Category: Panic Attack

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The Health Issues Men Don’t Talk About

— (But They Really Should)

It’s taken a long time. But there is finally a growing awareness of the importance of discussing health issues openly and honestly.

By Northern Life

A lot of men shy away from discussing their health concerns because of social stigmas and embarrassment. Sometimes it’s because they simply don’t know where to turn for help. Addressing these issues openly and providing the necessary information and support is crucial.

Testicular Cancer

Testicular cancer is another health issue that often goes unaddressed due to embarrassment or fear. However, early detection is crucial for successful treatment and improved outcomes. It happens when abnormal cells develop in the testicles.

Common symptoms include a painless lump or swelling in one or both testicles. You might notice a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum or that your testicles have changed shape or weight. These symptoms can also be caused by other conditions, it’s true, but you need to talk to a doctor if you notice any of them.

Regular self-examinations are recommended. By familiarizing themselves with the normal size, shape, and weight of their testicles, men can quickly identify any changes or abnormalities. If a lump or other concerning symptoms are noticed, it is crucial to consult a doctor promptly.

While the topic of testicular cancer may be uncomfortable to discuss, early detection and treatment can significantly improve the chances of a full recovery. Men should prioritize their health by raising awareness and openly discussing this issue.

Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile Dysfunction (ED) affects a significant number of men, but it remains shrouded in silence. ED refers to the inability to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse. It can stem from various factors, including physical, psychological, or lifestyle-related causes. It’s normal to have trouble getting or maintaining an erection sometimes. But persistent problems can have a significant impact.

One common physical cause of ED is the restricted blood flow to the penis. Diabetes, high blood pressure, or cardiovascular disease can be potential causes. You might also suffer from ED if you are dealing with stress, anxiety, or depression. It’s probably not too surprising to learn that smoking, drinking too much booze, and not having an active lifestyle can increase the risk of developing it.

The first step in addressing ED is to have an open conversation with a healthcare professional. Doctors can help identify the underlying causes and recommend appropriate treatment options.

It is essential to recognize that ED is a treatable condition. By breaking the silence and seeking medical assistance, men can regain control over their sexual health and improve their overall well-being. If you want to learn more about treatments for ED, then you can check out what’s available at The Independent Pharmacy. They are a regulated online pharmacy that can help you find the right prescription and over-the-counter treatment.

Mental Health

Societal expectations that encourage men to be stoic and tough can create barriers to seeking help. However, mental health issues can affect anyone. It doesn’t matter what your gender is.

Depression, anxiety, and stress are widespread right now. Men need to understand that seeking help for these kinds of issues is a sign of strength. Mental health professionals are trained to provide support and guidance in managing these conditions. There’s therapy, medication, or a combination of both. Lifestyle changes such as regular exercise, healthy eating, and practicing stress-reducing techniques like meditation or mindfulness can also help to

By breaking the silence surrounding mental health and seeking appropriate support, men can effectively manage their mental health conditions and lead fulfilling lives.

Prostate Health

Prostate health is a critical aspect of men’s overall well-being. But it can be so tough for people to talk about it openly. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men, and it is essential to address it openly. Early detection is crucial for successful treatment and improved outcomes. However, the fear, stigma, or lack of awareness surrounding prostate cancer can discourage men from discussing it or seeking regular screenings.

Regular prostate screenings are recommended for men over the age of 50. You should get one earlier if you have a family history of prostate cancer. These screenings can help detect any abnormalities in the prostate gland and identify potential cancerous cells.

By breaking the silence and openly discussing prostate health, men can become proactive in monitoring their prostate health, addressing any concerns, and seeking timely medical intervention when necessary. Open conversations and awareness about prostate health can help save lives and ensure a better quality of life for men as they age.

Sexual Health And STDs

Sexual health is integral to overall well-being, and men should prioritize discussions about it. Safe sexual practices and regular check-ups can help prevent and detect sexually transmitted diseases. They also mean that you can enjoy an active sexual life.

