Sometimes, when women come into the center with low desire we talk to them about anti=depressants. The reaction isn’t always good: “You think I’m depressed? I’mhere to talk about my lack of sex drive!”
Life situations and hormones can play a role in depression. Serotonin, the hormone normally associated with depression, isn’t the only culprit. Testosterone may also have an effect on mood. As an essential hormone needed for desire, low Testosterone levels may contribute to mild feelings of depression as well as low desire for sex.
So it would make sense that if a women is experiencing low desire, she may also have low testosterone levels and that may be affected her moods.
If your relationship is unstable lately, or if life is stressful and you haven’t had appropriate time to give to yourself and your partner, you may feel ‘down’ and exhausted from dealing with this. You may miss the comfort of a loving connection, you may feel lonely and estranged. You may wonder when you’ll have the chance to focus on sex in your life without the myriad interruptions we experience. Who wouldn’t be a little depressed!
When we prescribe treatment for low desire, after conducting significant blood work and a physical exam, we investigate levels of testosterone along with other hormones. Depending upon the patient, treatment will be individualized; but the message is same: your depression may or may not be the ‘I can’t get out of bed’ kind of depression, but mild or low grade depression can go hand in hand with low interest in sex . Although people may have a negative association with depression and anti-depressants, it is completely normal to experience some depression with a lack of desire.
So, don’t be afraid to bring up the issue of low desire with your practitioner. You may find yourself solving more than one problem when you when you do.