Don't Let a Bent Penis Lead to Depression

Men with a severely bent penis, a condition frequently known as Peyronie's disease, often experience some penis health challenges. Men and their doctors usually focus on the physical difficulties and complications of having a substantially bent penis, but there can be complications in other areas as well. Perhaps most prominently, men with Peyronie's disease may find themselves experiencing significant levels of depression. Left unchecked, depression can become a terrible burden.

How bent?

In Peyronie's disease, the penis is severely bent. But just how bent is that? After all, many millions of men have some degree of curvature to their penis when it is erect, and that's perfectly normal. There isn't really a cut-off point for when a bent penis becomes Peyronie's disease. Instead, a diagnosis of Peyronie's often depends on whether the degree of curvature is such that it impedes or prevents penetrative sex, or that it causes painful erections.

Most of the time, Peyronie's disease occurs when the penis endures trauma. It can be one big trauma (such as being hit in the groin by a fastball) or it can be numerous smaller traumas (such as over-aggressive handling during partner sex or masturbation). When such trauma occurs, the damaged tissue heals itself by laying down a layer of plaque. But the plaque is not as flexible and pliable as the damaged tissue and cannot stretch in the same way. Thus, when the penis becomes erect, the undamaged portions extend as they usually do; however, the damaged section stops expanding after a certain point, causing the penis to bend in that direction.

Depression

Clearly, the penis is of great importance to a man; for some men, a great deal of their feelings about themselves and their masculinity relate to the penis. A very bent penis can make a man feel his penis is deformed or make him worry about what his partner(s) may think of it. And in some cases, the bending physically prevents the man from engaging in penetrative sex. All this can lead a man into feelings of depression. One survey of 98 men with Peyronie's disease found that 48% of them were clinically depressed.

Many people, especially men, have a very difficult time acknowledging depression and therefore have difficulty getting treatment for it. The very best thing a man with depression can do is to seek help from a professional, such as a psychotherapist or a social worker. A professional can help a man work through the issues causing depression and recommend strategies for dealing with it.

In addition, the following tips can help fight depression:

- Focus on the positive. Identify things that are going well and keep them in focus.

- Socialize. In general, people feel better when they do not isolate themselves.

- Talk about it. Find a trusted, non-judgmental friend or lover and talk about Peyronie's and why it is bringing about feelings of depression.

- Laugh. Studies prove that laughter really can help alleviate symptoms of depression.

- Watch the diet. Certain food and drink choices can influence depression. Alcohol, for example, can easily worsen depression. On the other hand, foods with omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon and mackerel, and those rich in B vitamins, like leafy green vegetables, can help lighten a person's mood.

Depression isn't the only complication of a bent penis, of course. Regular use of a first class penis health crème (health professionals recommend Man1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin) may help to address some of the other issues. For example, penis skin needs to be as supple and elastic as possible; a crème with vitamin C, which helps promote elasticity in penis skin, can be a boost in this area. In addition, plaque build-up can sometimes lead to a diminished sensation in the penis. A crème with L-carnitine, a neuroprotective ingredient, is better positioned to help restore some of that lost sensitivity.