Can thoughts or emotions cause impotence?
Emotional problems are problems with your mood or state of mind. These problems can cause impotence or make it worse, even if the original cause was physical. Sometimes impotence can lead to an emotional problem. For example, anxiety or depression may be caused or worsened by problems with your sex life. Emotional problems that may cause impotence or make it worse include: • Anger. You may be angry or upset with your sex partner. These emotions may prevent you from having an erection. • Anxiety. Fear or anxiety may keep you from having a normal response to sex. You may be nervous about pleasing your partner, or be afraid of causing pregnancy. Fear of not being able to have or maintain an erection may actually cause those problems. • Stress. Being under stress can prevent you from focusing your mind on having sex. For example, worry over money problems or losing a job may cause sexual problems. Guilt about having sex, or low self-esteem may also cause impotence problems. • Depression or
