If erectile dysfunction – or even anxiety about ED – is complicating your intimate relationship, don’t panic. Communication, new approaches to intimacy, and quality erectile dysfunction treatment can bridge the gap and make a healthy, active sex life possible again.
Changing your attitude and approach to intimacy, as well as seeking the help of a doctor who specializes in erectile dysfunction, can make the problem exceptionally short-lived.
Great Relationships Are Founded on Communication
Sex alone is not the absolute most important part of a lasting relationship. Love, empathy, support, and communication are the foundations of long-lasting relationships, and while sex is important, that alone won't sustain the bond you have with your partner. People age, their bodies change, libidos shift with time, and things can sometimes occur that are out of your control. Erectile dysfunction happens to a majority of guys at some point. The statistics on ED tell us that most men will experience erectile dysfunction during their life, and the risk of ED happening increases with age and certain factors like smoking and diabetes.
Hiding erectile dysfunction from your partner is likely to cause more problems than it solves. If your partner is unaware of what's actually going on, they may try to fill in the blanks on their own...with something that's ultimately much worse.
"Is there someone else?"
Doesn't he find me attractive anymore?"
These and more can muddy the waters. Your partner may suspect that you’re being unfaithful, that you no longer find them attractive, or that you prefer to handle your sexual urges alone.
Don’t let things progress. Explaining the situation early can help to prevent significant consequences related to drastic misunderstandings. It can also help relieve anxiety around the issue, and open communication about sexuality can lead to breakthroughs in not only dealing with ED but in new ways to get intimate.
If your partner was experiencing a health condition that impacted their ability to regularly engage in sex, would you extend compassion and empathy? Hopefully so, and your partner will likely meet you with the same understanding if you’re properly communicating what’s going on and why you might want a little extra support.
Reduce Anxiety Around the Situation
Anxiety and stress are leading causes of intermittent or occasional erectile dysfunction. You're enticed by the idea of intimate moment with your partner, but your body in a stressed or exhausted state simply doesn't perform. It's more common than you think, and anxiety-induced erectile dysfunction has become a common phenomenon among young men in this decade.
But intermittent or anxiety-induced ED doesn’t mean that anything's fundamentally broken. It’s inherently normal and usually resolves on its own.
Men who frequently experience this phenomenon may develop further anxiety around the issue. As a situation becomes more intimate, they become fearful that their bodies won’t respond in the right way. This can cause both the mind and body to enter a state of anxiety where achieving an erection becomes challenging - the mind is willing but the body is weak. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Discussing the situation with your partner and coming up with a functional backup plan can remove a lot of the anxiety from the situation. If your partner knows that other stressors – work, finances, exhaustion – are causing problems, you'll have less to fear. You can also develop some other creative approaches to keeping the mood alive, even if you don’t get hard enough for penetrative sex.
Focus on What Feels Good
If you struggle to obtain or maintain an erection during an intimate moment, here's some simple sex counselor advice: if you focus on pleasing your partner, things get easier quickly. Communication with your partner around ED is excellent, if necessary, but so is great communication around what feels good: your and their desires. Talk to your partner about what you can do to create a great experience for them. When you’re having fun and observing your partner feeling fulfilled as a focus point, the stress can abate and libido return.
And, if you’re taking medication for erectile dysfunction, this extended foreplay may give your medication a little more time to work.
Most partners are happy when intimate sessions are longer and more fulfilling, and elated when their partner is willing to go the extra mile in prioritizing their wants and needs. You benefit from that extra time just as much as your partner does. Everyone wins.
Seeking Erectile Dysfunction Treatment
If your erectile dysfunction is a persistent problem that doesn’t resolve with time or patience, you may need more than a conversation.
Mild to moderate erectile dysfunction is very common, and the potential for it to impact you increases by 10 percentage points with each decade of life. This means that 20% of men in their 20’s, 30% of men in their 30’s, and 40% of men in their 40’s will experience erectile dysfunction at least occasionally. Erectile dysfunction happens at every stage of life.
Certain health conditions, some medications, and some psychological conditions may contribute to erectile dysfunction. Depression or chronic stress can play a role, and to further complicate the situation, erectile dysfunction is often a common side effect of medications actually used to address depression or anxiety. Some health conditions like diabetes or an enlarged prostate can also contribute to erectile dysfunction, even if the conditions are properly managed and under regular medical supervision.
Can Everyone Use Erectile Dysfunction Medications?
Most men who experience erectile dysfunction find that medication is a safe and effective fix. Today, medication is affordable and easy to obtain thanks to telemedicine platforms like Rex MD. Men can get prescription ED meds shipped to their door with a physician's prescription, if appropriate, and ongoing advice, all at affordable prices and with an easy-to-use interface.
There are a few exceptions.If you’re currently taking nitroglycerin or nitrate medications, you're not a candidate for most erectile dysfunction medications. Using these two medications in conjunction with each other can cause dangerous adverse effects. Tell your doctor about every medication you’re currently using and discuss any issues with heart conditions or high blood pressure. If your erectile dysfunction is a symptom of a more serious medical condition, you’ll likely first need to establish treatment for that condition. In some cases, erectile dysfunction medication can be used in conjunction with other medications to concurrently resolve both issues. It all depends on the nature of your health.
Speaking To Your Doctor About Erectile Dysfunction
Doctors are incredibly familiar with erectile dysfunction, and no medical professional will approach erectile dysfunction with surprise. Talking about ED feels like a big deal to the patient because it’s a sensitive subject. To a doctor, it’s just another Tuesday. Take comfort in knowing that your doctor understands and is ready to help without judgement.
If your privacy is important or you simply want an easier process with meds delivered to your house, telemedicine is a great option.
With Rex MD, a licensed physician can prescribe any of the most popular ED meds, if appropriate, and have them sent to your door with free shipping. Your first visit is free, and shipments can be set up for a specific number of doses on a monthly basis, to keep your medicine cabinet stocked. You can message with a physician from the comfort of your own home, and no one, not even the mail delivery person, will have any idea what you’re receiving.
The Takeaway: Keeping an open dialog about erectile dysfunction and finding other ways to bridge the gap or give your body time to respond can be extremely beneficial to your intimate relationship. Communication can reduce anxiety, and your partner will appreciate the added intimate attention that can make sex fun and exciting again.
Combining communication with effective erectile dysfunction medications like Viagra® or Cialis® will make intimacy as enjoyable as ever. Rex MD’s telemedicine physicians are here to help.
