How Psychological Impotence Manifests Itself

What Is Impotence? Impotence is also known as erectile dysfunction and is defined as a man’s inability to maintain an erect penis. This is a distressing condition for men as it adversely affects their sexual performance which in turn erodes their confidence. As it is a topic seldom talked about, men often withdraw into a shell of depression without realising that it is an extremely common problem. In fact, it is believed that well over 2 million men in the United Kingdom alone suffer from this problem which can be relieved somewhat with Sildenafil Citrate, a drug which treats erectile dysfunction. Approximately half of the male population over the age of 40 will experience some form of impotence at one time or another. Yet because of the embarrassment factor, only about 10% of those suffering from this problem seek help. This lack of information prevents them from knowing the causes of impotence. Psychological Impotence Though often discussed, the role of psychological factors in impotence are sometimes misunderstood. The primary piece of misinformation concerns the number of men who cannot achieve an erection because of mental factors alone. Various studies have shown that less than 20% of impotence in men is caused directly by psychological factors such as performance anxiety. It is the feelings of frustration and depression which come after one incident of impotence which can exacerbate any existing medical problem and this worsens the condition. Impotence On The Brain The brain plays a major role in achieving and preventing an erection. There is a part of the brain which sends impulses to the penis which should cause an erection. If it sends negative messages instead, chemicals will be released which will inhibit the erection process. What happens next is known as psychogenic impotence which basically means that feelings of inadequacy and guilt manifest themselves. At this point, it is important to note that psychological impotence happens to a very high percentage of men at least once in their life. Therefore, men who experience a case of impotence must not panic because there is a strong possibility that it is only an isolated case. Depression There are a range of factors which contribute to psychological impotence. Possibly the most common of these are a combination of depression and anxiety. It is however, difficult to differentiate between them at times and there are cases when either or both of them are responsible for the causes of impotence or merely the consequences. Clinical depression has been proven to cause psychological impotence because of the aforementioned negative effect it has on the brain. Depression is also known to completely suppress any positive feelings which has a devastating effect on the libido. Stress Stress and fatigue are also chief culprits when it comes to psychological impotence. Though a tiny bit of stress can drive a person, too much can consume them. Stress comes in many forms: work, family, sexual, financial and it inhibits men from achieving an erection. Yet stress related impotence should only last for as long as the person is tackling this mental strain. Fatigue is often a consequence of stress and can drain an individual’s mental and physical energy. Just like stress, as soon as this condition is dealt with, normal sexual activity should be resumed. Help Is At Hand It is unhealthy to allow yourself to be overcome by the psychological factors which lead to impotence. Losing your sexual drive is not something to be ashamed of because it is a common phenomenon. Regardless of whether the impotence is just a temporary problem or if it’s more permanent, help is at hand in the form of medication such as Revatio and Viagra. These are both created from Sildenafil Citrate and are designed to beat erectile dysfunction.