It is difficult enough to maintain a happy marriage with financial worries, children, and both spouses working full time jobs. Add in sexual dysfunction and your life can be turned upside down. Whether you are in a long term relationship or married for many years, how sexual dysfunction affects your marriage is up to the parties involved. Let’s look at the best ways to handle this common issue.
Fight Or Flight
Couples working through an issue with sexual dysfunction, like erectile dysfunction, can either face it head on and work together toward a solution, or they can bury their heads in the sand. The latter can occur in one or both partners. One partner may feel insecure, angry, and even jealous. They may think their spouse is no longer interested in them sexually.
Sexual dysfunction can manifest as ED in men or low libido in women. Either way, not acknowledging the problem only makes it worse for both parties. Silence does not lead to a resolution.
Dealing With Sexual Dysfunction
Although it is an extremely difficult topic to discuss, talking about it is the first step. Both parties must be willing to look at the problem and talk openly with each other. Here are some steps to consider:
Acknowledge The Problem
Admit that something has changed. Discuss what it could possibly be. Has one partner lost a job, are there money worries, maybe one spouse has put on weight? Once you both admit things are different related to their level of satisfaction, ability to achieve orgasm, or lack of desire, you can begin to look for solutions.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, 43% of women and 31% of men report some degree of sexual dysfunction so you are not alone.
Talk About How It Makes You Feel
Feelings can be mutual like shame, anger, depression, or having issues with low self-esteem.
Decide On A Plan Of Action
Try to put feelings aside for a minute and look at the issue as objectively as you can. No one person is to blame, and try not to take it personally. What is the next step?
Ask For Help
The next step is to reach out to a urologist like Southland Urology. Most of the time, sexual dysfunction has a physical cause or an emotional one, and sometimes a combination of both.
Causes of Sexual Dysfunction
Sexual dysfunction can be related to physical conditions like diabetes, heart and vascular conditions, hormone imbalances, antidepressant drugs, excess consumption of alcohol or drug abuse, plus many other issues which can all affect sexual function.
Psychological causes include concerns about sexual performance, work-related stress, depression, feelings of guilt, concerns about body image, the effect of previous sexual trauma, or any combination of the above.
Treatments For Sexual Dysfunction
Once the underlying causes are discovered, there are multiple treatments available.
For ED, talk to Southland Urology about treatment options including:
- Medications, which can increase sexual function by increasing blood flow to the penis
- Mechanical aids, like penile implants and vacuum devices
- Testosterone therapy
- Injectable medications
- Permanent solutions, like penile implants
Lifestyle changes may help including stopping smoking, reducing or eliminating alcohol, increasing exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight.
Sex counselors, therapists, and psychologists can all help one or both of you work through this emotional process.
Don’t suffer in silence. Talk to each other. Ask for help.
Contact Southland Urology at (714) 870-5970 for an evaluation if you are experiencing sexual dysfunction and want to discover the underlying cause and possible treatments.