Issues around sexual performance or sex drive can be hard to discuss. It is an intimate and personal topic and often can feel embarrassing or leave us feeling hopeless and alone. In some cases, you might feel that difficulties arise for physical reasons, in which case you could discuss this with your doctor. However, many sexual concerns may also have a psychological component and counselling might provide an opportunity to talk these through with a therapist. If you are experiencing sexual difficulties it can be isolating. You may feel embarrassment, shame, fear or anger that this is happening to you. People living with sexual dysfunction can also be too afraid to discuss the issue and suffer in silence. You may be wary of forming relationships in the first instance, or current relationships can become strained through a lack of intimacy. Sexual dysfunction can also affect your confidence and lead to low self-esteem. At The Eaves, our therapists will enable you to explore your feelings and attitudes towards intimacy and your own sexuality. This can help you to develop a greater sense of sexual well-being.
Sexual performance anxiety is feeling anxious or nervous about having sex. These feelings can get in the way of you having sex.
Sexual anxiety symptoms
The main symptoms of sexual performance anxiety are feeling nervous or anxious about having sex. These feelings can cause; premature ejaculation, erectile dysfunction and/or lack of lubrication for women.
There is a link between mental health and ED – depression can cause the ED, and stress can worsen it too. If you’re going through a period of stress, you might be more likely to experience ED, which can make you even more stressed. Which potentially creates a negative cycle of performance anxiety.
Talking your problems through often means that you take a big weight off your mind. A lot of your anxieties could well be unfounded when you start to talk them through. Couples therapy can also be a big part of your journey, you may find that your partner is very understanding. It may be that you’re worrying about nothing at all and you’ll look back in a month or so and wonder what the problem was in the first place.
