Reply To: Made lots of progress, but struggling with transitioning

[recessivegenequeen]

Piscean77 – it is super normal to be struggling to keep up with treatment during stressful times! As much as it helps to have consistency while you’re trying to work on vaginismus, sometimes life gets in the way. Vaginismus exists so much in our minds that it’s easy for stress in other parts of our lives to leak into that process, and the absolute best thing you can do is to NOT push yourself harder than you need to. If it’s feeling like more than you can bear, the work will still be there for you when you’re ready.

I think even for people without vaginismus, it can be hard to get into a sexual frame of mind if other things in a person’s life are chaotic. Being present sexually requires shutting out other thoughts and distractions, and stress (whether it’s from family illness, coronavirus fears, job issues, or anything else at all) can make it hard to access that focus. Talking about these issues with your partner can take some of the pressure off and let them know THEY aren’t the reason you may be feeling less aroused and motivated as well. Treatment is a long journey and it’s okay to stop and rest on the way to the top of the mountain!