Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is a deeply misunderstood condition. There are a couple of major problems with diagnosing it.

The first is the fact that very often, men jump to the conclusion that they’re suffering from ED the first time they experience a performance problem. Sometimes, however, a performance problem is just that.

A (temporary) performance problem. We’ve all been there. Every sexually active man has, or will have the occasional problem with performance. It happens. It’s just a fact of life.

The second major problem is the fact that “ED” is actually kind of a catch all term describing chronic, ongoing male performance issues.

There are actually a staggering number of things that can cause ED. Some of these are physical, but others are mental. In this article, we’re going to talk about the mental things that can cause ED.

These are cases when the “big head” messes with the  "little head," causing sexual performance problems which can lead to very real relationship problems.

Depression

Depression doesn’t kill, at least not directly, but chronically depressed people have a vastly higher rate of suicide than the national average.

Depression touches all areas of your life. It can leave you closed off from the rest of the world, and make maintaining relationships a very difficult proposition.

Worse, when you’re depressed, sex is about the last thing on your mind, and because you’re already suffering from low image and self-esteem, any time you find yourself in a romantic situation, you’re going to be plagued with doubts.

Those doubts will often wind up expressing themselves in a total inability to perform, sexually. It’s a vicious cycle. Your depression leads to lack of confidence and doubt, which leads to an inability to perform, which makes you feel even less confident and more full of doubt.

Once you’re on that treadmill, it can be very difficult for you to get off (or get HER off!)

Stress

Another big factor on the mental side is stress. Studies have shown that Americans are some of the most stressed out people on the planet.

We work too much, we don’t take enough vacations, and when we do, we usually drag our work and all the drama that goes with it along with us.

We’re always connected, always “on” and we’ve built our lives around that paradigm. We feel that if we’re not performing like rock stars 24/7, then we’re doing something wrong.

The problem, of course, is that it’s just not possible to do that in the long term and keep your sanity. Sooner or later, you’re going to have to take some down time.

If you don’t, then your body will eventually force the issue, you’ll get sick and you’ll have no choice but to take some down time.

Long before that happens though, you’ll start seeing erectile performance issues.

The good news about this is that of all the mental causes of ED, this one’s the easiest to fix. Just slow down. Take a deep breath. Relax. Make a habit of meditation or yoga.

I know, I know, you’re the Master of the Universe, and if you’re not always “on” then the world won’t be able to get along without you…except of course that it will.

Do yourself a favor and hang up the Superman cape, at least every once in a while.

Head Games

Sometimes, you’re your own worst enemy when it comes to sex. You’re not depressed, and you’re not stressed out, but all of a sudden, you find yourself plagued with doubts and before you know it, you can’t perform.

This is sometimes jokingly referred to “hot chick” syndrome. You know how it goes: You’re out somewhere and you pick up an amazingly beautiful woman.

She’s totally into you, one thing leads to another, and before you know it, your clothes are coming off.

As her clothes come off, it suddenly hits you just how amazingly beautiful this woman is. Your brain kicks into overdrive, and you find yourself thinking, “wow…she’s almost too beautiful!”

Then you start thinking maybe she really IS too beautiful for you. That you’re "playing out of your league."

That’s about the time the self-doubt starts creeping in, and before you know it, your erection melts away like a snow cone on a hot summer day.

That kind of thing can happen even to the most confident, self-assured men. It’s embarrassing, sure, but in most cases, it’s a temporary thing, tied to a specific woman or sexual encounter.

The problem is, sometimes it can become more than that, if you allow that one-time performance issue to occupy too much of your mind.

In these cases, there’s nothing physically wrong with you, it’s just that your psyching yourself out, and your big head is pulling the plug on your little head, preventing you from enjoying sex at all.

This one’s also pretty easy to fix, provided that you catch it before it leads to full-blown depression. Mostly it’s about engaging in other activities that boost your self-confidence, and acknowledging that it really is all in your head.

Think about all the times you’ve had sex. You had no problems then, and so she’s especially beautiful…so what? That’s a good thing, certainly not something to get uptight about, right?

The bottom line is that while there are many causes of ED, some of them are mental, and of the various causes of the condition, these tend to be the simplest ones to fix.