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Before the rise of Viagra, hypnosis was used to treat the symptoms of erectile dysfunction. Given the presence of modern treatments, is hypnosis for erectile dysfunction still worth a try? The answer might surprise you.
What Causes Erectile Dysfunction?
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the incapacity to get an erection and sustain it long enough for satisfying sex. Many ED causes have been identified. Currently, the causes of ED are classified into organic and non-organic.
Organic factors have something to do with your hormones, nerves, tissues, and the drugs you take. They also include diseases related to ED, such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, testosterone deficiency, and prostate cancer. On the other hand, non-organic causes are psychological [1, 2].
Organic causes account for 90% of men who have ED. The remaining 10% of the population has ED due to non-organic causes such as anxiety, depression, stress, and low self-esteem.
What Is Hypnosis for ED?
According to a recent study [3], hypnosis is a waking state of consciousness. During hypnosis, your attention is detached from your immediate environment. Instead, you are focused on your feelings and thoughts. This is done so that your imagination feels real.
A hypnotherapist, through suggestion and your acceptance, helps you construct a hypnosis-induced reality. Hypnosis is mainly used for therapeutic purposes. It generally aims to help you calm down and relax.
Also, hypnosis is usually used to help manage the side effects of treatments, pain, and other symptoms.
Why Use Hypnosis for Erectile Dysfunction?
As mentioned earlier, erectile dysfunction has organic and non-organic causes. While the majority of ED patients suffer from the condition due to organic reasons, the minority suffering from ED due to non-organic reasons are left unattended.
Organic factors can now be dealt with using Viagra, Cialis, and even surgery. However, men who have ED due to psychological factors continue to suffer. They also often choose to suffer in silence due to embarrassment.
If you are one of those men, you don’t have to suffer anymore. Hypnosis might help you. To understand how hypnosis for ED works, we looked at the scientific evidence for you.
Hypnosis, ED, and Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) mainly aims to change your thinking pattern or behavior. By doing this, the way you feel can change.
Hypnosis was known to augment CBT. Research shows that hypnosis when combined with CBT, caused significant improvement among participants with insomnia, anxiety, pain, obesity, snake phobia, and mixed problems [4].
Since one of the causes of ED is anxiety, hypnosis can help you get rid of your excessive worrying. As a result, you can get an erection and lead a satisfying sex life.
Hypnosis, ED, and Anxiety
As mentioned, anxiety can cause erectile dysfunction. In fact, anxiety can cause ED for sexually healthy men and worsen the condition of men who already have ED [5].
It makes sense for men with ED to worry about whether or not they will get an erection good enough to satisfy their partners. However, anxiety works like a two-way street. This is proven by a study stating that anxiety decreased sexual arousal [6].
Hence, dealing with your anxiety might help you deal with your ED symptoms as well.
Hypnosis, ED, and Stress
Stress can also cause erectile dysfunction. When you are frequently stressed, you cannot relax. Since relaxation plays a vital role in getting an erection, dealing with stress might help you overcome ED.
A study involved men newly diagnosed with ED, aged 20-55. It revealed that high perceived levels of stress are related to poor erectile functioning. It concluded that stress management must be included in the treatment of ED [7].
Besides, a study done at the University of Utah School of Medicine stated that hypnosis is effective in treating stress-related disorders [8]. Thus, hypnosis can be included in treating erectile dysfunction.
Hypnosis, ED, and Depression
A 2018 study revealed that men with depression are more prone to have erectile dysfunction than those who don’t. Depressed men are also more prone to acquiring ED than those who are not. The researchers recommend patients and healthcare professionals alike to pay attention to the association of ED with depression [9].
To investigate the effect of hypnosis on depression, researchers subjected the participants to 16 weeks of cognitive hypnotherapy (CH). CH is a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy and hypnosis. Results showed that CH is an effective treatment for depression, according to the American Psychological Association’s standards [10].
Hypnosis, ED, and Attention
A lack of attention can contribute to erectile dysfunction. When you get distracted from sexual cues, your arousal level can decrease. Getting an erection is indeed hard if you are easily distracted by your immediate environment. The same goes for situations in which you are distracted by your problems.
Hypnosis can help you improve your attention and put it in the right place [11]. By doing this, hypnosis allows you to focus on positive sexual cues, as opposed to unrelated negative thoughts. You can then get an erection and maintain it.
The Answer
Hypnosis may be an old way of dealing with psychological issues, but it remains effective. Thus, hypnosis can allow you to deal with the psychological causes of ED.
According to the data we gathered, hypnosis for erectile dysfunction works. Hypnosis can be a good treatment for erectile dysfunction because it helps you deal with anxiety, stress, depression, and low attention.
Also, hypnosis can be a great complement to ED medication such as Viagra and Cialis. By dealing with both the organic and non-organic causes of erectile dysfunction, you have a higher chance of overcoming ED.
So what are you waiting for? Consider reaching out to a professional to personally explore hypnosis for erectile dysfunction.
