Dr. Kethan Parmar

Business world has evolved in the past few decades in such a manner where small businesses grow to become corporate. The world is increasingly being dominated by corporations and a significant number of people also work in these places.

Stress and The Corporate World:

One of the things that come along with the corporate environment is stress as it brings with it an entirely new lifestyle. Irregular food habits, odd shift durations, insufficient sleeping hours and extremely tough work situations are all part and parcel of this corporate world. Although highly rewarding in the path of materialistic pursuits, it squeezes out your life-force and pushes you to stress and other diseases such as:

1. Depression

2. Diabetes

3. Blood Pressure

4. Asthma

5. Migraines and

6. Acidity and other gastrointestinal problems just to mention a few.

Methods to Deal with Stress in the Corporate World:

In the corporate world, the level of stress proliferates quickly and very few workplaces actually harbor a healthy atmosphere to look after their employees. Thus you have to take steps to reduce stress by yourself. Here are some of the ways by which you can save yourself from the parasite of stress.

1. You may often feel everything around you going haywire in your workplace. The next time you have this notion, try gathering your focus on everything that is going right instead. Let optimism fill your day and keep your cool knowing that losing it will only cause you harm.

2. At work, when hours fall short for achieving your target, keep a To-Do list to manage your priorities in an efficient and organized way.

3. For most people work seems to engulf their entire life. Do not allow this to happen at any cost. Maintain a healthy balance between your office and your personal commitments. Make time for the people you love.

4. Take short breaks in between your work to rejuvenate your energy level.

5. Try out methods of relaxation, for instance a long walk, a hot bath, yoga or meditation.

6. Assess your work at the end of the day as well as set a schedule plan for the tasks to be completed on the following day.

7. Engage in hobbies like drawing, painting, dancing and gardening or music to disconnect from the pressures of the corporate world.

8. Pay a visit to a psychologist or a stress management workshop to de-stress yourself.

Depression and some antidepressants can curb your libido. This has a negative effect on the depression as intercourse releases 'happy hormones'. Thus depression and your sex life share a cyclic relationship. The effect of depression on your sex life is a result of both brain functioning and physical changes in the body.

Here are a few things you can work on if stress or depression is ruining your sex life:

1. Break the pattern: Depression often makes a person withdraw from others and cease to enjoy any experience. This becomes a thought pattern that cannot be cured with medication. Talking to a counselor can help unlearn these thought patterns and help people form new social bonds. As part of the treatment, the patient will need to find and explore new ways of enjoying sex that can strengthen strained relationships. Talk to your partner.
2. Having an open conversation with your partner: It is the key to improving relationships and one's sex life. Talk about your sexual needs and help your partner understand your mental barriers to sex. Find forms of foreplay that appeal to both of you. It is also important for you and your partner to understand that there is no 'standard' to how often you should have sex or how you should feel after it.
3. Try to stay away from performance anxiety: Don't let performance anxiety take a toll on your sex life. Studies show that being conscious about their performance in bed leads men to lose their erection, which takes all the pleasure away from intimate moments. Instead of being stressed about your sexual performance, focus on your partner's needs and attend to them for a more pleasurable sex life.
4. Don't make it seem necessary to have sex even if your partner is tired: If you find that stress due to problems at workplace or financial issues is affecting your partner considerably, then respect his/her decision of saying no to sex. Don't pressurise your partner to get intimate just because you want it. Your patience and understanding nature will increase your partner's admiration towards you, in turn leading to a more passionate and happier sex life.

Everyone can understand that men feel very angry and sad when they are diagnosed with erectile dysfunction. However, not many know that if these feelings are not dealt with then you may suffer from depression as well as erectile dysfunction. The statistics agree with this statement that 82% of men who suffer from erectile dysfunction also suffer from depression. The science also agrees with this statement that depression causes chemicals in your brain to get out of balance and this may mean that you have lesser sexual desire and perhaps even impotency. Here is how to diagnose as well as cope with erectile dysfunction and depression.

Diagnosing Erectile Dysfunction and Depression:

Erectile dysfunction is a very common problem as about 50% of men above 50 years of age suffer from it. Therefore, it is crucial to recognize depression when it is part of the problem. Here is how depression is diagnosed when it is known you have erectile dysfunction:

1. Loss of Sexual Desire

2. Erectile dysfunction starts happening after a traumatic event like loss of a job or of a loved one

3. Feelings of stress, anxiety or frustration

4. Pessimistic outlook to life

Coping with Erectile Dysfunction and Depression:

Being unable to deal with erectile dysfunction can cause men to lose their self-esteem, feel angry, anxious and frustrated, or even lose interest in sex altogether. This can threaten their relationships and may even result in depression.

Erectile dysfunction is treatable, but the time before and during treatment may be difficult. Here is some advice to assist you and your partner in getting your sex life back on track.

1. Antidepressants: Antidepressants are used to treat depression, however some antidepressants worsen erectile dysfunction, therefore it is crucial that you explicitly explain your condition to your doctor.

2. Therapy: Therapy is performed by a licensed mental health expert who will identify and help you overcome all the issues which are depressing you.

If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor and ask a free question.