The Silent Crisis: Erectile Dysfunction and Its Impact on Men’s Mental Health
Most men who suffer from erectile dysfunction would prefer to do almost anything rather than discuss their problems with others. Because of this, ED has become a silent crisis in terms of men and their mental health. Rather than become one of the many men who suffer in silence longer than necessary, here’s how ED may impact your mental health and what you can do to get back on track.
Sexual Performance Anxiety
A problem that can become crippling within your relationship, sexual performance anxiety can turn into a prophecy that becomes self-fulfilling each time you go into the bedroom with the anticipation of having sex. Even if you are sexually aroused physically and emotionally, the thought of failing to perform well for your partner can often trigger ED, leaving both of you frustrated and dissatisfied.
Lowered Self-Confidence
Erectile dysfunction can not only leave you feeling less than confident when in bed with your partner, but also have you feeling less confident about yourself in other areas of your life. When you suffer from ED, you often feel as if your very manhood is at stake. This can lead to you doing such things as:
- Performing poorly at your job
- Lashing out at others in frustration
- Turning to drugs and alcohol
- Avoiding sexual situations with your partner
Unfortunately, this only creates more problems in your life and within your relationship, further deteriorating your mental health and your ability to see things clearly enough to talk about your problem with your doctor.
Feelings of Guilt
Very often, men who suffer from ED battle feelings of guilt within their relationships. Even though you may feel as if you are the only guy who is dealing with ED, studies have shown that 40% of erectile dysfunction cases are caused by stress and other psychological issues. When you are unable to perform sexually for your partner, you not only feel as if you have let yourself down, but also let down a person to whom you are sexually attracted and want to be with as much as possible.
Bouts of Depression
There is a very real direct link between men who suffer from ED and the development of depression. As you find it harder and harder to sexually connect with your partner and perform up to your expectations, you may start to lose interest not only in sex, but also other aspects of your daily life. Once depression becomes a guest in your life, it rarely decides to leave on its own. Should you believe depression is starting to take over your life, you should seek an erectile dysfunction online consultation so that you can discuss your concerns with a doctor and learn about treatments for both your ED and your depression.
Sexual Abuse and Trauma
If you have been a victim of sexual abuse as a child or experienced another form of sexual trauma during your life, this can trigger certain emotional responses when you are in sexual situations that may result in erectile dysfunction. Should you keep your feelings bottled up inside rather than discussing them with your doctor or mental health professional, the result will likely be increased problems within your relationship and a worsening of your ED over time. To heal emotionally and make erectile dysfunction no longer part of your life, you’ll need to come out from behind your emotional curtain and speak honestly about what is bothering you when it comes to sex.
The Pornography Factor
If you are able to get an erection when viewing pornography but cannot do so when with your partner, it may be due to your brain having decided to let you have a negative self-image of your body. When pornography is viewed over and over for sexual stimulation, you may begin to feel as if you cannot perform as well as those you have seen in porn movies or videos. As a result, you develop a negative self-image of yourself and give yourself little chance of success in the bedroom.
Bottom Line
Since psychological factors play a key role in many ED cases, talk with your doctor and mental health professional to learn how you can stop suffering in silence and overcome erectile dysfunction.