No matter what the physical or psychological causes of sexual dysfunction, there’s a single underlying problem. Our society has become increasingly convinced everything can be perfect the first and every time. Although consistency is desirable, it’s almost impossible to guarantee every experience will always meet the same high standards. This means many people are setting themselves up to feel dissatisfied with their own or other people’s performance. Although this may not be too serious a problem in everyday living, it can become more dangerous when it comes to sex. There’s a mythology about sexual activity that often gives rise to high expectations. Our young are often led to believe the first experience will be extraordinary. Disappointment is therefore quite common. If these disappointments are repeated, it can affect libido and people can lose some or all their interest in sexual activity.
Physical and psychological causes of erectile dysfunction
Some causes of erectile dysfunction are purely physical. This can be an injury affecting the spine or lower part of the body, there may be damage to the nervous system because of diabetes or similar diseases, or it may be a symptom of cardiovascular disease. The most common cause is too high a level of carbohydrates in the bloodstream. This produces a deposit of platelets on the walls on the arteries and slowly restricts the flow. If the penile artery is affected, erections fail. Dysfunction can also be a side-effect of some common drugs.
The psychological causes are fairly easy to list. Libido may be lost because of a trauma, e.g. abuse or coercion, or a deep depression, i.e. any disastrous social event may have long-lasting consequences or a man may become so depressed he loses interest in all aspects of life. Performance anxiety is slight less serious where fear of failure becomes dominant and the man stops trying. In younger men, there can also be sexual confusion as to orientation. If the man is actually gay, there may be no consistent sexual response to a female. (more…)