A sex therapist reviews the Between Us Clinic’s Performance Anxiety Program – Can it help you get your erection back?
Verdict: 4.7/5
As a sex therapist, I have witnessed remarkable transformations in my patients through the use of mindfulness meditation-based therapy.
While some men may initially have doubts, as they start to experience a reduction in anxiety levels and an improvement in the quality of their erections, these doubts gradually fade away. When they ultimately regain their sex life, they come to realize that mindfulness was the right choice.
In my review of Between Us Clinic’s program, I found it to be an excellent self-help tool for men who are interested in overcoming anxiety-induced ED using mindfulness meditation.
While the Between Us Clinic’s program is not an instant solution, with dedication and commitment, I have the confidence it can be the long-term solution you’ve been seeking.
The structured approach of the program, along with the guided meditation recordings and the educational component addressing the mind-body connection, make it a tool from which most men could benefit in their journey of overcoming performance anxiety and ED.
Pros:
- A step-by-step program designed for addressing performance anxiety and erectile dysfunction.
- Based on proven therapeutic methods and created by certified professionals
- Educational content on tackling overthinking and breaking free from the performance anxiety cycle.
- No pills, supplements, or devices needed.
Cons:
- Doesn’t address other psychological ED causes such as depression, trauma, relationship issues, etc. delve into non-psychological causes or treatments for erectile dysfunction.
- May take time to see results.
Introduction
Performance anxiety and erectile dysfunction are not easy to deal with, and most of my patients share similar stories:
- I lost my erection once, and now I can’t get it out of my head. I worry every time, and it keeps happening.
- I can get erect, but when the moment comes to perform, I lose it.
- I feel frustrated, ashamed, and hate that I have no control.
I want to be able to please my partner(s) again.
Many of them share that they even tried using ED medications but were unhappy with the results (which makes sense since ED medications are meant to treat the physical causes of ED, but not the psychological ones).
The encouraging news I love to share with my patients is that their issue is completely reversible. With a little bit of practice and dedication, you can restore your erection by addressing the root cause—’anxiety’—without relying on pills, supplements, or gimmicky devices.
In this article, I’m going to discuss mindfulness meditation-based therapy, one of the leading techniques I use with my patients, and review the ‘Between Us Clinic’s Performance Anxiety Program’—an online guided meditation program specifically designed for anxiety-induced erectile dysfunction.
It’s my personal belief that if you’re suffering from performance anxiety, mindfulness meditation in general, and the mindfulness meditation exercises included in Between Us Clinic’s program specifically, could be the solution you’ve been seeking.
Who Is This Program For?
The Between Us Clinic’s performance anxiety program was created to help men who are suffering from erectile dysfunction that is caused by performance anxiety.
So, to understand if this is the right solution for you, first you need to find out whether ED stems from psychological factors. If it is, the mindfulness meditations included in the program could be a powerful tool for you.
But, if ED is caused by a medical issue, you should speak to a doctor instead.
How Can You Tell if Performance Anxiety Is the Cause of Your ED?
Well, if you still have morning erections or can get an erection through masturbation, it’s probably more about the mind than the body.
In other words, if you can physically get things going when you’re relaxed and not stressed, your body is likely working just fine. In that case, mindfulness meditation could help you address the anxiety that is causing you to lose your erection by removing the mental barriers that interfere with sex.
A Program for Those Who Are Looking for a Long-Term Solution
One of the more important advantages of mindfulness-based therapy, and of Between Us Clinic’s program is that they’re focused on treating the root cause of the issue here—’anxiety.’ Choosing this path is your long-term solution for performance anxiety!
But you also have to consider that it’s not a magic pill. So, if you’re seeking a quick fix, look elsewhere.
Another important thing to think about is whether you’re ready to invest the time and effort to conquer your anxiety. To experience the full benefits, you’ll want to dedicate 10-20 minutes a day to mindfulness meditation for roughly 8 weeks.
The good news is that the program doesn’t require any prior experience with mindfulness meditation, making it accessible to virtually anyone.
If, after going through this information, you get the feeling that mindfulness might be a good match, then read on for my review of the program.
Between Us Clinic’s Performance Anxiety Program Review – Your Guide to Getting Your Erection Back
So, as you’ve already gathered by now, I’m a big fan of mindfulness meditation, and it is one of the techniques I love most to use with my patients.
What I came to review here was how well the Between Us Clinic’s Performance Anxiety Program utilizes these techniques, and I must say I really liked what I found out.
The Performance Anxiety Program is not your typical mindfulness meditation program. It was designed specifically to help men break free from the performance anxiety loop.
This means it not only offers excellent guided meditation exercises but also provides the most effective exercises for addressing performance anxiety.
Additionally, it includes all the necessary supporting sexual educational materials to help you connect the dots between mindfulness concepts and erectile dysfunction.
Essential Insights Into Sexuality and Mindfulness Meditation
Before we dive into the details of what’s included in the Performance Anxiety Program, it’s important to take a moment and talk about how mindfulness meditation works, and how it could help you alleviate your anxiety and get your erection back.
