Erectile Dysfunction and Performance Anxiety: Understanding the Link 

Most of us will experience a hiccup in our sex lives at some point. When it comes to sexual problems that affect men specifically, performance anxiety and erectile dysfunction (ED) are among the most common. 

Both ED and sexual performance anxiety can cause emotional distress and severely affect feelings of physical and emotional intimacy with your partner. Although these conditions are similar and often confused, they’re two distinct issues. However, they are intricately linked and often coexist. 

Because performance anxiety and ED can cause so many issues in your sex life, our men’s health team led by Dana Trippi, DO, at the Atlas Health Institute in Las Vegas, Nevada, wants you to better understand each of these sex-related problems on their own and how they’re linked. 

Understanding performance anxiety

Sexual performance anxiety is an intense worry or fear before or during sex. While many people feel nervous before having sex, severe anxiety about body image or sexual expectations can be debilitating and keep you from performing sexually. 

Performance anxiety is directly correlated with negative thoughts. Most of the time, the negative thoughts are about penis size and wondering if you’ll be able to please your partner. You may be anxious about other things, though, such as issues in your relationship or stress at your job that spill over into your sex life. 

Understanding ED

ED is defined as difficulty getting or maintaining an erection that’s satisfactory for sex. Some of the more common causes of ED include:

• Blood vessel disorders
• Nerve disorders
• Chronic illness
• Smoking
• Substance abuse
• Depression

In addition, high levels of stress are often linked to difficulty achieving an erection. 

How are ED and performance anxiety linked?

Both performance anxiety and ED can cause issues with getting a satisfactory erection. However, many times ED occurs because of a physical issue, and performance anxiety is due to a psychological or emotional concern. 

It’s not uncommon, though, for performance anxiety to lead to ED. If you’re nervous about performing sexually, it may cause you to have issues getting an erection. In addition, if you already have ED, you may feel self-conscious about it, leading to performance anxiety. 

If you struggle with ED or performance anxiety and you’re not sure which one is causing your problem, our team offers compassionate and skilled support to help you get answers and find solutions.

Our experienced providers may recommend testosterone therapy or medication for ED, or suggest wellness visits and talk therapy for anxiety about your sexual performance. Whatever the case, our team can help you reclaim sexual function and fulfillment. Get started by scheduling an appointment with us over the phone or online today.