During the many years I treated Vaginismus I have also supported a number of women who regressed after successful vaginismus treatment. The most common reasons are:
- Returning to a busy work program often coupled with failure to continue dilating
- Lack of sexual interest, low libido, lack of lubrication, anorgasmia (failure to achieve orgasm)
- Disgust with bodily fluids.
These are difficult problems for anyone, certainly even more so for women recovering from vaginismus. Before reaching for the phone to schedule retreatment there are certain things that can be done to overcome vaginismus once again:
- I recommend maintaining a simple dilation schedule of about 15-30 minutes a day. Continued dilation makes everything much easier, especially when you don’t have to play “catch up”. It is usually no longer necessary to sleep with a dilator after the first two months or so during the initial treatment.
- Lack of sexual interest, low libido, lack of natural lubrication and difficulty with orgasm are actually common problems that many women experience especially after childbirth and advancing age. Getting evaluated by a medical professional who has knowledge treating vaginismus (such as Maze Women’s Health) can be very helpful. Repeat Vaginismus Treatment Under Anesthesia is less helpful in these situations.
- Disgust with bodily fluids such as semen requires the help of a psychologist who has experience treating “disgust issues”. This is a more difficult situation to overcome and requires intervention by a skilled therapist.
After retirement I created a one-hour film addressing the many issues that face women and their partners struggling with vaginismus. The film is based on my many years of experience in this field and a clip of the video can be viewed here.
I would also recommend reading my book: When Sex Seems Impossible. Stories of Vaginismus & How You Can Achieve Intimacy, available from Amazon.