The essence of mindfulness meditation lies in helping you embrace the present moment and steering clear of the negative pull of your wandering thoughts.
As you gain awareness and learn to recognize your thoughts, you unlock the ability to rechannel your focus onto your immediate feelings.
By keeping your attention anchored in the ‘here and now’, there’s simply no room for those pesky anxious thoughts that could potentially lead to issues like erectile dysfunction.
Mindfulness also equips you with the invaluable skill of acknowledging your thoughts with kindness and without passing judgment. The underlying principle here is that when a negative thought does make an appearance, you treat it with gentleness rather than harsh self-criticism.
This protective measure acts as a shield against the treacherous path of anxiety and self-doubt, effectively breaking the cycle of performance anxiety.
As we’ll see later on, in the program, you’ll begin by learning these skills in guided mindfulness meditation sessions. Then, you’ll apply this newfound awareness to your daily routines, gradually extending its reach to your bedroom and sex life.
Now, after learning a little bit about mindfulness, we can explore how this program can guide you on your journey towards overcoming performance anxiety and regaining your erection.
How is the program structured?
The Performance Anxiety Program is built as a step-by-step guide for overcoming anxiety-induced ED. It contains two main components: daily guided mindfulness meditation recordings, and supplementary educational content that will teach you how to break the performance anxiety loop.
To overcome performance anxiety, it’s important to have a foundational understanding of sexuality and anxiety, and this program does a superb job of outlining both.
The program is broken down into four modules; each one should be practiced for about two weeks, creating an 8-week program.
The module gradually takes you from complete beginner mindfulness exercises to learning how to implement more advanced mindfulness techniques into your daily life, and finally apply them during sex.
Each recording contains valuable insights and connects the specific mindfulness techniques to overcoming sexual performance anxiety.
Exploring the Program’s Modules
Inside every module, you’ll get all the details on how often to listen to the recordings and the order to follow.
Over these 8 weeks, you’ll be asked to set aside 10 to 20 minutes each day for your mindfulness practice.
Now, let’s dive into what each module of the program includes:
Module 1 – Mindfulness introduction
This first module is designed to help you become acquainted with the principles of mindfulness and learn how to relax both your body and mind during meditation.
In Week 1 – you’ll start by practicing the ‘raisin exercise,’ where your task will be to closely and mindfully observe a single raisin (or any food item) as if you’ve never seen it before. This exercise involves focusing on its texture, color, scent, taste, and other sensory details to cultivate mindfulness and presence.
When you first practice the raisin exercise, you might experience a sense of novelty and a bit of awkwardness. It can be challenging to focus and maintain your attention on such a simple object, and you may find your mind wandering at first.
However, with practice, you’ll begin to develop the ability to concentrate more effectively and notice the subtle details of the object, leading to a deeper sense of mindfulness and presence.
At first, this may seem deceptively simple, and some men often have doubts that this exercise can help. However, my experience shows that it’s usually a meaningful first step in dealing with the challenges of performance anxiety.
In Week 2 – You’ll make the transition to mindful breathing exercises. In this exercise, you’ll simply sit quietly and focus on the feeling of your breath going in and out.
At the start, your mind might tend to wander quite a bit, but as you keep practicing, you’ll get the hang of gently bringing your focus back to your breath.
You’ll notice a calming sensation gradually taking hold, providing a temporary escape from the anxiety that may have been bothering you in your day-to-day life.
With time, you’ll come to appreciate those brief moments of peace that pop up between your thoughts.
You’ll also find that the link between your anxiety and issues with erectile dysfunction becomes clearer.
Module 2 – Being in the moment
After completing the introduction to mindfulness, module 2 focuses on improving your ability to stay in the moment for longer, and on minimizing the impact of negative thoughts.
As you progress through the second module of the program, you’ll likely begin noticing some positive changes in your anxiety levels. In the first month, as you make meditation a regular part of your routine, you’ll find that your ability to focus and sit for longer periods improves.
As you delve into weeks three and four, you’ll explore body scans and mindfulness of negative thoughts. The body scan will teach you to pay close attention to different parts of your body and use this focus to return to the ‘here and now’ when anxious thoughts arise.
The mindfulness of negative thoughts exercise will teach you to observe those anxious thoughts that often pop up in and out of bed, without being too hard on yourself. Gradually, you’ll come to understand that these thoughts are just temporary visitors, not truths that define your sexual performance.
Module 3 – Breaking out of the performance anxiety loop
In this module, you’ll expand on the mindfulness of negative thoughts exercise that you practiced in Module 2, and begin practicing the mindfulness of negative emotions exercise.
This will effectively assist you in breaking the loop between negative thoughts, negative emotions, and performance anxiety.
As you progress, you’ll likely notice an even greater gradual reduction in anxiety both in and out of the bedroom. This newfound sense of control over your thoughts and emotions will become more apparent, allowing you to feel more at ease during intimate moments.
Around weeks five and six, you’ll likely have some pivotal moments. The mindfulness of emotions exercises will help you acknowledge and peacefully coexist with the uncomfortable feelings often tied to thoughts of sexual performance.
