
Through hypnosis, you and your therapist will work with your subconscious mind, which stores all your memories and monitors bodily functions, to uncover the root cause of the problem you're facing. Using regression techniques, you can heal any past trauma, and eliminate any anxiety you feel about sex.
Your hypnotherapist can also give you positive suggestions, to help you focus on pleasant thoughts and feelings about sex, for a healthy and satisfying sex life. One particular method, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), can help realign the mind, and remove self-imposed "blocks". If you suffer from anorgasmia, for example, your hypnotherapist will help you to keep an open mind and a positive attitude, enabling you to let sex progress naturally to orgasm.
Visualization
Using visualization techniques will help you start to see yourself as you want to be, or achieve a specific goal. Affirmations can also be useful, to reinforce the image you set in your mind.
For example, if you have body image problems, or if your partner sees you naked, you can use an affirmation such as "My partner finds me sexually attractive". Continuing to practice these techniques outside your hypnosis sessions will increase your chances of success. Your hypnotherapist can also give you recordings of your sessions, to help you in this process.
Reduce stress
Stress can affect us enormously in all areas of our lives, not least our libidos. The hormones that are released when we're stressed are a natural response to how we feel, and this is what can have an impact on libido.
Of course, we can't eliminate all sources of stress from our lives, but what we can do is change the way we react to stress. That's where hypnosis can help. Your hypnotherapist can help you identify the specific causes of stress, anxiety or worry in your life, and help you develop the techniques to take control of these feelings.
Promoting relaxation
When you're in a relaxed state, the mind is more easily able to adapt to, and accept, your hypnotherapist's suggestions. Your hypnotherapist will ensure that your session environment is calm, and will help you to concentrate on your breathing, so that your body can relax and synchronize again, allowing your mind to focus.
With hypnosis, you'll begin to feel confident and relaxed in yourself, and in your body, to enjoy an intimate, feel-good sexual relationship.
