Erectile dysfunction (ED) pills are one of the trendiest medications sold in online pharmacies due to a sad reason: prevalence of impotence is growing nowadays.
Most of ED causes are of organic (physiological) nature, however, psychogenic ED is not a rare condition, especially in younger males. What are the causes of this disorder? How to treat it and can it be prevented?
Causes of Psychological ED
Male erection may occur not only due to sexual excitation, but also due to reflector mechanisms (every male knows about morning erections). Paradoxically, it is the most vulnerable element among psychosexual reactions in men.
Definition of psychogenic ED has been adopted by the International Society of Impotence Research. It’s when a male is persistently unable to achieve or maintain penile hardness satisfactory for normal sex owing solely or predominantly to interpersonal or psychologic factors. This condition consists of three elements: 1) the diagnosis should be used when nature of the disease of unknown; 2) psychosocial factors are exclusive or primary cause of erectile dysfunction, when etiology is mixed males should be diagnosed as patients with mixed organic-psychogenic disorder, and should be treated appropriately; 3) other elements of the definition correspond to the recent findings and consensus with regard to the essence of erectile dysfunction. In case of psychological erectile disorder, a patient is able to achieve spontaneous erections and masturbate. He loses erection only when it comes to sexual intercourse.
A problem can only occur in certain situations or only with a specific partner.
There are many psychological causes of erectile dysfunction:
- small penis complex, other sexual complexes
- fear of a new partner
- fear of a new place
- fear of undesirable pregnancy
- man’s alarming concerns about his make-believe sexual inferiority
- concerns about contracting a sexually transmitted disease
- some concerns and prejudices with regard to the use of condoms (a rare situation, but it exists)
- a long-lasting abstinence from sex (in case when a man hasn’t practiced masturbation)
- overexcitation, which leads to a disturbance in the physiological program
- deterioration of interpersonal relationships
- mutual distrust or cooling relations between partners
- differences in sexual preferences between partners and disharmonious sexual interactions in bed
- performance anxiety
Performance anxiety is one of the most widespread psychogenic disorders. Due to negative psychological background, a male just cannot force the organ to acquire erected state. Such efforts can also play a cruel trick, because the man is overly focused on the problem and cannot get rid of bad thoughts (instead of enjoying intimacy). Over time, fear of failure can cause a weakening of interest in sex (or even its avoidance), loss of self-esteem, etc.
According to the study by Raymond C. Rosen (Urologic Clinics, 2001), socioeconomic factors, such as decrease in income, may also be associated with ED incidence.
There are a number of personality traits that can contribute to the development of psychogenic ED:
- anxiety and suspiciousness
- shyness
- erroneous ideas about sexual life (due to lack of proper sex education and relevant knowledge)
- unconscious hostility towards women
- fear of intimacy in a love relationship
How to Treat Psychogenic Erectile Dysfunction?
There are two types of treatment: medication therapy and psychotherapy. Sometimes, only medicines can help. They might serve as an additional psychological and physiological support, which helps to regain confidence. PDE5 inhibitors are the main group of pharmaceuticals which may be used to treat psychogenic impotence. Viagra (sildenafil) is the ancestor of this family of drugs. The use of anti-ED medication should continue until a man restores the natural psychological defense. During therapy, a tablet of Viagra, Cialis or Levitra becomes an Aladdin lamp for the man. His main task in such a situation is to learn to achieve a healthy erection (without the use of pharmaceutical support). Indications for the use of PDE5 inhibitors include erectile dysfunction of any etiology (physiological, psychological and mixed). These drugs provide a powerful vascular effect, enhancing the filling of cavernous tissues with blood during sexual arousal.
A related article: Viagra vs Levitra: Dosage and Detailed Comparison
Consulting a psychologist is often a must-do thing. If you cannot cope with the problem yourself, the specialist will provide necessary help. He or she will help to identify your internal problem and find ways to solve it.
Prevention of Psychogenic Erectile Disorders
If you have suffered from some stressful and harmful situation in childhood, the key thing is to get rid of negative consequences as fast a s possible (before starting sexual relationships).
Everyday chronic stress and panic attacks (even not associated with sex) may also play a role. When the psyche is weakened, it is easier do develop additional psychological condition. Therefore, it is important to develop stress resistance. It is clear that stress cannot be avoided in modern life. You need to live in a closed environment, not go to work, not communicate with people and not have relationships in order to completely avoid stressogenic situations. However, you can learn to deal with stress, there are a number of psychological techniques, such as meditation. Detailed instructions on how to meditate properly can be found on specialized websites on the Internet.
However, if the disorder has already occurred, it is important to start treatment in time. Viagra, Cialis or Levitra (along with psychological practices) can definitely help you to deal with the problem.
