Managing performance anxiety in a relationship can be challenging, especially when it becomes an issue with your partner. You may notice your partner’s performance dropping or wonder if you are doing something right. If left unsolved, it will affect your relationship and make you uncomfortable.
Sexual Performance Anxiety—What Is It?
Anxiety is an emotion associated with fear or worries about your ability to have sex. When you have these feelings, it can be hard to enjoy sex, and sometimes you cannot perform. It can happen before or after having sex.
Performance anxiety is when you perform something in front of someone. Or a group of people to cause fear (also called stage fright) related to social anxiety. When you feel anxious, you may have to take an exam, go to the doctor, interview, or speak in public.
You can experience a few levels of performance anxiety, sexual or non-sexual. Your performance anxiety may present itself daily, but it can occur in many different ways. In a study published in 2019, 9% to 25% of men and 6% to 25% of women are affected by sexual performance anxiety.
Does A New Partner Only experience Performance Anxiety?
New relationships can be exciting and result in sexual performance anxiety. But you might worry that your relationship will end if you can’t please your new partner. People in new relationships feel this way, so it’s completely normal.
Remember that your new partner may feel the same way as you get older and more comfortable with your sexual relationship. Your sexual anxiety should lessen.
You can also find tips below to help you through any bumps in sex with a new partner. Although performance anxiety is common with new sexual partners, it isn’t the reason.
Among the many triggers of performance anxiety are:
- Are you feeling unhappy about your genitals or poor body image in general?
- Stress-related to work
- The problems in your relationships
- Stress in financial affairs
- Love problems in your life
- I am concerned about coming too early (premature ejaculation) and taking too long to finish (delayed ejection) and being unable to stop or get hard (erectile dysfunction), or getting pain.
The Effects Of Performance Anxiety On Your Erection.
Anxiety around sex makes men have trouble getting erections, which is known as psychological erectile dysfunction. So, it does not mean there is something wrong with you. Erectile dysfunction associated with this issue leads to ectopic men.
But, no matter how psychological your erectile dysfunction may be. You may still be able to find treatment. ED medication can be effective and safe when approved by a doctor. It can help even with anxiety-related erectile disorders.
If your erectile dysfunction is new or unexpected, consult your doctor to rule out physical causes, regardless of whether it is psychological.
Anxiety Over Performance Limits Orgasm.
Some people struggle to get hard enough to have sex but can’t achieve orgasm due to the pressure they’re under during their interaction. If you take a medication to treat anxiety disorders, you may experience anorgasmia as a side effect.
Anxiety Causes You To Orgasm Too Quickly.
Some men find that the pressure to perform in the bedroom hinders them from orgasming. But others find that increased anxiety causes them to orgasm faster than they wish. Suppose that is the case for you, and you want to receive treatment for your fear. In that case, you might also consider premature ejaculation.
4 Steps to Overcome Performance Anxiety
First Step: Recognizing a relationship’s existence plays a significant role in overcoming performance anxiety. Being nervous or uncomfortable is natural and affects your ability to perform and your relationship with your partner.
Second Step: It may mean taking a break from the activity or putting yourself in a situation where you can feel more at ease. (e.g., talking about a topic that doesn’t need much speaking).
Third Step: Practicing what you’ve learned. For practice, try doing something more manageable than planned, like dancing instead of singing in front of friends. So you can get comfortable with performing without judgment.
Fourth Step: Communicate with your partner about how they make you feel when asking you for more. And how they can support you during these moments. So that they don’t drown out all the other things in your life. When you have family obligations or workplace responsibilities, you may feel guilty or stressed at home, which can interfere with your ability to perform well.
Maintain Erections While Reducing Performance Anxiety.
You can treat erectile dysfunction caused by performance anxiety like many other types of dysfunction. You can get counseling and make lifestyle changes. But you can also get medication to treat and prevent erections.
