In a recent sexual experience with my significant other, while reaching my climactic stage, I burst into tears. What happened? I am a 27 year-old female.

Bursting into tears sexuality at the moment of orgasm or shortly thereafter is fairly common in women. At the moment of orgasm, one's defenses are down, and so the vulnerabilities that are so common to many women in this age group emerge in a highly affective way--tears. These vulnerabilities are usually about the wish for connection, closeness, merging self with other, giving oneself over to another, losing control (in the service of pleasure), and a host of other intrapsychic affective issues about needing and wanting from another person. The source of these vulnerabilities is derived from early pre-oedipal (maternal) and oedipal (paternal) configurations. Furthermore, orgasm is a build up of muscular bodily tension, as one retreats inside of oneself psychologically, which allows an eruption of emotionality at the point where there is an explosion from the pent up bodily tensions. - Answer provided Dr. Valerie Pinhas, Psychoanalyst, Great Neck NY / College Professor of Human Sexuality, Nassau Community College, vlpcme@aol.com.

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