8 Mental health factors that affect men's sexual performance
Sometimes your brain gets in the way of having a good time. It's happened to all of us at one point or another and it's a big deal.
Typically, what happens here is that the mind interferes to such and extent that sexual encounters are either impossible or unpleasant for you and there are several psychological factors that can cause this.
If you suspect your mind may be playing less-than-fun tricks with your body, here's a list of possible reasons why. Go through this list of 8 mental health factors that may be affecting your sexual performance.
Arousal non-concordance and sex
Arousal non-concordance happens when your mind and your body is out of sync during sex. Sometimes the body is aroused and the mind isn't, or the mind is aroused but the body isn't getting the same message. This happens most when you are experiencing anxiety and it happens to both men and women. For men this can lead to ED, for women this can even lead to pain during intercourse. Nobody walks away a winner.
MDD - Major Depression Disorder and sex
When you're experiencing MDD, your brain's chemical imbalances are likely to take a hit out on your sex drive as one of its first targets. The bad news doesn't end here - antidepressants kill off your sex drive too. If you suspect MDD or you are on antidepressants then it is highly likely that your sexual performance and desire will suffer from it.
PTSD and sex
This is interesting because it often shows up as something called post-coital dysphoria - a sudden and unexplained sadness or crying right after sex, especially in PTSD from childhood sexual trauma. But, suffering from PTSD can also lead to having little to no sexual desire at all.
OCD and sex
OCD affects sexual health in various ways. Some people may experience arousal issues or very low libido, while others may experience compulsive worries about their sexuality, their sexual performance, their sexual fantasies, etc. So, for example, someone with OCD may constantly be worrying that they might have inappropriate sexual desires or inappropriate mental images. It can also feature in the form of more practical fears, for example someone with OCD with a fear of contamination might experience fear or even disgust over sex and the risk of contamination.
ADHD and sex
ADHD can affect sexual performance in one of 2 ways - either an overfixation with sex, or a complete lack of interest because your attention is constantly elsewhere. Its not to say that ADHD always impacts sexual performance, but there are correlations.
Bipolar Disorder and sex
Bipolar disorder, where intense highs and lows are prevalent, affects the sex drive accordingly, studies have found. In addition, it is also linked to compulsive behaviour which may lead to risky sexual behaviour (not just in the kinky way).
Eating Disorders and sex
Eating disorders commonly affect sexual performance because it is typically accompanied by body image distortions as well as other psychological conditions or previous traumas. An eating disorder will disrupt your sex life because it creates feelings of insecurity, fear of rejection, and lack of confidence.
Substance abuse and sex
Substance abuse with drugs or alcohol negatively affects sexual health in different ways. You may be exhibiting unusually risky sexual behaviour when under the influence of substances or in some cases of drug dependencies you may not be able to experience arousal AT ALL without the drug. It's also been known to lead to ED and/or loss of libido in men.
There we go - 8 mental health conditions that can interfere with your sexual performance. But we still had some questions. If you do too, read on.
If mental health affects sex, can sex affect mental health?
Yes, and no. To a large extent a healthy sex life can promote mental wellbeing. On the other hand, good sex isn't a cure for depression just because it makes you happy.
The views and beliefs you hold about sex can also affect your mental health. If you were raised to believe sex is "wrong", you may feel very guilty each time you have sex which may lead to feelings of anxiety - and anxiety leads to arousal non-concordance (Condition #1 above) and so an evil cycle can ruin sex for you.
Will treating a mental condition restore your sex life back to normal?
No - in many cases mental health conditions do not get "cured" - in cases where it can be "cured", that doesn't mean the sexual issues you experienced will be resolved. Each requires treatment, often at the same time.
Do I need to be concerned about my mental health and sex if I have kinks or fetishes?
If no other mental health conditions are present, probably not. In certain cases mental health disorders as well as sexuality development are linked to hypersexuality which may be linked to your newfound kink or fetish at any age.
Men of all ages are likely to experience mental health impacting their sexual performance. Takbok's natural formulation is an easy and safe way to enhance your sex life if mental health is interfering with your sex life.
Want to read more about mental health and sexual performance? Visit https://www.psycom.net/sex-and-mental-health