After working with women with vaginismus for almost 15 years, I have learned how isolating and alone this condition can make one feel. Women struggle with this secret and it takes tremendous courage to reach out and seek treatment. I’d like to share a recent success story of a patient of mine who faced her …
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There are so many myths surrounding Vaginismus, let’s try and bust them! Myth 1: VAGINIMUS is all “in your head.” Vaginismus is a condition where there is involuntary tightness of the vagina during attempted intercourse. The tightness is actually caused by involuntary contractions of the pelvic floor muscles surrounding the vagina. Those muscles are in …
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The road to change is rarely a straight one. There are usually some bumps along the way. At Maze Women’s Health we treat many women with Vaginismus. It’s so rewarding to witness the success our women have as they go through the necessary dilation process. It may take years for someone to begin treatment and …
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I am not sure where the myth came from that it is normal or “okay” for sex to “hurt.” I am sure I could take stab at it from a feminist angle, but right now I am more concerned about dispelling the myth. Sex should be associated with positive physical and feelings. If you are …
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So much energy and frustration is given to not being able to have intercourse with vaginismus, that many forget that sex is not just intercourse. While being treated for vaginismus and wanting to be able to have intercourse is a very important part of sexuality, there is more to sex than intercourse. Often, when I …
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I’m proud of our Vaginismus Forum. Vaginismus can be a heartbreaking condition to deal with and the shame around it adds some real salt to the wound. So the fact that we have a place where people can go where vaginismus language is understood, it’s a drink of water in a desert of silence. Recently, …
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In general I try to avoid over-generalizing patient situations because I think each patient is an individual and needs to be treated as such. I’m much happier to speak with patients (or their referring therapists) on a case by case basis to help them come to the right decision. We get dozens of calls each month …
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Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist and one of the most influential thinkers in the field of psychology today. Among his contributions to the field is the formulation of what are called ‘defense mechanisms’. In lay terms, defense mechanisms are internal “security guards” inside of us whose goal is to protect us from experiencing pain and …
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Hi everyone, my name is Kimberly C. I had the chance to moderate the Maze Blogcast on Vaginismus on 2/24/17 and am so happy that I had this opportunity. I had vaginismus all during my 20s and into my early 30s and understand so many of the emotions that go along with having it. I tried …
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I have found something interesting while working with vaginismus patients. Many of them are angry. Most of them don’t seem angry when they first come in. They seem sad, hopeless, confused, and afraid. I most often have the urge to put my arms around them and say “It’ll be okay. I promise you.” But oftentimes …
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