If you are reading this, the first thing to know is that crying after sex is more common than one may think. In fact, crying after sex can happen to both men and women. However, it is also normal that if you have just experienced crying after sex for the first time, you might be wondering why this happens.
That’s why here at oneHOWTO we want to answer the question why do I cry after sex? Whether it’s simply a case of postcoital sadness or heightened emotions, keep reading to find out more about crying during sex or crying after sex.
Crying after sex - Postcoital dysphoria
One of the main reasons why a person may feel like crying after a sexual encounter is because they are experiencing have a psychological or emotional disorder known commonly as postcoital sadness (post-sex blues).
Postcoital dysphoria is defined as a strong feeling of sadness, irascibility or anxiety after having sex. Initially, this dysphoria was thought to occur only in women. After time, however, studies have shown that crying after sex can occur in men. This disorder is variable, meaning that it can last from a few minutes up to a few hours.
Many people that cry after sex initially assume that it is because of a personal crisis or a hormonal rush, which is expected. Postcoital dysphoria, however, does not stem from emotion but rather from biology. According to psychiatrist Walter Ghedin, who participated in a study conducted by the Queensland University of Technology, postcoital dysphoria may be caused by a decrease in oxytocin and endorphin levels in the body. Both of these hormones are related to love and well-being. This crying after sex can occur due to an irregular function of the cerebral amygdala after an orgasm, which instead of relaxing, activates. This activation then provokes feelings of fear and/or shame.
What does crying after sex mean?
Postcoital dysphoria is not the only cause that can explain why you started crying after sex. Emotional problems can also cause crying after having an orgasm.
If you are asking yourself, "Is it normal to feel like crying after sex", the answer is YES. And to help make this clearer, here are some of emotional problems that may cause after sex crying;
- Personal problems: some people feel sadness or a feeling of emptiness after sex because they are in fact not emotionally stable. If, after sex ,you feel especially insecure or irascible, it is likely that you are suffering from some internal psychological problems. Is your job causing you stress? Do you feel disconnected from yourself or you body? If this is the case, we suggest tackling your problems head first. Try work on it by identifying the problems and analyse how you can fix them. We also suggest consulting a professional to help you, such as a therapist/psychologist.
- Couple crisis: crying after sex may also be caused by a disconnection with your partner. Maybe you adn your partner are having problems? If there is a current problem in your relationship, it is normal that it may cause you to feel pain and insecurity, which will channel itself through a release of emotion. If you are crying during an orgasm or after sex, your subconscious may see this as the perfect release for pent up emotions.
- Sexual trauma: Have you had a bad sexual experience in the past? If so, crying after sex may be occur when the sexual encounter itself triggers a memory of this bad experience. You may be crying after sex due to feelings of shame, pain or fear, related to your past experience. If this is the case, we suggest going to therapy and consulting a psychologist.
Is crying after sex bad?
NO, not all of the causes of crying after sex are negative. Like dysphoria, according to the previous mentioned case study, a decrease in hormones can cause the opposite: crying after sex as a sign of overwhelming happiness.
When a person experiences an orgasm during, their brain (unlike what happens in postcoital dysphoria) releases a high level of hormones, such as; oxytocin and endorphins. These hormones at this level are related to the feeling of happiness, well-being and attachment. Learn more about what oxytocin is and what it is for in this other article.
If these levels increase considerably during or after sex, the overwhelming sense of emotion can cause a release, i.e. crying after sex.
For more, we suggest taking a look at these articles;
- What Happens To The Female Body During An Orgasm.
- What Are The Signs You Are Getting Your Period?
- How To Have Tantric Sex.
If you want to read similar articles to Why Do I Cry After Sex? - Possible Reasons, we recommend you visit our Sentimental relationships category.