What Do Women with Sexual Problems Think About Themselves?
Every person begins to form certain beliefs about themselves from childhood, which tend to remain stable throughout adulthood.
A research team in Portugal investigated whether the beliefs of women with a sexual problem differed from those without a sexual problem.
The results showed that women with a sexual dysfunction reported beliefs indicating a low ability to function autonomously and successfully: they believed they were prone to failure, vulnerable to various risks, and not competitive and independent.
How Do Beliefs Relate to Sexual Function?
These beliefs affect a person’s ability to meet basic personal needs, such as stability, autonomy, personal expression, and feeling desired.
Women who have early self-beliefs of inadequacy are likely to experience sexual problems because they struggle to express themselves freely and be relaxed and receptive during sexual intercourse.
Additionally, when these women experience a sexual problem, they believe they are not competitive, worthy, and significantly different from other women.
Today, it is well understood that personal beliefs play a crucial role not only in one’s sex life but also in every area of life. Psychotherapy aims to help individuals challenge these beliefs and develop new, more realistic, and beneficial ones.
Reference: Oliveira C, Nobre PJ (2013) Cognitive structures in women with sexual dysfunction: the role of early maladaptive schemas. J Sex Med 10:1755-1763.
