How does Stress affect a Man Sexually
We all know that stress can be harmful to our body. From making us more prone to sickness, to causing fatigue and mental exhaustion, the impact of stress on the body is well known.
But exactly how does stress affect a man sexually? What effect does it have on his libido, erections, interest and drive towards sexuality.
What actually is Stress?
Stress is a response from your body to collect energy to overcome a threat or massive obstacle.
This is done through release of a hormone called Cortisol, which is also known as the stress hormone.
During a stressful time, your body redirects all of your energy towards either fighting the threat or running away from it.
This can give superhuman strength to tackle challenges that are life-threatening, but at the same time this takes away energy form other body systems.
How does stress affect sexual health of a man
Stress affects men in many different ways. Some of the most visible signs are:
1. Stress affects your hormone levels
Your body is a complex system that works on its own primarily with the use of hormones. Hormones act as a signal to organs and various body parts to interact and work well together.
However stress can disrupt the hormone system, by producing overwhelming levels of Cortisol.
Cortisol is known to target testosterone, immune system and many other things that are not necessary for survival in a stressful and unsafe situation.
This can lower your libido and sex drive, as your body diverts energy towards your arms, legs, shoulders and torso muscles to be able to take any action needed for survival.
2. Stress can cause Erectile Dysfunction
The hormone dysfunction caused by stress leads to its own issues.
High levels of cortisol dramatically reduces sex hormones, which can lead to weak erections and low semen production.
Being under stress for a long period of time depletes your body's ability to handle stress.
Without the time to recharge after a stressful event, you might not have the capacity to handle performance anxiety and can lead to premature ejaculation.
3. Unhealthy relationship with Sex, Masturbation and Porn
Stress can reduce libido, testosterone and volume of sperm production, all of which harm the sex drive of a man.
However porn, masturbation and sex can provide temporary escape from the stress. Thus, men usually form strong dependence on porn and sexual pleasures during stressful times.
High levels of stressful situations also leads to getting turned on by more and more weird fetishes. This can cause further confusion and shame in relation to sexuality.
4. Stress can cause a man to lose interest in sex
Your sexuality is not only affected by hormones, but also by social, relational, and psychological factors. When the stress hormones kick in, closeness is replaced by absence. It is nearly impossible to be present, to listen and to be interested in the people around you, if you're feeling stressed out. It's hard to deal with anyone but yourself.
If you do have sex with a partner, it becomes less about the closeness and intimacy, and more about getting to the orgasm.
Constantly living under stress can make you feel as thought you do not have energy to do the everyday tasks in your life. And as such you might choose not take time to romance a woman or be in a relationship.
Instead you might choose to masturbate by yourself, maybe to porn as a quick escape, and be done with the whole thing.
With a racing mind and high levels of stress, it can be difficult to maintain an erection and to focus on what is in front of you.
5. Stress affects your energy levels in general
Because stress sends the signal to your body to be ready to face the threat, your mind and body find it hard to relax in a stressful situation.
Stress can directly affect your sleep quality, and may even lead to difficulty sleeping.
Stress can also make you feel full of jittery energy while at the core leave you lethargic and extremely tired.
Even if you can get yourself to have sex, you are more likely to be left exhausted and tired after sex.
What can you do to reduce stress
Stress not only affects sex drive and pleasure, it also affects the physical and mental health of an individual. Therefore, stress reduction should be a priority for everyone
Some steps you can take to reduce stress within your life are:
Remind yourself of the other parts of your life
It is a human survival mechanism that when you are stressed, your attention becomes hyper focused on a single threat.
But if you feel that you are not in any life threatening situation, you can actively try to spread this focus to not just one thing, but everything around you.
You should remember that your health is far more important than a work project or car insurance payment.
You can also seek escapes from stress through recreational activities, however this is not a permanent solution. Too much escapism can create its own set of problems, which is why it is better to deal with the root of stress.
Try Somatic Therapy
While majority of our stress is created by our minds, the solution doesn't lie with it. If you try to de-stress by thinking and working out how, you will end up stressing our more, even about the stress that you do experience.
It is therefore important to understand the role our body plays in centering ourselves and managing stress and emotional trauma.
If you are someone who stresses out easily and over trivial matters, Somatic therapy would be perfect for you! Click the link below to find out more about body based therapy for stress.