Engaging in unprotected sexual activity or having multiple sexual partners can increase your risk of catching something. Open and honest communication with sexual partners about sexual health is essential. Discussing sexual history, STD testing, and using barrier methods such as condoms can help reduce the risk of contracting or spreading STDs. Regular STD testing is recommended, especially after engaging in unprotected sexual activity or changing sexual partners.

If diagnosed with an STD, it is crucial to seek prompt medical treatment and inform any sexual partners to prevent further transmission. A lot of STDs can be treated with antibiotics or antiviral medications. Additionally, healthcare providers can offer guidance on preventive measures, safe sexual practices, and regular screenings.

Men can reduce the stigma surrounding STDs, increase awareness, and take necessary precautions to protect themselves and their partners by promoting open conversations about sexual health,

Substance Abuse And Addiction

Substance abuse and addiction are significant health concerns that affect men disproportionately. Societal expectations and pressures can sometimes lead men to turn to substances such as alcohol, tobacco, or drugs as coping mechanisms, as we saw a lot during the pandemic. There can be serious mental and physical consequences when any of those substances are abused.

Breaking the silence surrounding substance abuse and addiction is essential. Men should be encouraged to seek support. There are treatment options out there, from counseling to detox and rehab programmes.

Men can smash the stigma associated with seeking help and create a supportive environment for those struggling with these issues when they talk about them. Addiction is a treatable condition, and men can embark on a journey towards recovery and regain control over their lives with the right support,

Wrapping It Up

Addressing the health issues men often avoid discussing is crucial for their well-being. By breaking the silence and encouraging discussions about these topics, men can take control of their health, seek appropriate medical assistance, and lead healthier, fulfilling lives. Remember, it’s time to break the barriers and prioritize men’s health through open dialogue and support. There is no such thing as an embarrassing health concern. And you might just be amazed by how much better you feel once you start talking.

It’s taken a long time. But there is finally a growing awareness of the importance of discussing health issues openly and honestly. The idea of “embarrassing” health problems is being challenged more and more frequently. But some topics still get swept under the carpet, especially when it comes to men’s health.

A lot of men shy away from discussing their health concerns because of social stigmas and embarrassment. Sometimes it’s because they simply don’t know where to turn for help. Addressing these issues openly and providing the necessary information and support is crucial.

Complete Article ↪HERE↩!

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How Stress Can Impact Your Sex Life


By Rachel Shatto

If you’ve always had a fairly healthy sex drive, but lately you feel like desire’s the last thing on your mind, there could be one factor putting the kibosh on your libido: stress. Let’s face it, these days it feels like there’s constantly a reason to feel stressed out. Maybe it’s the pressure at work or school, or the news headlines, or family issues. Whatever the case may be, how stress impacts your sex life is that it can be a real mood killer, says Dr. Logan Levkoff, a sexuality and relationships expert. “Stress can definitely affect your sex life, because desire is greatly impacted by our emotional and mental states,” she tells Elite Daily. Over time, this can even create a self-perpetuating cycle, she warns. “Unsatisfying sex can cause us stress and stress causes unsatisfying sex (or little desire),” Dr. Levkoff says.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to stay that way forever. Even though you may feel like it now, you’re not powerless in the battle between sex and your sex drive. But the first step is understanding just how stress is impacting your libido. Then you’ll have a better idea of how to address and lessen its impact.

How Stress Impacts Your Sex Life.

One of the main ways in which stress affects your sex life is that it increases your emotional needs, while deceasing your sexual ones, as sex and intimacy coach Irene Fehr tells Elite Daily. “Stress introduces extra needs that may not have been present or important before — emotional needs to be reassured, to feel safe amid the turmoil, to be heard about our struggles, to be gotten and understood,” she says. The one thing we need most in times of stress, Fehr explains. is a sense of connection and to be safe. We need to feel as though we’re not in the struggle alone. However, the problem is that, all too often, rather than voice those needs to our partner we turn inward. “Here’s the paradox,” says Fehr. “Stress makes us bottle it up and not allow their partner to see or witness how worried, stressed, or scared they are. Stress makes us share our needs less and has us go without having our needs met. All of this creates a wall between partners — a wall that they can’t penetrate emotionally and sexually.” This, in turn, leads us to feel more isolated and less sexual desire, according to Fehr.

