Will I ever have sex? When I tried I couldn’t get an erection and the girl told all her friends

I’m 22, a virgin and scared. How can I get my confidence back?

I am a 22-year-old man who is still a virgin. I have had three failed sexual encounters in which I was with a girl I was really into, but couldn’t get an erection because of stress and anxiety. In one case, the girl told all her friends that I couldn’t get an erection. I worked with a lot of them at the time and they looked at me differently after she told them. It ate away at my confidence and it still haunts me. I often avoid flirting with women to prevent myself from getting into a similar situation again. I am healthy, 1.8m (5ft 10in) tall and weigh 84kg (13st 3lb) and I work in a physically demanding construction job, so I don’t think it is a physical problem. I believe it is all in my head. Every time I get into a situation in which I feel as if I could have sex, I start sweating and become very anxious. What can I do to stop these invasive thoughts from destroying my sex life?

Sex is supposed to be pleasurable and fun. Anxiety, fear and any type of performance or body concern can significantly reduce a person’s ability to enjoy intimacy and participate fully in love-making. It is really unfortunate that you were betrayed by someone whose indiscretion has further lowered your confidence, and has even made you avoid sex altogether.

Pamela Stephenson Connolly is a US-based psychotherapist who specialises in treating sexual disorders.

If you would like advice from Pamela on sexual matters, send us a brief description of your concerns to [email protected] (please don’t send attachments). Each week, Pamela chooses one problem to answer, which will be published online. She regrets that she cannot enter into personal correspondence. Submissions are subject to our terms and conditions.

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