Now here's a subject that's bound to stir up some controversy ... or at least some interest! ED or Erectile Dysfunction (fancy phrase for weak erections or just a general erection problem) is much more common than the statistics show. Why? Because it's embarrassing! The average man is not gonna be proud to admit that he has a problem getting an erection.

The ability to have good strong erections is a really basic way in which men measure their masculinity and self esteem. After all, that's what makes us men, right? As anyone with an erection problem will tell you (those that will admit it of course) there is nothing more frustrating and/or embarrassing as not being able to "get it up" when the time arises. (No pun intended)

We feel like failures, we feel ashamed ... simply put ...we feel like "less of a man". Unfortunately an erection problem may be due to a combination of many complex problems. On the other hand it may be sometimes due to one simple issue! This is what makes ED such a complex condition even for the medical professionals to "fix".

It's sometimes hard to isolate what's really causing it. Causes can range from libido issues, nutritional deficiencies, actual physical impediments, diseases, or even psychological issues. Because it's so hard to isolate, this can lead men to trying all manner of "cures" without really trying to find the cause of the erection problem.

Believe it or not, one of the most common causes can simply be psychological. In other words, your erection problem may be all in your head! I remember when I thought I had the classic erection problem many, many years ago and was convinced that I was developing ED. (even though I was only in my early thirties!) However looking back I should have realized that it was all psychological because of the following factors.

1. It started happening at the time that my relationship had sunk to an all time low.

2. I had no erection problem when I wanted to masturbate.

3. My libido was still as strong as ever.

It was only at the time of trying to have intimate relations with my girlfriend that my "erection problem" would rear its ugly head! Of course at the time I never quite put two and two together and tried taking all sorts of "cures" for it. They never worked because my problem's cause wasn't due to any medical or physical issue!

It was only after my relationship had ended and I had a short term relationship with someone else, did I realize I really didn't have an erection problem! My erections were as big, strong and hard are they had ever been. The kicker was that my ex and I had then decided to give it another go and we rekindled our relationship. My "erection problem" reappeared immediately! It didn't take a rocket scientist (or a doctor) to make me realize that my issues were obviously due to the whole mental mess surrounding that relationship.

The fact was that I felt inadequate in my relationship for many different reasons. Couple this with the fact that it seemed at the time that my girlfriend was never really into me. (towards the end of the relationship when my erection problem appeared.) These combined with a few other "relationship issues" created feelings of inadequacy and insecurity. They also added up to intense pressure to "perform" which actually made my erection problem worse.

In the surveys that I have conducted over the last four years, it seems that relationship problems are a small but very significant cause of erection problems. About five years ago, (many, many years after that relationship) I myself actually developed "real" ED and the problem for me was trying to find a natural solution for it.

Since I had a really hard time reconciling myself to using drugs (for obvious reasons) for my situation, I searched far and wide for something that was affordable but effective, while at the same time being natural. Let me tell you, the search was not easy ... what with the "snake oil cures", the "medically approved and recommended" pills, potions, lotions, sprays, oils, patches, mechanical devices, vacuums, pumps, herbs and even hypnosis programs that are out there.

So how do you find the ones that actually work? Well, that's for a whole different article!

Good luck!

Andrew S. Q. Taylor