Surprising Reasons You’re Feeling Blue

The "post-coital blues" is a mysterious depression that sets in for up to six hours after an orgasm (solo or partnered). Don't assume a deep-seated psychological cause, says psychiatrist Richard Friedman at Weill Cornell Medical College. He speculates that the amygdala, the "emotional" brain region that's inactive during orgasm, strongly rebounds afterward—triggering sadness (or disgust and snappishness). Or it may simply be the letdown following intense pleasure, he says. (Friedman has treated these blues with antidepressants.)