Everybody enjoys sex and it is clear why this is a reality. The problem is there are many possible situations and conditions that could lead to one not enjoying such a pleasurable activity. One of them is an anxiety attack and few people actually expect this to be a problem. We heard of different cases of older men dying when undergoing sexual acts but when such an anxiety problem happens to you, in most cases you will not say anything and just hope it will go away. This is not a good approach and you have to do something about it.

Post Coital Anxiety Syndrome

When it comes to sex and anxiety attacks there is a big chance we are dealing with Post Coital Anxiety Syndrome (also known as PCAS). It is a condition that is not known by many because you will only find out about if after suffering from different anxiety reactions that appear after the sexual act is over or after some time.

We are dealing with both men and women having problems with post coital adrenaline surges while fighting anxiety conditions in the same time. In most cases the anxiety attack symptoms will appear after orgasm, in a time frame of one to three hours after sexual climax, usually while the person is sleeping. Individuals will end up being awakened by an unexplained rush of adrenaline that will stimulate wakefulness and an unexpected feeling of anxiety that shows high intensity. This post coital anxiety syndrome usually leads to a person fearing sexual relations and even getting to experience insomnia. Contrary to popular belief, both men and women are affected to the same possible degree.

If we were to boil it down to the essence, the human body ends up feeling a different form of arousal, one that is similar to the one obtained through fearful thinking and anger. Energy is built and then we get to a climax and it disappears while leaving the individual without energy, exhausted. If the person goes to sleep, this energy remains unaltered and it will eventually appear after some time as an adrenaline surge.

It will wake up the individual and he/she will react to the intensity felt. There are different possible reactions including sitting up in bed, shortness of breath, tingly sensation in extremities, anxiousness or being tense. The surges of energy felt might also be accompanied in some cases by dizziness, sweating or racing heart sensation. When feeling these symptoms the individual will wonder what is going on or will think that they are having a heart attack, fearing possible death. The reason why all this happens is only adrenaline and everything is very similar to a regular anxiety attack.

Solutions for Post Coital Anxiety Syndrome

When talking about treatment solutions available, there is no difference between PCAS and other possible anxieties that lead to panic attacks. In our particular case we need to deal with the surge of energy appearing in order to have a solution. If the individual would rise from the bed and start walking while moving the excess in energy around, combining everything with slow breathing, he/she would get rid of the episode a lot faster.

In most cases the person suffering from such an anxiety attack ends up thinking they are having a heart attack or have a fear that the feelings will never stop, thus amplifying the symptoms. The reason why this happens is that another fear is added to the initial one, thus obtaining two at the price of one.

Dealing with PCAS requires the same approach as regular anxiety disorders. For starters, if you are suffering from such an event, the first thing you need to be able to do is stop thinking about “what if” possibilities. It would only make things worse and you are actually thinking about facts that are not real. This attack will not kill you and your heart will not stop because of the energy you feel.

You will need to get up and start walking slowly in order to expend the energy that appeared due to adrenaline. Also, you have to add anti anxiety skills that are to be gained through various cognitive behavioral treatment solutions available. Get up from the bed and walk around the house! Quiet secondary fears by simply not thinking about them and keep telling yourself that all you feel is an adrenaline surge that will soon disappear as you walk a little.

This simple talking to yourself technique is enough to deal with PCAS in most cases. Dissipate the adrenaline as you walk through the room and think about being calm, breathe slowly and everything will fall back into place while letting you sleep.

Specialist Help

When dealing with PCAS, in some cases it is harder to cope with the situation at hand and rarely do we notice individuals being able to handle the event without specialist help. People tend to stop having sex and this could immediately lead to marriages being broken because the person affected will hide the condition and the reason for why there is no more sexual activity in the couple. Having such a serious problem on our hands, it is plain to see why there is an immediate need to do something about it.

The first step is letting your spouse now what is going on. Next comes the need to go and get some therapy. By therapy we mean cognitive behavioral treatment and even prescription drugs from your doctor (but only if they are needed). The problem with medication is that it can become addictive and will not treat the anxiety but will only mask it through the effect of the medicine.

Learning breathing techniques and positive thinking while avoiding stress are crucial in dealing with any anxiety disorder out there including post coital anxiety syndrome. In fact, any panic attack causing condition can be treated so there is no need to think that you can not be cured. The doctors will help and you will learn how to handle everything. Best of all, you will be able to undergo sexual relationships without fear of anxiety appearing and affecting you while you sleep.