Countless men suffer from erectile dysfunction (or ED), the inability to get or maintain an erection.

While many drugs, such as Viagra and Cialis, are available to mask the symptoms, they do not deal with the underlying causes of ED.

For some men, these drugs are not an effective solution and for others, who have medical conditions that prohibit the use of performance-enhancing drugs, there can still be help. Also, there are some men out there who want to fix ED, but simply do not want to be reliant on a drug. While we are not against drugs as one possible pathway to greater confidence, we believe starting with more natural, holistic solutions should be first.

There are alternative solutions, especially when the root of erectile dysfunction is psychological as opposed to physiological. One way to tell if you are dealing with psychological ED is if it is not across the board. In other words, if you feel comfortable and relaxed and have perfectly normal erections during masturbation but cannot get them with a partner, you are likely dealing with psychological ED. (Note: If you are having ED in all situations, even masturbation, make sure you get it checked out as it can be a sign of heart disease).

We have found that psychological ED has at least 3 underlying roots. It is also possible to be dealing with two or all three of the underlying causes at once. We believe you are the expert on your own life and sexual health. In reading these articles, you might consider which underlying causes of ED feel like they might apply to you. For partners of folks dealing with ED, take account of what you know about your partner, and see if any of these seem to fit.

The three underlying causes that we have found are

1. performance anxiety
2. impulse control (too much, not too little)
3. functional response to a dysfunctional situation (where you have very good reasons NOT to be having sex with the person you are attempting to have it with and your penis knows better than you do).

In our first installment, we will tell you about performance anxiety and how you can turn the tides. In our second installment, we will explain why too much impulse control short-circuits your body’s natural arousal mechanisms and how to get back in touch with and follow your instincts. In our third piece we will talk about how your penis can sometimes be smarter than you and how to start listening and taking seriously what it says!

Read Part 2: Erectile Dysfunction That is Caused by Performance Anxiety

Read Part 3:  Erectile Dysfunction: Too Much Control