There’s also a biological factor in the way that desire is suppressed by stress, adds Dr. Levkoff. “Stress can impact and decrease desire… and increase the production of cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that, in excess amounts, decreases the production of sex hormones,” she explains.

The impact of prolonged stress can be felt throughout the entire body, Fehr says. “It affects every system in the body, including the brain, nerves, pituitary, adrenal, kidney, blood vessels, thyroid, liver, blood vessels, and the interrelations between them. As a result, the body mounts a stress response,” she explains. “Here, blood and energy are diverted to big organs and muscles that will help you outrun the threat or fight it — and away from desire and sex drive.” In other words, stress takes up a lot of your physical and mental energy, leaving you little left over to engage with your partner sexually.

When combined with the emotional and physical impacts, it’s little surprise that stress has such a profound effect on your sex drive.

What To Do About It.

The good news is that you’re not powerless in all of this. While eliminating all stress from your life is next to impossible, you can mitigate some of its effects, says Fehr, by addressing the emotional aspect first, by recognizing and expressing your nonsexual needs to your partner, rather than continuing to hold them back. “Getting your needs met is the key to wanting to be with your partner,” she explains. “It can be as simple as asking your partner for undivided attention as you share with them about what’s bothering you or your fears. It could be asking for extra-long hugs because they help you feel reassured,” she suggests. Another thing that can help, shares Fehr, can be simply letting your partner know that you need more space to address the causes of your stress. “Needs are individual and are appropriate to the situation. Only you will know what you need,” says Fehr. “Admitting your needs to your partner requires vulnerability and emotional risk, and it’s this vulnerability that will actually fulfill the needs of closeness that we need during stress to bring us back into desire with our partners and sex,” she concludes.

Dr. Levkoff emphasizes that there’s no magic cure in this situation; it’s more of a process. “However, recognizing that we’re entitled to sexual pleasure and fulfillment and prioritizing our needs — emotional and physical — during stressful times is a start,” Levkoff explains. Most important, she stresses, is that you should be kind to yourself through the process, and not to criticize or be hard on yourself, as that actually can stall your progress.

While life probably won’t be getting any less stressful anytime soon, the good news is that you don’t have to settle for a sex life that’s less than satisfying as a result. Solving this issue might take making yourself more emotionally vulnerable with your partner and doing a lot of self-reflection, but it’s something that you can both get through. At least that’s one less thing to be stressed about.

Complete Article ↪HERE↩!

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How to enjoy sex even when your mental ill-health is working against you

Anxiety and low self-esteem can seriously impact your sex life

By

[E]ver had one of those days when your brain seems to be dead set on working against you?

You’re planning a nice bit of sexy time – whether with a partner or simply some solo fun – but your head’s just not in it.

However much you might want to get jiggy with it, your brain is skipping around elsewhere and you just can’t concentrate, let alone roll around in orgasmic delight.

So what causes your head to seemingly separate from your body at just the moment you want to be able to focus on fun times?

All too often it boils down to lack of confidence in yourself and what you’re doing.

If you have problems with self esteem, it can trickle into all areas of your life – and that includes the bedroom.

The saying ‘first you have to love yourself’ is bit of a cliche – but like most cliches, it’s actually true. Many things can sap your confidence, both mental and physical.

For my friend Amy, the problem is a lack of confidence caused by physical issues.

The problem has grown over the years, to the stage where it’s such a big issue that she’s unsure how to even start working through it.

‘I was born with cerebral palsy and I also have ME and fibromyalgia,’ Amy says.

‘I’ve gone from being moderately active and social to spending most of my time at home and sleeping a lot.

‘I was never particularly confident with guys because I have always been overweight.

‘I’ve had four sexual partners so far, three men and a woman. All were basically one night stands that were pretty unsatisfactory for me (and probably them too).

