The list of things that can cause erectile dysfunction seems to never end. Drinking too much, not working out enough, heck, even not practicing perfect dental hygiene has been found to cause ED. But not all ED causes are physical in nature. In fact, sometimes erectile dysfunction is all in your head.
You see, your mental headspace holds major sway over various aspects of your body, including your ability to achieve an erection. This is because your erection relies upon signals from your brain to know when it’s time to get to work, and when you’ve got a mental block upstairs, signals get crisscrossed and imbalanced.
Scientifically speaking, intense feelings such as depression, anxiety, and stress all have biochemical components that flood the brain. When your brain is full of these chemicals, it can lead to other feelings getting lost in the hubbub. Specifically, when your penis communicates to the brain that it is time to achieve an erection, these signals can get lost in the flood of chemicals being released, leading to missed erections.
The problem with psychological-induced ED is that missing erections can lead to the feelings only getting worse, thus worsening your erectile dysfunction. It’s something of a vicious circle, as your feelings get more intense, which leads to missed erections, which leads to worse feelings.
Psychological-induced ED is very common, with a recent study finding that 61 percent of men that suffered from severe depression reported experiencing sexual problems. Thankfully, it is an issue that can be beaten. Talk to your psychiatrist about the problems you’re having, and together you can determine if medication is needed or how you can overcome the feelings.