I understand how performance anxiety during sex might lead to losing an erection, but can anxiety also affect ones ability to get or maintain an erection even outside of sexual activity? I'm curious if getting a cortisol test would be helpful.

I’m 26, with a testosterone level of 386 ng/dl, and all other bloodwork came back normal. A psychiatrist diagnosed me with mild anxiety last December. I'm not taking medicine at the moment.

I started experiencing erection issues when I was 22, when I was going through a quarter-life crisis. I’m doing better mentally now aside from experiencing mild anxiety. At the time, I was watching porn and masturbating everyday. One morning, I woke up without morning wood. I initially didn’t think much of it, assuming it was normal, but it persisted for months. At the time, I was living with a toxic family member. After moving out 9 months later, I gained some morning wood again, though I am only about 75% firm on a good morning. I barely get random erections anymore. My erections feel as inflated as a balloon or a raw hot dog.

What confuses me is that I lost two family members when I was 14 and 19, yet I didn’t experience any erection issues during those times.