‘I’ve not had sex in years now and have never really dated anyone.

‘I’m pretty fed up of that to be honest but I feel quite isolated socially and wary of anyone who might take an interest because I feel so unattractive.’

You need to learn to love yourself

My personal suggestion in any situation like this always boils down to that same cliche – you have to learn to love yourself first.

Mirrors, masturbation and practice is the key.

Look at yourself so that you’re used to what your own body looks like and learn what really turns you on.

If you practice this alone then you’ll have all the more confidence when it comes to getting down to it with someone else in the room.

Amy’s story is just one of many I hear all the time from people whose sex lives have become unsatisfactory through no fault of their own.

I spoke to relationship and sexuality counsellor Jennifer Deacon and asked for her general advice on separating sex from anxiety.

‘When you’re anxious it’s often hard to feel turned on – or even have any desire at all.

‘That in turn can feed the anxiety more, particularly if you’re in a relationship where you might feel you’re letting your partner down, bringing up a whole heap more anxiety.

‘As with any anxiety the first thing is to try and find that tricky balance between reflecting on what’s going on with your thoughts and over-analysing.

‘What’s stopping you – is it the thought of being naked with someone else? The physical acrobatics that you might feel you ought to be performing?

‘Or is your sexual desire being suppressed because of meds that you’re taking?

‘Try to reflect on what’s going on, and then work through the ‘what ifs’ and ‘shoulds’ that often make up a huge part of anxious thoughts.

‘If you have a partner, try to communicate with them what you need – for example if you’re missing intimacy but are scared of initiating hugs or cuddles because you’re not sure you want full sex, then try to find a way to talk about this with them.

‘If your anxiety has roots in a trauma that you’ve experienced then communication becomes even more important – both communicating with yourself as to what you need and want, and communicating with your partner so that they can support you.

‘Lack of libido can be a common side effect from medication so if you notice that your sexual desire has waned since you started a new medication or changed your dose, consider discussing this with your GP or specialist.’

Many prescription drugs do indeed have side effects that affect the libido – and doctors aren’t always up front about explaining the risks.

Okay, so ‘losing interest in sex’ might be a long way down the list of worrying potential side effects, but given that antidepressants often cause this issue, I’m always amazed that it isn’t discussed more.

Sex is a healthy part of life and if you still want it but struggle to get any joy out of it, that’s going to affect your happiness levels.

After literally decades of living with chronic anxiety, I’ve been through endless different drugs in the hope of finding one that will help without ruining the rest of my life.

The problem is that drugs affect everyone differently – what works brilliantly for one person can potentially have drastically negative effects on another.

The first antidepressant I was given was Prozac.

Back then it was the big name in drug therapy and widely considered to be suitable for everyone.

And yes, it helped my depression – but it also completely removed my ability to orgasm.

I still wanted to – my sex drive itself wasn’t affected in any way – but I simply couldn’t ‘get there’.

I still regale people about ‘that time I gave myself RSI through too much w*nking’ – it’s a funny story now, but at the time it was utterly true and completely miserable.

I went back to the doctor and had my meds changed.

At the last count, I think I’ve tried about thirteen different anxiety meds and I still haven’t found one that I can cope with.

Ironically, if I was happy to lose my libido then several of them would have been perfect – but why should we be expected to go without one of the most enjoyable life experiences?

Personally, that makes me just as miserable as being anxious or depressed, so it invalidates the positives anyway.

Currently I’m med-free – and not very happy about it – but at least I still have my sex life.

For some people, finding the right medication without it affecting their libido will be easy.

But everyone has to find their own balance – some might prefer to take the meds and sacrifice their physical enjoyment.

But it’s okay to want both.

Complete Article ↪HERE↩!

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What To Do If You Get A Panic Attack During Sex

By Sophie Saint Thomas

[A] few years ago, while an ex-partner was going down on me, I realized I was having trouble breathing. Then a sense of dread filled my head, and I felt like I was being stabbed in the chest. So I quickly asked him to stop — not because he was doing anything wrong, but because I was having a panic attack during sex.

