Sex Therapist Beats SSRI Side Effects, Shares Solution

When Dr. Laurie Mintz started taking medication for anxiety, she never expected to lose something she'd spent her entire career helping others achieve: her orgasm.

Mintz, a sex therapist and author who has helped thousands of women overcome intimacy challenges, suddenly hit a biological wall. Despite 40 years of a healthy marriage and decades of expertise, her body simply couldn't get there anymore.

The culprit was her SSRI medication. Up to 73 percent of people taking these common anxiety drugs experience sexual side effects, yet many doctors never mention alternative solutions.

Mintz refused to choose between mental health and sexual wellness. She dug through her notes from a recent medical conference and found a promising option: Scream Cream, a compound containing sildenafil (the active ingredient in Viagra) that increases blood flow to the clitoris.

Her gynecologist and best friend, Dr. Suzette Johnson, prescribed the treatment. The first time Mintz used it, waiting just 15 minutes before intimacy, the results amazed her. "I had the most amazing orgasm," she says. "It was better than it had been in years."

But the real shock came next. Johnson had been prescribing this cream for 30 years, yet when she asked her gynecology colleagues about it, none had heard of it.

The discovery that women were losing access to satisfying intimacy simply because their doctors lacked information sparked a new mission. Mintz and Johnson realized they needed to spread the word about options most healthcare providers don't know exist.

Why This Inspires

This story matters because it shows how expertise combined with vulnerability creates change. Mintz didn't hide behind her professional credentials when she faced a challenge. Instead, she used her own struggle to illuminate a path for others.

The cream isn't a cure-all, but it worked for both Mintz and Johnson when they needed it. More importantly, their willingness to share openly means countless women now know they don't have to choose between treating mental health and enjoying intimacy.

They're also teaching an essential lesson: mindfulness and communication matter just as much as medical solutions. Even biological problems create psychological impacts, and addressing both leads to better outcomes.

Thousands of women who thought they had no choice now know different.