PSSD Forum

Sometimes, like last night, I have vivid and intense erotic dreams and I wake up with a full erection but when I’m awake I can’t achieve full and stable erections (only partial and brief erections).
Could this mean that anxiety is playing a huge role in keeping me in this condition?

I would say that we genuinely don't know, but PSSD-denying doctors would probably interpret it as such. (I would counter this by suggesting they ask their patient whether they had loss of erotic touch or experienced sexual dysfunction before they touched an SSRI.)

I would say that the symptoms are somewhat encouraging: your physiology is still working.

I'd also add that orgasms when we are awake depend on physical stuff happening. Can anybody just lie there awake and make themselves have an orgasm with no touch? Not many. Yet many people, including some with PSSD, can orgasm during their sleep. Whatever causes sexual sequences during sleep is still working in you (and me). PSSD may be affecting neural pathways needed for sexual behaviour when we are awake, eg. connecting sensation with emotion, drive & volition or whatever.

sopgirl wrote: ↑Thu Mar 31, 2022 3:29 pm I'd also add that orgasms when we are awake depend on physical stuff happening. Can anybody just lie there awake and make themselves have an orgasm with no touch? Not many. Yet many people, including some with PSSD, can orgasm during their sleep. Whatever causes sexual sequences during sleep is still working in you (and me). PSSD may be affecting neural pathways needed for sexual behaviour when we are awake, eg. connecting sensation with emotion, drive & volition or whatever.

Your interpretation seems reasonable! I wonder how this is possible but apparently it’s like nighttime and daytime arousal follow two different pathways.
When I’m awake the only way to be aroused in a similar way is to fantasize so deeply that I end up in an almost hypnotic state, very similar to dreaming.
There’s no pleasure from touch and sensation during the day. The only pleasure I can feel comes from what remains of my erotic imagination and it quickly fade away when I come out from this oneiric-like state.
Trying to find a logical explanation from this situation is so exhausting and frustrating.

The some problem here:
- Sleeping (full & stable erections)
- Awake (some days ok, other days unstable* erections)

*normally in this cases, with focus and effort I can get good results.

I’m trying to understand that.