The Mind and It’s Effect on Sexual Potency, Performance Anxiety, Stress and Depression

Impotence, or erectile dysfunction, is the condition of being partially or totally unable to achieve an erection over an extended period of time. Before it was revealed that impotence could also be caused by physical factors, the study of this condition was limited to those who were devoted to psychiatry, psychology and sex therapy. But it is thanks to these people that there is a strong basis of knowledge concerning man’s sexual aptitude and his state of mind. Indeed, these people led the way to the discovery of just how much a man’s mind can get in the way of a happy sex life, interfere with his emotions and even affect his ability to achieve an erection.

While there are various ways a doctor might treat a case of erectile dysfunction, a physician more disposed to find an organic cause behind a patient’s case of impotence will look first to ascertain whether or not the patient has a normally functioning erectile system in place, and if found to be in sound shape, he or she will then investigate mental causes behind the condition. Other doctors, or psychiatrists, will first look for any psychological factors that might be affecting the patient.

Psychogenic Impotence: Can an emotional upset disturb your sexual ability?
Known as psychogenic impotence, an erectile dysfunction can be diagnosed in association with an emotional or mental upset such as boredom with a partner, an especially argumentative relationship with a partner, a high level of stress, an abrupt loss of erectile ability, clinical depression or sexual performance anxiety. And while there are certain situations wherein such a life event is easily identifiable, there are many cases in which the cause of impotence is not so easy to ascertain.

There are numerous ways to probe into and discover the roots of a man’s psychogenic impotence, and the prize at the end of such a search is often found to be sexual performance anxiety. The symptom associated with this is usually the sudden inability to achieve an erection for a man who normally functions perfectly well. While some men to whom this happens are able to shrug it off and therefore return to being able to have normal sex the next time around, others develop anxiety and are unable to enter into another sexual encounter without becoming nervous about the outcome of their erectile state. Instead of viewing sex as an enjoyable experience, they see it as something to worry over. “Will I be able to get it up? And if so, for how long?” the afflicted man thinks to himself. Unfortunately, this way of thinking is a vicious cycle, as worry in itself promotes erectile dysfunction. After several disappointments the man retires from his sexual partner, even shying away from more innocent forms of contact like kissing, and even hugging.

The causes of performance anxiety
For some men the cause of this performance anxiety can be found in an exaggerated obsession with the appearance of his penis. If an uncircumcised man becomes insecure about how a sexual partner will perceive his penis, then this psychogenic impotence could result. More commonly, however, it is a man’s insecurity about the size of his penis that leads to this obsession and disorder. Again, this sort of anxiety causes the man to lose sight of the erotic nature of sex while he instead focuses on only the appearance he is creating. Sadly, this misplaced thought ends up circling back to cause him an inability to develop an erection, ultimately fulfilling his worst fears.

Some of the best treatment methods for those suffering from performance anxiety impotence are conspicuous in their avoidance of finding out exactly why someone is afflicted. Instead they consider the patient to have an accepted condition and begin treatment from there. The steps toward regaining potency require dedication and the following of a strict regimen involving abstinence from drugs and even sex until deemed appropriate. One of the most important aspects to these therapies is what is known as sensate focus, or the appropriate channeling of thought. If a man is, for instance, preoccupied by disassociated thoughts, he is unable to pay attention to what he is feeling. Therefore sensate focus is intended to bring his mind back into the bedroom.

Can stress affect your ability to achieve erection?
Stress is another important factor that a doctor considers when examining psychogenic impotence. If there is an unusual amount of tension and annoyance in one’s life, stress is a cause worth looking into. Able to arise from many different facets of daily life, including money trouble, insecurity about getting one’s job, personal upset and family illness, stress will rob a man of his desire for intimate sexual contact. Rooting out the problems that cause stress can be time consuming and, indeed, cause a minor revolution in one’s lifestyle. For those whose stress is caused less by hardship than by state of mind, less dramatic solutions can be found in simple life planning and organizing to avoid complicating things unnecessarily.

Another cause of psychogenic impotence is depression. Not to be confused with an occasional bout of sadness, depression immobilizes its victims. Along with a long list of other negative physical symptoms, impotence is a known result. Positive treatment to this ailment is found through therapy and, most often, anti-depressant medications. Unfortunately, side effects for these medications have been known to involve ejaculatory disorders as well as erectile dysfunction.

It is important to remember that psychogenic impotence can also be the result of shame brought on by physically caused erectile dysfunction or a penis that is too small. One should always be sure that he is undergoing the appropriate method of treatment. It is possible that a man could find relief from impotence by simply treating the physical causes.