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Erectile Dysfunction
Psychological Causes
Psychological
factors are responsible for 10%-20% of all cases of ED. It
is often a secondary reaction to an underlying physical cause.
In some cases, the psychological effects of ED may stem from
childhood abuse or sexual trauma. However, the most common
psychological causes of ED include:
Stress:
Stress can be job-related, money-related, or the result
of marital problems, among other factors.
Anxiety: Once a man experiences ED, he may become overly
worried that the problem will happen again. This can lead
to "performance anxiety," or a fear of sexual failure,
and consistently cause ED.
Guilt: A man may feel guilty that he is not satisfying
his partner.
Depression: A common cause of ED, depression affects
a person physically and psychologically. Depression can cause
ED even when a man is completely comfortable in sexual situations.
Drugs used to treat depression may also cause ED.
Low self-esteem: This can be due to prior episodes
of ED (thus a feeling of inadequacy) or can be the result
of other issues unrelated to sexual performance.
Indifference: This may come as a result of age and
a subsequent loss of interest in sex, be the result of medications
or stem from problems in a couple's relationship.
All men at one time or another will experience ED. Only if
the problem becomes persistent -- occurs more than 50% of
the time -- should you be concerned and consider seeking medical
advice and treatment. For men whose erectile dysfunction is
caused by psychological problems, therapy may be needed.
Reviewed
by the doctors at the Glickman Urological Institute at The
Cleveland Clinic.
Edited
by Charlotte Grayson, MD, WebMD, May 2004
Portions of this page © The Cleveland Clinic 2000-2004
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