Treatments For
Erectile Dysfunction
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Treatment of Psychological Erectile DysfunctionYou'll also see the words "psychogenic erectile dysfunction" - but the idea is the same: a man has a case of erectile dysfunction caused by psychological or emotional factors rather than physical ones. For example, stress is obviously a common cause of erection problems. In many cases, men with erectile dysfunction caused by stressful life events will see the problem gradually disappear over time as the event which caused it fades into the past. How long such erectile difficulties last is usually related to the intensity of the trauma of the event which caused the erectile dysfunction. But if the problem continues for an unduly long period of time, treatment by a specialist sex therapist may be helpful. The treatment methods which such a therapist would use are the ones described on this website. Of course, if a man's
erectile dysfunction has a physical cause, that must
be treated medically as well; and since the origin of erectile dysfunction can
be complex, involving both physical and psychological issues, a combined
treatment approach is often the best. And even men with an emotionally or psychologically
based case of erectile dysfunction often find Viagra helpful, no matter what the
underlying factors happen to be. Psychotherapy for Psychogenic Erectile DysfunctionIn general, there are two types of psychotherapy: psychodynamic therapy and counseling. Psychodynamic therapy assumes that erectile dysfunction is a sign of an underlying subconscious problem or sexual conflict, and revealing this and resolving it will cure the erectile dysfunction. Part of this approach is to ensure that a man is reassured, encouraged, and given the opportunity to say what is on his mind. Counseling will follow a similar path, again involving both a man and his partner, but with perhaps less exploration of the deeper issues. In both cases, it is actually rather important to have the partner involved in therapy. Sex Therapy For Erectile DysfunctionIn the 1970s Masters and Johnson developed an approach for the treatment of erectile dysfunction which involved putting the focus of attention during sex on what one was feeling in one's body rather than on what one was doing (or how one was doing). The sex therapist would give the client a series of instructions on what to do during sex, especially on how to have physical contact only for pleasurable physical sensation, not for sexual arousal and intercourse. This non-goal-oriented approach gives a man and his partner the opportunity to focus on what they feel rather than on their sexual performance. Also, not having to focus on sexual activity helps to alleviate performance pressure: the aim is to make sexuality something separate from performance anxiety, inhibition, and guilt, that it to say, the emotions surrounding sex. This is called sensory or sensate focus, and as a man and his partner gradually get used to this different way of having sex, they can move towards genital stimulation without stressful goals like orgasm and intercourse. This non-demanding and non-goal-oriented approach to sex means the man is probably going to get an erection. Without going into too much details about the treatment methodology, we can make a few points (the full method is described in the members' area of this website). Once a man has an erection, he can stop enjoying his partner's touch and allow his erection to subside before he and his partner continue with sex. In this way it becomes clear that getting and keeping an erection is a natural process and no conscious effort is required. Why is this important? Simply because men with performance anxiety are often goal-directed and think they must somehow cause an erection to happen rather than just letting events take their course. Gradually, a man will find he is getting more and more reliable erections, and intercourse becomes easier. Many men with psychological erectile dysfunction will improve if they simply stop having sexual intercourse for a while and instead focus on enjoying the physical sensations of pleasure rather than sexual arousal. So intercourse would not be permitted, for example, and any erections that did occur would be allowed to subside before sexual / sensory stimulation was resumed. The man would concentrate on the physical sensations he's feeling and keep his awareness on his partner's responses rather than his erection. Once he knows his erection is reliable, he and his partner can once again resume intercourse. If there are relationship problems, these need to be addressed before the erectile dysfunction. If a couple have interpersonal difficulties, it's unlikely they'll find it easy to cooperate in psychosexual therapy. |
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Other pages on this website about the treatment of erectile dysfunction, erectile dysfunction and impotence
Other sections on the website about erectile dysfunction
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