Sexual intercourse is supposed to be a fun, intimate moment shared between two people; two people who are slowly learning more about each other through exploration, bouts of laughter, and in-depth conversations while snuggling. Engaging in sex with someone new can be an exciting proposition, as this means getting to know a new person in an entirely different light. But, for some men, the prospect of jumping between the sheets with someone new can be downright terrifying. Where some men see a fun learning experience, these men see a potentially humiliating tryst. The man may not even be cognizant of it, but the nerves surrounding a sexual encounter with a new person are definitely there. And if left unchecked, those nerves can lead to a development of erectile dysfunction.
The brain is a powerful thing. While the erection is dependent upon a steady stream of blood and hormones to do its thing, it is the brain that signals when its time for your erection to go to work. But when the brain is distracted, this can lead to vital signals getting lost in the shuffle.
For men that struggle with new partner nerves, the feelings of anxiety and dread can overwhelm the brain, causing the sexual signals necessary for an erection to miss their mark. Thus, even if a man wants to achieve an erection, the negative feelings he has associated with the act will override any feelings of desire, leading to temporary erectile dysfunction.
But should this problem become reoccurring, what was once temporary can spiral into something much more permanent. If the brain is constantly being taught to ignore sexual signals, it can become a sort of learned skill. Thus, your brain will begin to ignore these signals on purpose, leading to the inability to achieve an erection and thus erectile dysfunction.
So when hopping between the sheets with a new person, there’s one word to live by: Relax. Don’t get caught up in your own head about the situation; rather, roll with the punches, take deep breaths, and don’t focus too much on the task at hand. Not only will it make the encounter that much more enjoyable, but it just might save your erection.