Author: Mike Hutchison

Q. My friend is trying to quit smoking. He has started having problems getting and maintaining an erection. Could this be related? A. Quitting smoking would not cause him to lose erections, unless perhaps he is suffering from stress or depression that has been aggravated by his efforts to quit. On the contrary, smoking itself is more likely to cause erection problems. Smoking is a major cause of atherosclerosis (clogging of blood vessels), which affects the function of the penis. Most of the men I see in their 40 and 50s with erectile dysfunction are smokers. I insist that they…

Q: My boyfriend is 46, and over the last few years he’s started having trouble maintaining an erection. His doctor says there’s nothing medically wrong and has prescribed Viagra, but he’s nervous about using it. Are there any diet or lifestyle changes he could make that might make the drug less necessary? A: Absolutely. When I was in medical school, impotence (or erectile dysfunction) was often attributed to psychological causes. However, we now know that it’s primarily physiological. For many men, the root issue isn’t in their mind — it’s in their arteries. The Circulatory Connection The arteries in your…

Q. Chronic use of alcohol is often given as a cause for the inability to maintain an erection. If this is the cause in my case, how long would I have to abstain before I could expect to experience an improvement? I am 50 years old. A. Men with chronic high-level alcohol consumption typically experience a decrease in the number of sperm as well as a decrease in sexual drive. Researchers believe that the alcohol lowers the level of the male hormone testosterone, both by decreasing the production of the hormone and by increasing the speed at which the body…

The term “hepatitis” refers to inflammation of the liver – a condition characterised by nausea, malaise and yellowing of the body. This last symptom, which is manifested by jaundice of the skin and icterus of the whites of the eyes, accompanied by darkening of the urine, is due to the liver being unable to process the bile pigment bilirubin, which then accumulates in the body, yellowing the tissues and overflowing into the urine. While there are several viruses that can infect the human liver and cause hepatitis, the most important ones are designated hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.…

There’s plenty of guidance on managing numbers—budgets, balances, interest rates. What’s often missing is help for the emotional impact of debt. If you’re falling behind on payments and feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone—and you’re not “bad with money.” Debt is designed to be seductive and stressful. Understanding the psychology behind it is the first step to taking control. (If you want a primer on why debt hooks us in the first place, see the psychology of debt.) The Vicious Cycle of Debt (and Why It Feels So Heavy) Debt collectors know this cycle well. Before a professional adviser gets involved…

“Happiness is an imaginary condition formerly often attributed by the living to the dead, now usually attributed by adults to children, and children to adults.” —Thomas Szasz, cited in The Quotable Spirit (1986) In therapy, many people arrive because—one way or another—they feel unhappy. When asked what they want from therapy, the answer is often, “to be happy.” Yet Szasz’s quip captures a tricky truth: happiness is slippery. Rarely can we point to the present moment and declare, “I am happy,” full stop. More often we look back and label a period as “a happy time,” only to remember it…

As a men’s psychotherapist, I’ve been asked to speak to the media about sexual addiction more than almost any other topic. That’s always struck me as odd, because the public assumption is that only men become “hooked” on inappropriate sexual activity. In reality, a substantial minority of those who struggle with compulsive sexual behaviors are women. Patterns may differ by gender, but the suffering is similar. That said, this article focuses on men. If you’re a man who thinks you may have a problem with sex, you’re in the right place. What Can Men Get Hooked On? Common problem areas…

A stroke occurs when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked or a blood vessel ruptures. Without oxygen, brain cells begin to die within minutes, which can lead to loss of movement or sensation, difficulties with speech or vision, and—after severe events—loss of consciousness or death. Why men should care Several conditions and habits make stroke more likely: high blood pressure, diabetes, high LDL cholesterol, smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, atrial fibrillation, and advancing age. A family history of cardiovascular disease can add to the risk. The good news: many of these factors are modifiable, and regular physical activity…

Like many middle-aged men, I wrestle with the tug-of-war between the joy of eating and the reality of my waistline. I train regularly, eat plenty of fruit and veg, and keep an eye on saturated fat. Even so, maintaining a healthy weight isn’t an accident—it’s a set of habits that take time and attention. That’s why I have a lot of empathy for clients who want to lose weight. My own weight once crept up “when I wasn’t paying attention,” and it took two years of consistent changes to reverse course. The easy path would’ve been to rationalise the gain…

Mindfulness meditation has gained attention as a supportive practice for mental well-being, including low mood and stress. Below is a straightforward technique you can try at home. If you want context on why mindfulness helps, see our pieces on More Positive Evidence on Mindfulness and Meditation Makes You Happy!. Before you start Step-by-step: Counting the breath Don’t try to control the breath; simply be aware of the in-breath, the out-breath, and the counting. If you get distracted or lose track (very common), acknowledge it kindly and start again from one. That moment of noticing is the practice working. Common challenges…