Studies indicate that sexual dysfunction, especially erectile dysfunction, is very common in veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
A recently published study indicates that more than half of all veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also suffer from sexual dysfunction. For many, that sexual dysfunction manifests itself in the form of erectile dysfunction.
The Croatian study, published in the April 2019 issue of the Journal of Clinical Medicine, focused specifically on 300 male subjects, all of whom were veterans of Croatia’s Homeland War, fought between 1991 and 1995. The median age of the study’s subjects was 52.4 years.
ED of Psychological Origin
While it is not uncommon for men over the age of 50 to suffer from symptoms of erectile dysfunction and other forms of sexual dysfunction, the lion’s share of such dysfunction is usually physiological in origin. Among the Croatian war veterans, however, most of the sexual dysfunction was found to be psychological in origin.
The Croatian findings aren’t directly applicable to American veterans returning from combat in the Middle East with symptoms of PTSD. However, they do point up a side of the PTSD equation that is often overlooked by clinicians and the general public. And it’s an aspect of the overall PTSD problem that deserves greater attention.
VA Spending More on ED Drugs
In an article posted recently at Prostate.net, it was reported that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has tripled its spending for ED drugs over the past six years. And while this may address the problem in men whose erection problems are physiological in origin, it probably does little for those whose ED is traceable to the depression and anxiety commonly seen in PTSD patients.
And getting the government to acknowledge that a diagnosis of sexual dysfunction can be attributed to service-related PTSD remains a problem. In fact, it was not until 1980 that the American Psychiatric Association even recognized PTSD as a disorder with specific symptoms. Prior to that, PTSD-like symptoms were often dismissed as battle fatigue or shell shock. And men suffering from such symptoms were all too often directed to suck it up and be a man rather than surrendering to the psychological angst of the disorder.
Earlier Study Cited
A much earlier study, published in the November 2002 issue of Urology, looked at the prevalence of sexual dysfunction among American veterans suffering from PTSD. While the number of subjects studied was considerably smaller than those in the Croatian study, the incidence of sexual dysfunction was even higher — roughly 85 percent.
Veterans suffering from PTSD and symptoms of ED that they suspect are related to their PTSD should present their claims to local Veterans Affairs representatives in the hopes that treatment expenses could in part be covered by the VA.
Consult Your Doctor
However, if they fail to get satisfaction from the VA, they should bring their complaints of ED to their regular doctors, who hopefully can direct them to the best type of treatment. Because psychological ED usually doesn’t respond to Viagra or the other PDE5 inhibitors, counseling with a therapist is likely to be the first avenue of treatment. Be aware that some psychotropic drugs, such as antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications, may make it even more difficult to get and keep an erection. In such cases, your doctor may be able to switch you to a drug that’s more erection-friendly.
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Men whose ED symptoms are attributable to insufficient blood flow to the penis can usually find relief from Viagra and the other oral ED drugs known as PDE5 inhibitors. If the convenience of ordering such drugs online appeals to you, consider taking your business to eDrugstore.com, an online facilitator that’s been in business since the late 1990s. To learn more, visit its Erectile Dysfunction page.
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