Psychological Causes of ED

The psychology of sex

Humans are the only lifeform on Earth that have developed enough intelligence to control the sexual process. That's why, perhaps, some also grow emotionally confused and find sex difficult. So, for a range of reasons, humans have transformed this simple activity into something complicated, controlling the age at which they are supposed to start sexual activity and limiting the social contexts in which the activity is to be performed.

Erectile Dysfunction, Psychological Issues and Viagra

Loss of libido: a scientific look
So here is a straightforward summary of how sex is supposed to work. The basic sex drive is called the libido and, if it is functioning normally, the body will react to any situation the mind finds sexually stimulating. In physical terms, this means the woman will lubricate and the man will grow erect. But if something disturbs the libido, neither man nor woman will find the usual situations sexually stimulating and there will be no physical response. For the man this means there will be no erection at all, the erection will not be hard enough to penetrate, or the erection will fade after penetration. None of these physical effects means there is a medical problem with the penis. The problem lies in the mind and can only be treated by a mixture of counseling and drug therapy. Viagra on its own will not help.

Depression
The most usual reason for the loss of libido is depression, i.e. you become so sad you lose interest in sexual activity. The obvious form of treatment is antidepressants but, as with several other drugs, erectile dysfunction is one of the side effects of some of the standard drugs. This means you have to be patient while going through the drug therapy. Until your outlook on life grows more positive, you will not be able to have sex. Psychological counseling can produce faster results and encourage a quicker return to sexual activity, but health insurance does not always cover the cost. The US healthcare service is more interested in profit and so focuses on the use of prescription drugs rather than expensive one-to-one therapy.

Performance Anxiety
The less serious psychological condition is performance anxiety where fear of inadequacy is a self-fulfilling prophesy. This can be solved by talking through the issues with your partner and then using Viagra as a confidence booster. With your partner’s practical encouragement and the little blue pill to ensure maximum physical response, you should overcome your fear.