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How can I treat ED at a young age
I am 20 years old and for the last year and a half I have had trouble getting and maintaining erections. I remember the first time it had happened I was with my then-girlfriend and we were about to have sex in the morning and it wouldn't get up. I thought it must might have been because I was tired from having sex all night beforehand but as our relationship progressed I had more trouble getting the same erections that I had been used to and maintaining them. Since then it's been hit or miss, sometimes I will have erections that brings me back to when I was 18 and sometimes nothing at all and sometimes in between those extremes. I'm worried about taking any pills because I don't want to develop a dependence on them at such a young age but I've read that doing things such as quit smoking, masturbating less, working out, cut back on drinking, and eating healthier might help. I just want to know if anyone who has experienced these problems took those steps and if they worked. Any other suggestions would be much apprectiated.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello.
From the information you give, it sounds as though you may, indeed, have a physiological condition which affects erection, indicated by the fact that you're not getting morning erections or erections during self-pleasuring. Any condition which inteferes with blood flow will affect erections (e.g., diabetes, low blood pressure, etc.) For this reason, I suggest you schedule an immediate appointment with a urologist for a complete exam.
As for the suggestions you've received, such as quitting smoking and eating healthier, these will ultimately help you live longer and perhaps contribute to making your penis happier, but they won't necessarily result in your erections returning to the way they were in the past. And please realize that self-pleasuring doesn't affect your erectile ability; that's a myth. However, if you want to build up some erotic tension--you know, like when you want sex so bad you can't STAND IT--then try not self-pleasuring for several days before you're with your partner and see if this build up of erotic tension helps.
And you're right about pills: they don't increase desire or lessen anxiety, and they can create a dependency which can be problematic, not to mention contribute to some health issues.
One other thing: It's possible that you have a minor condition, which affected your arousal one time and your anxiety over this has contributed even further, creating a viscous circle. You're not 18 anymore, and your body will respond differently as you age. Erections come and go. This is part of life. You’re HUMAN.
I will tell you the same thing I’ve told many men:
Our society does a terrible disservice to men by raising them to think that their penis has to be 10 inches long, hard as a rock and last all night. It’s no wonder that many men feel insecure about their sexuality. Great sex involves your whole body; in fact, having great, mutually satisfying sex is usually quite the opposite of what you see in those performance-oriented sex videos.
The more you think of sex as being about performance, the more worries you'll have. If you're stressed, you'll probably worry even more. And this can be a vicious circle. For most of us, sex is about fun and pleasure. If you think of it as performance, or a “job,” you’ll set yourself for a stressful experience. Remember: Performance can be the enemy of pleasure and fun.
Men receive so many messages that sex is about “performance” and pleasing a partner, rather than just enjoying the pleasure of it. Everything is goal-oriented—like a football game. The other message that many men receive is that sex is somehow dirty and wrong, unless you’re doing it for reproductive purposes. Sometimes this can creep into our unconscious thoughts and sabotage any pleasure.
The best thing you can do for yourself is relax and stop worrying. Try experimenting with some long, slow touching with your partner to discover what each of you likes. You’ll find that once you stop worrying about erection, you can enjoy simple touch. Your body will respond automatically once your brain stops getting in the way.
And, as noted above, see a urologist ASAP to find out what's going on. Best of luck to you. Dr. J
From the information you give, it sounds as though you may, indeed, have a physiological condition which affects erection, indicated by the fact that you're not getting morning erections or erections during self-pleasuring. Any condition which inteferes with blood flow will affect erections (e.g., diabetes, low blood pressure, etc.) For this reason, I suggest you schedule an immediate appointment with a urologist for a complete exam.
As for the suggestions you've received, such as quitting smoking and eating healthier, these will ultimately help you live longer and perhaps contribute to making your penis happier, but they won't necessarily result in your erections returning to the way they were in the past. And please realize that self-pleasuring doesn't affect your erectile ability; that's a myth. However, if you want to build up some erotic tension--you know, like when you want sex so bad you can't STAND IT--then try not self-pleasuring for several days before you're with your partner and see if this build up of erotic tension helps.
And you're right about pills: they don't increase desire or lessen anxiety, and they can create a dependency which can be problematic, not to mention contribute to some health issues.
One other thing: It's possible that you have a minor condition, which affected your arousal one time and your anxiety over this has contributed even further, creating a viscous circle. You're not 18 anymore, and your body will respond differently as you age. Erections come and go. This is part of life. You’re HUMAN.
I will tell you the same thing I’ve told many men:
Our society does a terrible disservice to men by raising them to think that their penis has to be 10 inches long, hard as a rock and last all night. It’s no wonder that many men feel insecure about their sexuality. Great sex involves your whole body; in fact, having great, mutually satisfying sex is usually quite the opposite of what you see in those performance-oriented sex videos.
The more you think of sex as being about performance, the more worries you'll have. If you're stressed, you'll probably worry even more. And this can be a vicious circle. For most of us, sex is about fun and pleasure. If you think of it as performance, or a “job,” you’ll set yourself for a stressful experience. Remember: Performance can be the enemy of pleasure and fun.
Men receive so many messages that sex is about “performance” and pleasing a partner, rather than just enjoying the pleasure of it. Everything is goal-oriented—like a football game. The other message that many men receive is that sex is somehow dirty and wrong, unless you’re doing it for reproductive purposes. Sometimes this can creep into our unconscious thoughts and sabotage any pleasure.
The best thing you can do for yourself is relax and stop worrying. Try experimenting with some long, slow touching with your partner to discover what each of you likes. You’ll find that once you stop worrying about erection, you can enjoy simple touch. Your body will respond automatically once your brain stops getting in the way.
And, as noted above, see a urologist ASAP to find out what's going on. Best of luck to you. Dr. J
I should also mention that I rarely get morning wood (it still occurs but not nearly as much as it used to) and it's difficult to obtain an erection for masturbation.
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