One of the (few) good things about panic attacks is that they usually only last for about 15 minutes, says Gail Saltz, MD, psychiatrist and author of The Power of Different: The Link Between Disorder And Genius. When I had my attack, I sat on the edge of the bed and did a series of breathing exercises. Gradually, I did begin to feel better.

But one of the most perplexing aspects of panic attacks is that they’re intensely fearful physical reactions that occur in the absence of any real danger or identifiable cause, as the Mayo Clinic explains. In my case, I was in a safe space with someone I trusted when my ex was going down on me. However, I had very real and terrifying feelings of detachment, the aforementioned shortness of breath, and chest pains.

Of course, I’m speaking about panic attacks during consensual sex. Fear that happens during an assault or dangerous sexual experience is completely different than having a panic attack during healthy sexual intimacy. (Reach out to RAINN if that’s the case.)

Although there are many causes for panic attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often to blame, says Barbara Greenberg, PhD, clinical psychologist and relationship expert. That was true for me: I’m a survivor of multiple sexual assaults and have been diagnosed with PTSD by a psychiatrist. As a result, sometimes during sex, I’ll have a flashback of an incident and experience a panic attack. Although the attacks subsided thanks to therapy and medication, it’s an ongoing process.

That said, panic attacks during sex can also happen to people who haven’t been sexually assaulted or diagnosed with PTSD. Dr. Greenberg says that generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder can also trigger panic attacks during intimacy, but anyone can have one during their life — with or without a diagnosed disorder. Sometimes these things just happen.

However, if your panic attacks are, like mine, recurring and have an identifiable root cause, it’s an especially healthy idea to see a psychiatrist, Dr. Saltz says. “If you are having multiple panic attacks or PTSD flashbacks you should 100% get treatment,” Dr. Saltz says. Treatment will begin with an evaluation of the cause of the panic attacks with a mental health professional. Then, that person will suggest therapy, medication, or both.

But is there anything you can do when you’re in the midst of a panic attack during sex? The first thing to do, if you can, is explain to your partner what’s happening — and step back from sex to take care of yourself. You can always try having sex again later when you’re feeling better. Deep breathing exercises, mindfulness practice, and reassuring self-talk can all be helpful in calming a panic attack, says Michael Aaron, PhD, a sex therapist and author of Modern Sexuality: The Truth about Sex and Relationships. Changing your physical position or getting up to walk around can also help comfort you.

At that point, Dr. Aaron says it’s okay to take any anti-anxiety medication you’ve been prescribed, such as benzodiazepines (e.g. Xanax, Ativan, and Klonopin). Because you can become dependent on such medications over time, they’re meant to be used on an as-needed basis, Dr. Aaron says. But, depending on your individual needs, you may be taking them for a week or have a prescription at-the-ready for the rest of your life. While you’re taking these medications, though, you’re also (ideally) learning other self-soothing techniques in therapy that will come in handy when you stop taking the meds as frequently.

On top of managing what’s happening in your own mind and body, explaining it to your partner presents another challenge. In particular, when I had a panic attack, my partner had a hard time understanding that he did nothing wrong. But Dr. Saltz says that, in the moment, it’s enough to “tell your partner [your panic attack] will pass, take slow and deep breaths, and relax your muscles.” After the crisis has passed, you can get into a more detailed description of what you experienced — and how it wasn’t your partner’s fault.

If you’ve been a witness to someone else’s panic attack, know that they have likely experienced panic attacks before meeting you and probably will have them after you’ve parted ways, says Amanda Luterman, MA, OPQ, a psychotherapist who specializes in sexuality. “What you can do is be a soothing and stabilizing partner for that person, keep the focus on them, and reassure them that it’s going to pass,” she explains.

So, remember that panic attacks do go away. But if you continue to have them during sex as part of a larger mental health issue or due to unresolved trauma, you should seek treatment. Trust me, it can be a life- (and sex life-) saving experience.

Complete Article HERE!