The cognitive effects of anxiety on sexual arousal

in Weingarten, S.P.; Penat, H.O (Eds.) Cognitive psychology research developments (2009)

Anxiety and sexual arousal have often been considered as incompatible. Since the end of the 20th Century, however, researches have impaired theories centred on the inhibitory effect of the stress and on ... [more ▼]

Anxiety and sexual arousal have often been considered as incompatible. Since the end of the 20th Century, however, researches have impaired theories centred on the inhibitory effect of the stress and on peripheral explanations; they rather focus attention on the complexity of the relations between the two states and on cognitive mechanisms. Now sexual arousal tends to be regarded as a complex response that requires the convergent interpretation of internal and external stimuli. Anxiety may have different effects on this process, sometimes neutral, sometimes facilitating and sometimes inhibitory. On the one hand, anxiety can trigger a vegetative emotional reaction that may be associated to a concomitant erotic stimulation. Thus, anxiety facilitates the sexual response: this can be called a priming effect. This effect is regularly observed in labs, mainly among women. It likely also works in certain compulsive sexual behaviours or, more commonly, in those numerous persons that report being sexually aroused when stressed. On the other hand, anxiety can cause a massive irruption of non erotic cues in working memory. Therefore, cognitive function available for treating erotic stimuli is diminished and sexual response is impaired. This is an effect of cognitive interference. A trait called erotophobia could be regarded as a vulnerability factor to cognitive interference. Erotophobic subjects are characterized by a trend to focus upon danger-related information when they are in a sexual situation and by a higher risk of sexual dysfunction. [less ▲]

Hôpital de jour : outil de substitution dans l’alcoolo-dépendance.

in Revue des Hôpitaux de Jour Psychiatriques et des Thérapies Institutionnelles (2009), 11

Day hospital ot he Psychiatric Clinic Frères Alexiens in Henri-Chapelle (B) lies within the structure, which allows continuity of care practiced in full hospitalisation but also an important therapeutic ... [more ▼]

Day hospital ot he Psychiatric Clinic Frères Alexiens in Henri-Chapelle (B) lies within the structure, which allows continuity of care practiced in full hospitalisation but also an important therapeutic wealth. We will examine more closely the population of alcoholic patients attending the day hospital on the demographic, psychiatric (DSM IV), psychological (TCI-R and YSQ3) and social levels, then illustrate the effectiveness of it in their their taking charge. Finally, we discuss the symbolic link that represents the day hospital for these patients, which is an object of attachment tool alternative in alcoholism [less ▲]