Does hypnosis work for erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common problem;  large numbers of men experience mild or occasional erectile dysfunction (Johannes et al 2000, Rosen et al 2004, Nicolosi et al 2003) and about 5-12% of men experience it frequently enough that they seek help.(Wylie 2007 & Hatzimouratidis et al 2010)

Of the many choices available: drugs, hormones, penile prosthetic’s, herbal remedies and acupuncture, many men are opting for psychological approaches, particularly hypnotherapy. This is especially the case for men who can achieve an erection for masturbation but not when with a partner.

So, can hypnosis cure erectile dysfunction?

Put simply, Yes, you can cure erectile dysfunction with hypnosis, there is a wealth of evidence to support the choice of hypnotherapy and the techniques employed by hypnotherapists, such as:

 

  • Systematic desensitisation – the patient imagines various anxiety provoking situations whilst in a hypnotically induced state of relaxation. This is most effective for anxiety induced ED (Auerbach & Kilmann,1977).

 

  • Cognitive approaches – the internal thought processes are adjusted and re-focused away from erectile failure onto something more useful: giving pleasure, enjoying sex, how stimulating your partner is. Often this will be combined with systematic desensitisation to make a form of Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) which has proven effective with erectile dysfunction even without the addition of hypnosis (Xueqian & Heqin’s 1990).

 

  • Psychodynamic approaches – these involve exploring relationships, both past and present and traumas. Pioneered in hypnosis by Harold Crailneck (1982 & Crasilneck and Hall 1985), who treated over 500 men using these approaches, 83% of whom were still enjoying full erectile function a years later.

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Matthew Krouwel is a hypnotherapist in Birmingham – 0778 909 7741. 

He works extensively with  Erectile dysfunction (ED) and has lectured and trained hypnotherapist on the topic internationally.

To want to find out What is a hypnotherapy session like?

References

Auerbach, R., & Kilmann, P. R. (1977). The effects of group systematic desensitization on secondary erectile failure. Behavior therapy, 8(3), 330-339.

Crasilneck, H. B. (1982). A follow-up study in the use of hypnotherapy in the treatment of psychogenic impotency. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 25(1), 52-61.

Crasilneck and Hall (1985) Clinical Hypnosis Principles and Practice 2nd edition Grune & Stratton

Hatzimouratidis K, et al. Guidelines on Male Sexual Dysfunction: Erectile Dysfunction and Premature Ejaculation. Eur Urol (2010), doi:10.1016/j.eururo.2010.02.020

JOHANNES, C. B., ARAUJO, A. B., FELDMAN, H. A., DERBY, C. A., KLEINMAN, K. P., & McKINLAY, J. O. H. N. (2000). Incidence of erectile dysfunction in men 40 to 69 years old: longitudinal results from the Massachusetts male aging study. The Journal of urology, 163(2), 460-463

Nicolosi, A., Moreira Jr, E. D., Shirai, M., Ismail Bin Mohd Tambi, M., & Glasser, D. B. (2003). Epidemiology of erectile dysfunction in four countries: cross-national study of the prevalence and correlates of erectile dysfunction. Urology, 61(1), 201-206

Rosen, R. C., Fisher, W. A., Eardley, I., Niederberger, C., Nadel, A., & Sand, M. (2004). The multinational Men’s Attitudes to Life Events and Sexuality (MALES) study: I. Prevalence oSf erectile dysfunction and related health concerns in the general population. Current Medical Research and Opinion®, 20(5), 607-617

Wylie, K. R. (1997). Treatment outcome of brief couple therapy in psychogenic male erectile disorder. Archives of sexual behavior, 26(5), 527-545.

Xueqian, L., & Heqin, Y. (1990). Cognitive behavioural therapy for erectile disorder: A study from the People’s Republic of China. Sexual and Marital Therapy, 5(2), 105-114.