Vice: Mention of Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction

In collaboration with the co-founder of the UK PSSD Association and Kyle MacNeill, a Vice journalist, we effectively introduced a reference to PSSD in the article titled “Forget Big Dick Energy. We're in the Era of Big Dick Injury.” This article discusses a range of concerns over men's sexual functionality and offers an accurate portrayal of PSSD.

Excerpt discussing PSSD from the article:

Scarier still is the spectre of PSSD (Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction), a disorder that sees those on SSRIs experience sexual side effects even after they’ve stopped taking the pills, often more severe than in the first place. It’s defined as suffering persistent genital numbness for more than three months after ceasing SSRIs, but it also can cause many other symptoms, including a loss of libido, anorgasmia, erectile dysfunction and emotional numbing.

Thanks to academics, including psychiatrist David Healy, a recent documentary from Panorama and the work of the PSSD Network, more is finally being done. “The fact is that PSSD has been reported for 30 years. Why did we not know about it? Why would we not want to know about it?” says Luke, head of the UK PSSD Association and a representative of the PSSD Network, who provide a summary of the condition. (His name has been changed to protect his privacy.)

Luke’s own story is harrowing; since stopping SSRIs, he’s suffered from PSSD and also experiences severe anhedonia, finding it difficult to experience happiness, excitement or even love. “A lot of people with PSSD describe it as like the kind of connection between your brain and your genitals is gone,” Luke explains. I can emphasise with him; while I’m still on my SSRIs, I experience similar side effects, often feeling like I’m permanently wearing a pack of extra-safe condoms. The stories shared on the site are genuinely heartbreaking; people liken it to chemical castration, irreversible impotence and being robbed of their humanity entirely.