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Sexual dysfunction and sexual performance issues are fairly common problems in the general population. A brain injury or stroke can significantly change the sex life of the injured person and that person's significant other. You have heard us say time and again that no two brains are exactly alike prior to being injured and, thus, no two brain injuries are exactly alike. That holds true when it comes to sex. I will not go into problems associated with physical injuries caused by an accident. Let's look at the brain affect. The thalamus, hypothalamus and limbic system are located deep inside the brain. Think of these three working together like a triage team at a military medical facility in a war zone. The thalamus is the first point of contact for incoming information. That information passes through the limbic system to the hypothalamus. The limbic system helps prioritize the information, and the hypothalamus decides what is most important and passes it on for treatment, or a response. The limbic system plays a significant role in controlling emotions and memories. Among the many roles of the hypothalamus are emotional expression and sex drive. When it is functioning properly, the hypothalamus screams, "Have sex now! Stop whatever else you are doing, and have sex." Fortunately for society, that information is sent to the frontal lobe for filtering that scream down to a suggestion such as, "Let's find an opportunity to have sex." Sexual Dysfunction and Relationships
Sexual Disinhibition is at the other end of the spectrum and manifests itself when the filtering system fails. Remember, the frontal lobe is where decisions are made. The hypothalamus screams, "Have sex now!" That piece of information rushes to the frontal lobe for a decision and action and is not filtered for polite society. Where is the Mango Princess by Cathy Crimmins contains quite a few examples of sexual Disinhibition she experienced as a family member/caregiver. Here's how one brain injury survivor described it, "It is kinda something that is tough to talk about, because when it happens you just really have NO concern for who sees or where you are. Later, though, the embarrassment and shame sets in and I think, 'My God!'" During the early days of a brain injury, the victim may feel neither embarrassment nor shame. The brain may well have returned to child-like innocence or, perhaps better stated, total self-centeredness. With the known world revolving around self, nothing is wrong. Inappropriate touching, sexually harassing comments or solicitations, and, even, public masturbation are not unusual. By public I don't necessarily mean out on a city street; it could simply be self manipulation in a hospital room in view of others. Medications can also cause a lack of sexual desire. There are many effects of brain injury that require medication, depression not being the least problem. Commonly prescribed medications include Valium, Dilantin, Elavil, Prozac, Calan, and Naproxen - all of which decrease sexual desire. Another problem affecting sexual desire is the inability to concentrate. Short term memory problems are very common among brain injury victims, and this includes attention span. Shorter attention spans affect the ability to concentrate. Lack of sleep and the inability to relax are other issues that affect sexual desire. So, what do you do? If you are taking medications, talk to your doctor. When he or she asks how you're doing, bring up your concerns and your sex related questions. It may be possible to alter your medications. I would also recommend you take a look at our free brain quizzes and puzzles. They can help improve your short term memory and cognitive skills. If you are unable to relax, and I'm talking about letting go of everything if only for a few minutes, you should take a look at relaxation audio tapes. And, never underestimate the value of music. Find Related Information: |
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Two relationship problems are evident when we look at the triage team combined with the frontal lobe filtering system. Having sex may not be prioritized and sent out for action. Dr. Diane Stoler writes in her book, Coping with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, about a real estate agent who suffered a brain injury and a loss of sexual desire - for two years!