The Psychology of Erectile Dysfunction in Young-Adult Men |
Today, most doctors and much of the public view erectile dysfunction (ED) as a medical problem treatable with erection medication. That’s often the case. But ED also has a significant psychological dimension, especially in young-adult men.
Until the late 20th century, doctors and mental health professionals considered ED a psychological problem. Psychoanalysts claimed it reflected subconscious animosity toward women. Other psychologists blamed it on depression, relationship conflicts, chronic pain, or watching pornography. Doctors remained largely on the sidelines because back then, everyone viewed ED as a psychological problem.
But if psychological explanations were correct, then psychoanalysis or psychotherapy should have restored lost erections. Actually, they consistently showed poor success rates. Something else had to be going on.
Erections result from relaxation of the arteries that carry blood into the penis. As those arteries relax, they expand, allowing extra blood to flow into the organ, which produces an erection hydraulically.
Starting in the 1980s, researchers showed that ED was often a result of cardiovascular disease (CVD), arterial narrowing that reduces blood flow around the body. When CVD limits blood flow through the heart, the result is heart disease, in the brain,........