Psychological Causes

Up to 2 in 5 cases of erectile dysfunction are caused by psychological factors, the other cases are caused by underlying physical problems such as diabetes or arthrosclerosis. Common psychological factors are stress and anxiety, however there can be deeper issues at hand related to negative past sexual experiences causing a subconscious cause of dysfunction requiring medical treatment . The majority of men, however are affected by day to day psychological problems which can be managed.

For many people stress is work related, caused by personal or financial concerns. Worrying about these issues does not put someone in the right frame of mind for sex, as sex requires a positive emotional response. Achieving an erection can be impossible when you’re stress and can put strain on an otherwise healthy relationship. You may feel guilty you are letting your partner down, but tell them what is on your mind and how it is affecting you, so they are reassured you are still happy in your relationship.

Performance anxiety is common amongst young men with little sexual experience, and can occur when starting a new relationship. Fear of sexual failure can create a vicious circle which can be difficult to break. Building your self-esteem will help you to overcome your problems and finding an understanding partner who is patient is also important.

Some psychological illnesses are not purely due to circumstance and can be caused by other medical conditions, depression is one such condition. Depression can leave a person emotionally unprepared for a sexual relationship and some medications used to treat depression can cause erectile dysfunction. If you or your partner is depressed then you must concentrate all energy on getting better before taking on any big emotional steps.

During the course of a relationship there can be periods in which couples experience indifference towards sex. This can be due to other worries, relationship problems or simple habit. This is normal and each couple should decide what is right for them. Some couples feel that physical intimacy is no longer important to their relationship despite them being perfectly happy together. In which case, the lack of desire is not a problem.

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