Why can't I always maintain erections?

[tims_1981]

I am a 27 year old male and I sometimes have erection problems.  I usually masturbate about once a day with porn.  Sometimes I get hard but other times I only get semi-hard.  When I actually have sex, sometimes I can stay hard but other times I can't maintain an erection.  Sometimes I get semi-hard but as soon as I roll on the condom it goes soft.

I know that I don't have diabetes so I'm assuming that it's something psychological.  I do suffer from frequent depression but I don't know if the depression would effect my erections even when I'm feeling okay.

So a few questions: Is it normal to not always get a full erection during masturbation and/or when watching porn?  It it just performance anxiety?  Is it possible to also have "performance anxiety" over getting hard for masturbation?  And is it possible that relaxation exercises could help with erections?

Thanks,

Tim

[palpateit]

From both of your descriptions, you may have porn-induced ED
It's always good to see a doctor to rule out another cause, but they know little about porn-induced ED. Many young guys are now coming down with this.

On our recovery forums, we have men in their teens with porn-induced ED. Chronic erectile dysfunction is NOT a problem for men under 40 - or at least it wasn't until Internet porn arrived.

Your problem is in your brain, not your penis. ED caused by porn is not psychological, it is structural and biochemical.

Internet porn can become an addiction, and with all addictions the brain changes, or adapts. It does not matter if the addiction is to a substance or whether it is a behavioral addiction, the same brain changes result.

Today's internet porn is nothing at all like our ancestors ever encountered, with the constant novelty and genres of extreme porn. Unlike yesterday's Playboy, Internet porn overstimulates the brain structures responsible for libido, erections, and addiction.

Brain changes include a drop in dopamine receptors in the reward circuitry. Reducing the amount of dopamine receptors decreases your pleasure response to "normal" stimuli. In other words, real-life sexual partners and previous porn won't excite your brain enough to get your penis going. Turning on dopamine receptors is how you get turned on.

Here are two excellent presentations, by a science teacher, on the effects of pornography on the brain. They are non-religious, non-judgmental, and science based.  Also, two articles on the subject.

Erectile Dysfunction and Porn:
http://yourbrainonporn.com/erectile-dysfunction-and-porn

Your Brain on Porn - Porn Addiction:
http://yourbrainonporn.com/your-brain-on-porn-series

“How I Recovered from Porn-related Erectile Dysfunction”
http://yourbrainonporn.com/how-i-recovered-from-porn-related-erectile-dysfunction

http://yourbrainonporn.com/as-porn-goes-up-performance-goes-down
As Porn Goes Up, Performance Goes Down?

good luck

[savemylife21]

hi i have a same problem. masturbation is not a good thing.we dont realise this but its a slow death. soon one becomes impotent. masturbating once a month is not a problem.