The desire for a healthy sex life is natural and should be rewarding. Most people want to experience intimacy, sexual excitement, and a fulfilling sexual connection. All of this is normal for humans and should be fun.
But fear of underperforming is no fun at all. In fact, it can so dominate the mind that the body responds. Anxiety about the ability to perform can lead directly to the inability to perform, a phenomenon familiar to many men. Because men are usually very private about this, it is difficult to say how many are affected. But it has been estimated that upwards of one in four men experience this at some point in their sexual life. In this article, we discuss sexual performance anxiety and how to overcome it.
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In this article:
- What Is Sexual Performance Anxiety?
- Causes of Performance Anxiety
- Symptoms of Performance Anxiety
- How to Overcome Sexual Performance Anxiety
What You Need To Know About Sexual Performance Anxiety
What Is Sexual Performance Anxiety?
Sexual performance anxiety is an apprehension about either your partner’s expectations or your own. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy that sufficiently worries about “what if?” until the feared “what if” comes true.
Causes of Performance Anxiety
Sex is much more than physical contact – the mind must cooperate or the body will not. Especially as we enter adulthood, emotion becomes a necessary element in sexual excitement and the wrong emotions can undermine the process as quickly as enthusiastic emotions accelerate it.
The common worries that can cause performance anxiety include fear of inadequacy, angst about achieving an erection, poor body image, relationship problems, and concern about premature ejaculation.
Symptoms of Performance Anxiety
One lesser-known repercussion of the stress hormone cortisol is a narrowing of the blood vessels. This can prevent an erection even in healthy men who are with someone they find attractive.
The two primary symptoms of sexual performance anxiety are loss of erection and the preceding uneasy doubt that tends to lead back to the first symptom. This is the cyclical, self-fulfilling aspect of sexual performance anxiety.
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How to Overcome Sexual Performance Anxiety
Because sexual performance anxiety can be either a physical or a mental malady, treating both sides of the coin might be necessary.
1. Physiological Treatment
First and foremost, speak with a doctor – one with whom you are comfortable conducting a thorough and candid conversation about your sex life. This is your chance so don’t hold back – tell the doc about your sexual history and be honest about how often and how long it has been happening. This candor will help the doctor get the best answer for you.
Sexual performance anxiety treatments do exist as well as sexual performance anxiety medications. But if your doctor determines that there is no physical cause for your symptoms, he might suggest taking the psychological approach which is also effective in the right cases.
2. Psychological Treatment
If you and your doctor believe your issue to be thought-induced and non-physiological, one treatment is simply discussing the issue with your sexual partner. Attempting to hide or avoid the problem tends only to make it worse, but a nurturing discussion with your partner might improve both your sex and your relationship.
You can also think of ways to expand intimacy with or without sexual penetration. If you go into a sexual episode thinking “I must perform extraordinarily!”, that thought alone can cause sexual performance anxiety. But if you commence the intimate time simply with the idea of expressing love and enjoying yourself, pressure can be released.
You might also enhance the environment in ways that make the experience more immersive and take you out of your head. Pay the right music – light candles – put the satin sheets on the bed – and invest in lingerie or cologne – any of which can both elevate and distract you from your jitters.
- Dietary Supplements
There are several dietary supplements that have been taken for centuries to enhance sexual experience. Many of these are known by various names so we use the non-branded name of the actual ingredients when discussing the elements in supplements. Among those ingredients users report benefits from the most often are…
Icariin is an herb and is the primary bioactive ingredient in Yin Tang Huo. Studies have shown it to have an atheroprotective effect, meaning that it reduces arteriosclerosis to keep blood vessels open and flowing.
Kaempferia Parviflora, extracted from the root of the black ginger plant, has been used for over a thousand years. One study indicated that a 90mg dose displayed aphrodisiac effects such that it helps to increase sexual desire, attraction, pleasure, and behavior.
Ginsenosides and gintonin are the active ingredients that make ginseng a powerful supplement. Studies have shown that participants who took 350mg of ginseng four times a day for eight weeks discovered that their sexual performance increased.
All three of these ingredients are found in Regen Labs’ Fearless™ proprietary erection formula. This supplement is designed to help you recapture the moment and enjoy it again.
There is a lot to think about – we get it. If you have questions about sexual performance anxiety treatments or any of the conditions discussed here, Regen Labs has options for you. All Regen Labs products support the body’s natural systems for a healthy brain, skin, muscle, and sexual health.
Without toxins or synthetic chemicals, Regen Labs products contain research-proven ingredients to boost the body’s natural ability to be healthy.
Let’s talk! If you have questions, we would love to connect. Contact us today.
Have you ever dealt with sexual performance anxiety? What did you do about it? Let us know in the comments section below!
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