Arousal/ Erection issues |
Arousal often refers to the physiological response of the body to sexual stimulation. For men, this often refers to (but is certainly not limited to) having an erection. For women, the process of arousal often refers to lubrication of and increased blood flow to the vagina. Problems in the phase of sexual arousal can cause pain during intercourse sex, lack of pleasure and sexual satisfaction or an inability to have intercourse sex.
Erectile dysfunction (ED) refers to the inability to obtain or maintain an erection when desired. ED is the most common sexual complaint among men. Losing your erection during sexual activity can happen at any age or circumstances. Some men have experienced it once, others on a more regular basis. It can happen during foreplay, intercourse (sex) or masturbation. Arousal issues in women can refer to reduced vaginal lubrication, or other physical symptoms that show a lack of sexual response to sexual stimulation. The causes of arousal problems during sex can be divided into 2 groups: a biological cause or a psychological cause. Biological factors are for example: certain types of medication, diseases (heart conditions, Diabetes, MS, brain damage), exhaustion, or it could be the effect of a medical treatment (like surgery for prostate/cervix cancer). The group of psychological factors include anxiety (to fail), pressure to perform, depression, lack of libido, shame or trauma. In general we could say that the biological factors are usually more common in older people, who have already been diagnosed with a particular disease or condition or who have just been prescribed medication. Sometimes there is an interaction between the biological and psychological causes: the trigger could be a biological one, but the psychological fear or anxiety that it will happen again could cause the arousal problems to continue. 
If you are suffering from erectile dysfunction or arousal issues and you are not sure of the cause, we would advise you to visit your GP. Your doctor could help you with discovering the possible cause of the problems by asking questions and if necessary doing a physical/blood examination. We understand that this might not be an easy topic to discuss with your doctor. If you don't feel comfortable addressing this problem with your doctor you could make an appointment with Selma van Diest. She will advise you if she thinks it would be necessary to have a medical check.
Treatment for arousal problems in our practice aims to improve your ability to experience arousal in a positive and mindful way. Selma will provide you with strategies to decrease your anxiety or fear (of losing the erection or not getting physically aroused) and become more confident and focused on the pleasure of the sexual interaction again. Important in this process is creating a relaxed and supportive atmosphere when you would like to be sexually active. This might require including your partner in the therapy process to improve both of your understanding of the causes and triggers for the problems and how to shift this focus. Selma will discuss this option with you if needed. Selma also knows about the different types of medications to improve erectile function (Viagra, Cialis, Levitra) available to support your erection and she can advice whether it would be a suitable option to support the psychological treatment with. Are you struggling with arousal issues or erectile dysfunction and you would like to know how to improve your sexual performance? Click here to make an appointment with Selma van Diest. |