Simultaneously, engaging in mindful walking sessions will connect you more deeply with the physical world around you, beginning to implement the principles of mindfulness in a new setting.
Module 4 – Feeling relaxed and confident in bed
By the time you reach the module 4, you’ll probably discover that your meditation routine has evolved into a calming activity you eagerly await.
In the final two weeks of the program, you’ll learn to weave mindfulness into your daily life in a more substantial way.
Mindful eating exercises will teach you how to make eating a ‘mindful activity’ and help you truly savor each bite of food and tune into your body’s hunger and fullness signals.
The 3-Minute Breathing Space exercise will become your go-to tool for finding moments of peace amidst a hectic day.
And then, the magic happens. You’ll bring everything you’ve learned into your intimate moments. By being fully present, you’ll shed performance anxiety and start relishing the connection with your partner.
It’s a transformation that takes you from struggling with ED due to anxiety to enjoying a stress-free and satisfying sex life.
To Sum Things Up!
With the Between Us Clinic’s Performance Anxiety program, you’ll receive a structured plan that will guide you step by step toward eliminating anxiety and regaining your erection, providing you with all the necessary tools and information to overcome performance anxiety.
I believe that this program is an excellent tool for men who are looking to overcome anxiety-induced ED using mindfulness meditation.
Sure, practicing mindfulness meditation might get tough at times, but the rewards are immense. The constant worry about your erection will fade away, replaced by the joy of enjoying sex without anxiety.
Your partner will notice the difference too – not only will you reliably maintain an erection, but you’ll also become more present and attentive during sex. Your connection will deepen, and your shared intimacy will become incredibly fulfilling.
The only small drawback I found with this program is that it is mainly focused on anxiety-induced ED. So, if your issue is caused by another psychological problem, such as depression, for example, this program doesn’t address it (although it could have). However, since the most common psychological cause of ED is stress and anxiety, I can understand the reasoning behind this choice.
Why Not Just Use ED Medications?
Many of the men I meet have at least tried using ED medications, but my experience shows that over time, most of them are unhappy with these medications and come to me to look for an alternative.
Erectile dysfunction pills are meant to help improve blood flow to your penis, especially when you’re feeling sexually aroused. But it’s essential to know that these pills don’t deal with anxiety directly. Instead, they make your body respond better to arousal (which can be weakened by performance anxiety), making it easier to get an erection.
In my experience, for many men, anxiety is such a big issue that even with these pills, it’s hard for them to get aroused enough. It’s important to understand that these pills don’t replace the need for arousal; they just make your body respond better to it. So, in case of performance anxiety, these pills might not work as expected.
Some therapists suggest using these pills as a temporary confidence booster, which, in my opinion, can be a double-edged sword. Some men may develop a mental dependency and become anxious when attempting to have sex without them. If you constantly rely on these pills to deal with anxiety-related erectile dysfunction, you might start to believe that you can’t perform without them.
Can a Self-Help Program Really Be a Replacement to Therapy?
As a sex therapist, it’s fair to say I might seem biased in favor of sex therapy. But let’s take an honest look at this.
When you’re dealing with deep psychological issues, relationship problems, past trauma, or persistent sexual problems, in-person sex therapy is often the best choice. These issues probably won’t get fully resolved with self-help programs.
However, for common problems like performance anxiety, where simpler fixes can help, practicing mindfulness meditation at home, on your own time, has its perks.
In sex therapy, you work with a trained therapist who specializes in sexual health and relationships. They provide guidance, support, and a safe space to explore issues related to your sex life, communication, and emotions.
One big advantage of sex therapy is its personalized approach. Therapists can tailor their methods to your specific needs, giving you valuable insights and techniques to improve your sexual experiences.
But there are some downsides to consider. Sex therapy can be time-consuming, and you might need several sessions. It’s also quite pricey, with each session averaging around $200. Plus, some folks may feel uneasy or shy about discussing personal matters with a therapist.
Both sex therapy and self-help mindfulness meditation programs offer useful tools for overcoming performance anxiety. Your choice depends on your preferences and what you need. Interestingly, many therapists offer mindfulness-based therapy with exercises similar to the ones included in the Between Us Clinic’s program.
Summary
In my view, the Between Us Clinic’s Performance Anxiety Program is a fantastic way to address performance anxiety. I think that by using this program, most men can make a real shift from struggling with anxiety-related erection issues to having a more relaxed and satisfying sex life.
This program is structured around mindfulness techniques and meditation exercises. It gradually teaches you how to manage your anxiety, rebuild your confidence in bed, and, most importantly, achieve and maintain strong erections.
It’s not a quick fix, and it does require some dedication, but it’s a natural, long-term solution that tackles the issue at its core and can improve your overall well-being.
Having a tailored solution that provides all the necessary educational materials to help you see the big picture and understand the relationship between mindfulness, anxiety, and erectile dysfunction is incredibly valuable. If you’re willing to commit to daily meditation as part of the program, I believe it can help put performance anxiety behind you.