Updated Article: Erectile Dysfunction (ED)
Posted: 28th of September 2009
Impotence (Erectile Dysfunction)
Impotence (Erectile Dysfunction)
Article by Paul Douglass
In this article, we'll look at impotence, what it is, and what you can do about it.
We'll cover...
- What is Impotence (Erectile Dysfunction)?
- Inability to get an erection
- Inability to maintain an erection
- Inability to penetrate during sex
- When Does Impotence Occur?
- What are the Psychological Causes of Impotence?
- What are the Physical Causes of Impotence?
- What Should I Do if I Suffer from Impotence?
- Can Hypnotherapy Help with Impotence?
- What to Do Now
What is Impotence (Erectile Dysfunction)?
Impotence (also commonly known as Erectile Dysfunction) is an inability to get an erection, or to maintain that erection long enough for intercourse or other sexual activity to take place.
Usually, impotence (Erectile Dysfunction) will fall roughly into one of the following three categories:
Inability to get an erection
In this case, sexual stimulation, whether psychological (anticipation of sex, or sexual excitement), or physical (the touching or rubbing of the penis), is not enough for the man to be able to get an erection.
Inability to maintain an erection
Here, although the man may experience an erection through psychological or physical stimulation, the erection doesn’t last long enough for sexual intercourse or other sexual activity to take place.
The man may initially penetrate his partner, only to find that his erection subsides.
Inability to penetrate during sex
Again, in this example of impotence (Erectile Dysfunction), the man may achieve an erection before sex, but when he tries to penetrate his partner, he finds that his penis isn’t hard enough.
When Does Impotence (Erectile Dysfunction) Occur?
A man can experience impotence (Erectile Dysfunction) at almost any part of his life. Because impotence has many different possible causes,
Impotence (Erectile Dysfunction) can come on when the man is young, and first becomes sexually active, or impotence can come on when other factors in the man’s life, such as stress, anxiety, boredom, money worries etc come into play.
What are the Psychological Causes of Impotence (Erectile Dysfunction)?
Impotence (Erectile Dysfunction) can be caused by many, widely varied psychological influences. These can include:
- Anxiety – A man can experience impotence at any time of his life, depending on the level of anxiety in his life at any given time
- Stress – Again, stress can have a great effect on impotence in a man at any time of his life
- Boredom – Perhaps the man doesn’t find his partner sexually exciting any more
- Performance Anxiety – A man may experience impotence due to worrying what his partner is going to think of his sexual performance
- Unresolved Psychological Conflict – impotence caused by previous experiences that the man hasn’t fully resolved (incidentally, ‘Pure’ Hypnoanalysis is an excellent treatment for this cause of impotence)
- The Fear of Being Judged – Another form of impotence (Erectile Dysfunction) caused by a performance anxiety (or more specifically in this case, social anxiety)
- Anticipation of Impotence (Erectile Dysfunction) Happening – Sometimes, impotence will happen simply because the man has been worrying about not being able to get or keep an erection
- Worrying About Pregnancy – Particularly in young men, the worry of getting the girl pregnant can be enough to bring on impotence (Erectile Dysfunction)
- Remembering Previous Impotence – If a man gets himself into a cycle of worrying about impotence (Erectile Dysfunction), this worry can help to bring on impotence
- Worry About Using a Condom – Again, often in young men, the worry of using a condom properly (or the thought of using a condom at all) can bring on impotence (Erectile Dysfunction)
- Guilt – impotence can occur in men who feel guilty about the sexual relationship (for example, when cheating on their wife, or starting a new sexual relationship after another has ended)
- Upbringing - Having grown up, for example, in an environment where sex was seen as ‘dirty’, or where sexuality was often suppressed or used to induce guilt
- Depression – Someone suffering from depression can experience impotence (Erectile Dysfunction) when they are feeling depressed
- Relationship Problems – Trying to maintain a sex life with a partner which whom there are problems in the relationship as a whole can bring on impotence in the man
- Lack of Self Confidence – If a man isn’t confident in his sexual performance, he may worry about how it is going to be, and this can cause impotence (Erectile Dysfunction)
- Low Self-Worth – A man may experience impotence if he has a low self worth, and feels he isn’t worthy of being in a sexual relationship with his partner
- Tiredness – For example, a man who works a lot of hours can experience impotence (Erectile Dysfunction) due to exhaustion
What are the Physical Causes of Impotence (Erectile Dysfunction)?
While it’s clear that there are a lot of psychological causes of impotence (Erectile Dysfunction), the process of getting and maintaining an erection is still a physical one.
Injuries to the penis, the testicles or the nervous system, problems with the blood vessels and circulation to the penis, high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, too much alcohol, obesity, drug use, and a lack of hormones can all cause, or contribute to impotence (Erectile Dysfunction).
It’s always worth getting impotence (Erectile Dysfunction) checked out by your doctor, who will be able to advise check for physical causes of impotence, as well as help you to see the benefits of keeping fit, stopping smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight.
What Should I Do if I Suffer from Impotence (Erectile Dysfunction)?
- Understand and accept that impotence (Erectile Dysfunction) doesn’t make you any ‘less of a man’ – In fact, be proud of the fact that you accept that impotence (Erectile Dysfunction) may be a problem for you, and that you are helping yourself to move on from it
- Talk to your partner about it. Sometimes, the stress of ‘what will she think of me’ can help to cause the impotence in the first place... talking about it with an understanding partner can help
- Talk to your doctor about it.
- If you are a smoker, stop smoking, and if you are overweight (again under the guidance of your doctor), lose some weight.
- Understand that there can be many psychological causes to impotence (Erectile Dysfunction), and that a professional therapist may be able to help you to overcome them. Don’t feel uncomfortable approaching a professional therapist... they deal with these sorts of things all the time.
Can Hypnotherapy Help with Impotence (Erectile Dysfunction)?
Yes, the right kind of hypnotherapy can help greatly with impotence (Erectile Dysfunction).
I say the right type of hypnotherapy, because something like suggestion therapy, which aims to cause a temporary lessening of symptoms, wouldn’t normally do very much for the impotence (Erectile Dysfunction) in the long term.
Where the impotence is caused by anxiety, stress, or an unresolved psychological conflict for example, it’s much better to use a far more effective form of hypnotherapy, known as ‘Pure’ Hypnoanalysis.
‘Pure’ Hypnoanalysis can help you to completely resolve these ‘underlying’ issues, so that rather than having a temporary respite from the impotence (Erectile Dysfunction), you can resolve the problem once and for all.
What to Do Now
Why not come along for a chat?
Our practices are in Highgate in North London (N6) , Takeley in Essex, and Chatteris in North Cambridgeshire.
If you are easily able to get to one of those locations, then the easiest way to arrange an initial consultation is to just contact us using the form at the bottom of any page, or give us a ring, on 01354 696155.
If you aren’t within easy reach of either of those practices, then you can still use our find-a-therapist service to find a qualified therapist who is trained in ‘Pure’ Hypnoanalysis.
Get in touch... we’ll do our best to help!
Impotence (Erectile Dysfunction)
Article by Paul Douglass D.Hyp. Adv. MIAPH. Acc.
Avon Hypnotherapy
Click here to read the full Impotence article
Article by Paul Douglass
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