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Can erectile dysfunction be inconsistent?

Writer's picture: lilyllewellynlilyllewellyn

Can erectile dysfunction be inconsistent? Oh boy, yes, it can be generally quite inconsistent.


By this I mean that somebody might struggle to get an erection at times, but then other times might not, even if this is something purposeful or not.


So say, for example, that someone might wake up in the morning with the morning erection, meaning the blood can get to their penis, but at other times it doesn't. And when other times, maybe when an erection is wanted or it's needed in this particular moment,

then other times it might not be an erection.


Emphasising that erectile dysfunction is inconsistent is important because sometimes my clients will come to me and say that they're unsure if they have erectile dysfunction because sometimes they can get an erection and other times they can't. And of course that this can become confusing for people because they don't know.


They don't know what's happening. They don't know how to make sense of the themselves and their body and they don't know if they do have kind of a medical, physical issue or not. And I completely understand that if sometimes something is functioning as desired

and other times it's not.


erectile dysfunction can be inconsistent

If this is you - sometimes you're getting an erection and other times you're not, please know that that's really, really normal. It's really, really normal.


Not only this, because I mentioned the morning erection in particular, but other times it's also inconsistent. For instance, I found that some of my clients who see me for erectile dysfunction will say that sometimes when they would like to get an erection they can, and other times they can't, even though seemingly everything else, like the environment and all the variables are all the same. They might not be able to get an erection when they've had some alcohol or when they've smoked some marijuana. The point being is that sometimes people will have erectile dysfunction and there are no variables. It all seems really consistent. So that's something also to factor in. I found that some people might be able to get an erection with some people or a person and then not with others. Of course, I'm referring here to people who would be intimate with more than one person.


If someone shares there are inconsistencies with me, it's not like there's going to be a massive gasp. It's just not like you'd be thrown from the therapy room.


The consistencies are something to be explored. If this was yourself and you're getting an erection with some people and not others, then that's something. And you know, that that would become a conversation about what that's about in therapy.


I'd like to emphasise is that erectile dysfunction is inconsistent.


It happens that a person doesn't get an erection when they wanted it at particular times, it presents in some ways at some times with some people, but not others. And that's all a part to be explored.


I really understand that the inconsistencies of having erectile dysfunction can make it so much worse, you know, so much more confusing, so much more difficult to understand and potentially accept.


erectile dysfunction can be inconsistent

Written by Lily Llewellyn


10th January 2025


Lily is a psychotherapist trained and educated in person-centred counselling to master's level and achieved an MA in anthropology. Her areas of interest include our relationships with ourselves and others.


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