Erectile Dysfunction or Performance Anxiety: Diagnosis and treatments

31 March, 2021  |  Holy Winter - Healthcare Writer

Erectile dysfunction and performance anxiety during sexual intercourse are common problems. It is not just about the person facing trouble but their partner as well. Hurdles in a couple’s sexual-life have the potential to affect their relationship. IQ Doctor professionals are here to make sure you enjoy a healthy sex life.

Is There a Psychological Component to ED?

One of the most common causes of erectile dysfunction is stressing about sex. When someone puts a lot of thought and mental energy into the act of sexual intercourse, they can end up suffering from erectile dysfunction when the time comes for regular sexual intercourse. Erectile dysfunction refers to the male’s inability to get an erection or sustain it properly.

iQ Doctor has the right medicines to solve this problem. However, it is best to get a proper prescription from your medical practitioner beforehand.

What are the Underlying Causes Behind ED?

Apart from medications, some simple methods can help you cope with erectile dysfunction problems.

Performance anxiety is one of the leading causes of ED. Anxiety and stress about performing well sexually and perceived pressure to please your partner can lead to sexual dysfunction, regardless of sex.

When someone feels they cannot fulfil their partner’s sexual expectations, they might start to feel it is not worth being their sexual partner or feel inadequate in different ways.

These feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem can cause physical problems, such as erectile dysfunction.

According to researchers, psychological factors like this are among the leading causes of erectile dysfunction. Thus, a person’s state of mind can affect their ability to perform normally during sexual intercourse.

What Are Some of the Common Causes of Stress Concerning Sex

Performance anxiety in erectile dysfunction can often result from a person’s negative self-worth and image about their ability to satisfy their sexual partner. If someone is constantly worrying about their sexual adequacy, then they might face problems during sexual intercourse.

Common factors that influence these feelings related to sex:

• The size of the penis

• Their body image

• Their self-image as a virile and sexual being

• Too much reliance on internet pornography

• Emotional baggage related to past relationships

These and other psychological reasons can play a role in erectile dysfunction and performance anxiety.

What Are the General Causes of Erectile Dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction can happen when several different factors interact. The most common of these factors are:

• Neurological factors

• Hormonal imbalances

• Mental health and other psychological factors as mentioned above

• Issues with blood circulation

Many specific causes can contribute to erectile dysfunction, including:

• Apathy

• Depression

• Lessening of attraction towards your sexual partner

• Stress, for a variety of reasons

• Lowered levels of testosterone

• Smoking cigarettes

• Drug or alcohol abuse

• Chronic illnesses

• Disorders of the kidneys

• Nerve damage caused by having diabetes

• Having had a stroke

• Suffered an injury

• Having your pelvic region irradiated

• Having a surgery recently

Some medications are also a common cause of erectile dysfunction, especially medications that disrupt hormonal balances or blood pressure. These medications include:

• Antidepressants and antipsychotics

• Anti-inflammatory medicines

• Medications for high blood pressure

• Medications for an irregular heartbeat

• Muscle relaxants

• Medications for hormonal therapy

• Medications for chemotherapy

• Medicines that affect the prostate

Your health care professional can help you pinpoint the exact issue causing your erectile dysfunction before prescribing you any medication for it.

What is the link between erectile dysfunction and mental health?

As pointed out above, erectile dysfunction is not simply a physical problem. It can affect a person’s mental health, the level of love and trust in a relationship, and general aspects of social life.

According to experts, there are definite links between erectile dysfunction and:

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Low self-esteem

• Low self-confidence

• Difficulties in relationships

• Issues with sleep 

All of these issues can interact with each other to trigger your performance anxiety, or they can be a result of it. One indicator that this is a psychological issue instead of a physical one is if a person has an erection upon waking in the morning but cannot sustain an erection during sexual activity. There are various psychological treatments for dealing with this problem, and cognitive behavioural therapy has been shown to be of immense help in dealing with the psychological causes of erectile dysfunction.

What are the symptoms of erectile dysfunction?

Everyone has a different type of experience with erectile dysfunction, as people respond to stress and anxiety in different ways. Apart from erectile dysfunction, performance anxiety related to sexual activity can also lead to problems such as:

• Premature ejaculation

• A lack of interest in sex

• Not being able to achieve orgasm

• Not being able to get an erection or being able to maintain it

When is the Right Time to See a Doctor for Erectile Dysfunction?

If you cannot improve your ED issues by changing your psychological state of mind, then it might be time to consult your health care professional to help with the problem. When you go to a doctor for ED, your doctor will:

• Ask what your symptoms are

• Carry out a physical examination

• Ask questions about mental health and anything that might be causing you stress

• Carry out blood tests to help identify and pinpoint any possible physical causes

What is the Treatment for Erectile Dysfunction?

If you cannot get rid of ED simply by changing your psychological triggers, then it might be time to take medication to fix the problem. Your doctor will be able to prescribe you one of the few commonly prescribed ED medications. Once you have gotten prescribed one of these medications, you can get them regularly from iQ Doctor. We stock all of the common medicines your doctor is likely to prescribe you to deal with erectile dysfunction.

What other treatments are there apart from medications?

Apart from medications, there are several treatments available for erectile dysfunction. Your doctor can prescribe you the proper treatment, or combination of treatments, to deal with your erectile dysfunction. These treatments are generally the following:

• Relationship counselling

• Medications for ED

• Treatment for particular diseases, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia

• Psychotherapy

In conclusion, there are many possible causes for erectile dysfunction and just as many treatments for the problem. So if your ED stems from issues like relationship problems or poor body image, you don’t need medication to deal with it.

As far as performance anxiety is concerned, being open and talking about the source of tension with your sexual partner can go a long way towards alleviating the stress. Only if the problem persists for a long time and other solutions don’t work is medication warranted.