Erectile Dysfunction and Alcohol

All guys don’t necessarily call their struggles with getting an erection, “erectile dysfunction”. But regardless of what one calls it, for a man not being able to get an erection when he wants can be really difficult. It can impact your mood, self esteem, and your relationship with your partner. When I am working with a guy to understand what some of the contributors may be to struggles with having an erection, we will talk about his use of alcohol. Considering the potential role of alcohol on being able to have an erection is important. This is especially true If you’ve been checked medically and there is no medical reason you aren’t getting an erection, and you’ve been drinking alcohol when you are wanting to be sexual. Often when a man has an experience of not being able to be hard in an intimate situation, he starts to question his self. And the focus can go from having a fun and pleasurable time with your partner, to over focus on if the erection will come or not. Then perhaps this same man drinks alcohol to quell his anxiety. This can create a situation in which there are likely two major factors contributing to you not getting an erection: the anxiety and the alcohol. So what to do?

If you have not already, it  helps to speak with your doctor to determine if there are any medical causes for struggles with your erection. Once you know there is no medical reasons, you may try Relaxation methods (i.e mindfulness, meditation, yoga etc.) and being sober from alcohol when being sexual. Obviously there are other factors that could be contributing to struggles with getting an erection. Doing these two things may not be the whole solution, but it is a good place to start. Beyond this there are things we can work through in the therapy room to get you more towards the sexual intimacy that you desire.

Resources:

• https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-does-alcohol-affect-a-man-sexually

• https://www.tarabrach.com/guided-meditations/