There’s a big difference between Reflexogenic vs
Psychogenic Erections.
And if you’re suffering from ED, it’s important that you understand the difference between the two.
Think about it…
If the engine in your car doesn’t crank, the first thing you need to do is figure out what’s causing the problem.
Working on the alternator won’t help if the problem is with your fuel line.
This is the case with erectile dysfunction, too.
You can spend all the money in the world on erection supplements, but if the problem is mostly in your head or your relationship, they won’t do you a lot of good.
Diagnosing the exact cause of erectile dysfunction is harder than figuring out what’s wrong with a car, since not all of the important parts are visible and not every vital process in the system is fully understood.
Still, you can narrow down possibilities so you’re not guessing in the dark.
This narrowing down usually starts with the difference between psychogenic vs relfexogenic erections.
Figuring out whether your ED stems from Reflexogenic vs Psychogenic Erections gives you two powerful weapons in your war against ED.
- You’ll know the cause of the problem, which means you can start trying to fix the right things
- You won’t waste your time trying to fix something that isn’t broken
Let’s take a look at the two types of erections, the problems that often plague them, and what you can do about them.
What Are Psychogenic Erections?
As the name implies, psychogenic erections start with your psyche. You think about, imagine, or experience what the Good Book calls “lustful thoughts.”
The process works like this:
- Step One: You start thinking about sex. This can be just your imagination, or thoughts in response to stimuli like a nude woman or erotic story
- Step Two: Your cerebral cortex secretes neurotransmitters that begin the process of an erection, most importantly dopamine and acetylcholine
- Step Three: A cascade of hormones trigger the physiological process of getting an erection
- Step Four: You get an erection
The good news about psychogenic erections is there are a lot of ways to get one started.
Human imagination, memory and perception cover wide ground.
The bad news is it’s a complex system. Problems with any one of the steps in the process can cause erectile dysfunction.
A few of the most common causes of loss of psychogenic erections include:
- Depression and anxiety, which can both interfere with your ability to think “lustful thoughts” and cause problems with your body’s release of neurotransmitters (source).
- Drug or alcohol abuse. Both or either can wreak havoc with your neurotransmitter and hormone release mechanisms, and with the psychological and relationship aspects of a healthy sex life.
- Performance anxiety, which raises levels of stress hormones, which has a negative impact on your production and uptake of dopamine and acetylcholine.
- Graphic pornography consumption. Nothing’s wrong with a little porn now and again, but too much can cause a dopamine resistance similar to the insulin resistance that causes type 2 diabetes. Since dopamine is vital to psychogenic erections, this can short-circuit the process.
- Relationship issues between you and your sex partner can cloud your ability to think “lustful thoughts” in the first place, instead making you fixate on the troubles between you when you try to have sex. This, of course, can then spiral into performance anxiety or full-on clinical anxiety.
Your first step in solving psychogenic erections is narrowing down from the wide range of possible causes to what’s really causing your problem.
Once you’ve done that, trial-and-error experimentation can yield initial results, which then show where you should put most of your efforts.
What Are Reflexogenic Erections
A reflexogenic erection is purely mechanical, the result of a reflex arc between your genitals and your spinal cord.
There’s no real erotic imagery or thought in place (though including some often helps). Something — hopefully someone — directly stimulates your penis.
The nerve impulses directing this stimulation send messages to your spinal cord. Your spinal cord sends orders to get erect back down your nervous system, without ever checking in with your brain.
You may recall getting lots of these in high school, especially in classes where you were at risk of being called up to the front of the class to speak or work something out on the blackboard.
“Morning wood” is usually a reflexogenic erection (sometimes called a spontaneous erection, which is a reflexogenic erection due to internal stimuli of the genitals).
Problems with reflexogenic erections almost always come from physical damage, which makes sense since it’s a physical process (source).
Damage to the spinal cord is the most common, since this interrupts the flow of neural messages the same way a cut electrical cord interrupts the flow of power to your skill saw.
Though complete return of reflexogenic erections might be impossible without major rehabilitation or reconstruction, many patients can become erect from psychogenic stimuli, from things such as:
- Watching a sex partner touch herself, or touch you
- Being touched in erogenous zones other than the penis (in some cases, a spinal cord injury leaves unexpected places like the scalp or stomach unusually sexually sensitive)
- Engaging with sound via talking dirty, sexy music or other erotic noises
- Using the other senses, such as lotions or candles for sense or flavored lipstick
Courses of hormones or other low-impact methods rarely work with reflexogenic erections, for the same reason fuel additives won’t help a car with a cut fuel line.
That doesn’t mean you’re out of luck, though, especially if you and your partner have patience and creativity (source).
It’s also worth noting that, while erection and orgasm are possible if you can’t get reflexogenic erections anymore, ejaculations won’t always happen.
Reflexogenic vs Psychogenic Erections-Conclusion:
Erectile dysfunction is a complex situation with many potential causes and solutions, which is one reason addressing the issue can be so frustrating.
Understanding the difference between these kinds of erections is the first step in determining how to solve your bedroom woes.
If you’re still unclear about Reflexogenic vs Psychogenic Erections, simply ask yourself this…
Have you suffered an injury to your spinal cord?
If yes, look for ways to bypass reflexogenic erections in favor of psychogenic erections
If no, your erectile dysfunction is probably psychogenic, in which case you should download a copy of this.
