Psychological Effects of Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a very common problem among males. The largest percentage of sufferers is older males, say 50 and over. However, some younger men struggling with medical conditions also have this problem.

Oftentimes there is a huge misunderstanding among couples affected by ED. Presented below are some of the most common unresolved issues among men and women surrounding this issue:

For Men-He often feels ashamed and inadequate. He then feels very embarrassed and withdraws even more from sexual activity. He may at one point feel hopeless and not know what to do about the problem. This hopelessness often leads to severe depression and that leads to no motivation to do anything about it.

When a man feels inadequate sexually it might affect his stress level too. This can compound the problem, as the anxiety of not being able to perform makes the problem worse. This leads to yet even more hopelessness and depression, and sometimes anger taken out on the spouse.

For Women-She often misinterprets a man’s lack of interest in sex as rejection. She may also think he is mad at her or that something else is wrong besides the ED. This may lead to fights and arguments that never needed to occur especially if a man tries to convince her “nothing is wrong.”

That is, nothing may be wrong with him besides the erectile dysfunction condition. In the worst-case scenario a woman may begin to not trust a man and think he is cheating on her. She may also think he has fallen out of love with her.

Other Issues

Sometimes sexual issues in the bedroom affect other areas of a couple’s life. For instance, maybe the man and woman may become overly critical of one another.

This is not uncommon anyway when a couple feels like they lost that “spark” they used to have. Perhaps part of the daily “nick-picking’ of one another is a result of sexual boredom.

This often results as well because one or both of the persons in the relationship wants to just brush it off like it is okay. Either that or they are afraid to talk about the issue because neither wants to hurt the other’s feelings.

A Solution

Couples can learn more about the psychological effects of erectile dysfunction. There is plenty of research material that covers this issue. They can also seek one of many treatment options available and if necessary seek counseling together.