Vaginismus & Sexual pain/Orgasm disorders

I'm still trying to wrap my head around vaginismus and its treatment, and we are about 3 days removed from class. I never realized how serious this condition was! I recall learning about it during undergrad, but at the time maybe I wasn't taking it seriously or it was presented in a way that made it seem a little milder than it is. The Strange Sex video really put things into perspective with a poor woman struggling to consummate her marriage because of vaginismus. It's so hard to imagine an uncontrollable feeling pushing a loved one away as she described it. Obviously I'm not a woman, but the thought still makes me cringe inside, which I feel gives credence to just how serious of a problem this can be. Biopsychosocial factors all play a role, and they also should play a huge role in treatment too, which for the most part seemed to be the case. Dilators addressed physical aspects of the problems while a therapist would aid the client in psychological and social contributors to the problem. On the other hand, the newer treatment we saw in class that used Botox, really concerned me. Chrissy brought up a good point as to whether or not the Botox would affect orgasm, and in my opinion, there have to be side effects. I'd be amazed if the procedure left clients without side effects. And on top of that, inserting a dilator into a clients vagina will still under sounds way too extreme to me.

Aside from the very funny images and memes on the Orgasm disorders page, one of my biggest take aways from the presentation was the effects of SSRI's on orgasm. I wonder how many couples struggling with orgasm are aware of the effects SSRI's have, if they are taking them. Because of the seriousness of other side effects while taking SSRI's I'm sure a decreased likelihood of orgasm is put on the back burner so pharmaceutical companies can cover their backsides. Having a therapist that is aware of these side effects can help educate clients struggling with this problem and help get medication changed through a psychiatrist. Therapists could also help the clients realize its not something wrong with their bodies, which may be reassuring for some.