THE CONCEPTUAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PANIC DISORDER AND MALE ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Despite evidence of a relationship between sexual dysfunction and pani c disorder, there have been few clinical reports addressing the nature of the association between these phenomena. We present three case rep orts of men diagnosed with panic disorder with agoraphobia, who presen ted for treatment of erectile problems. In each of the three cases, th e similarity between sensations experienced during sexual arousal and those experienced during panic attacks is noted. The purpose of these case presentations is to stimulate further empirical examination of se x-panic states and to alert practitioners of the possible assessment a nd treatment implications for such individuals. The symptomatic overla p exhibited in these cases is conceptualized from both a psychobiologi cal model of panic disorder and from Barlow's model of sexual dysfunct ion in an effort to provide a theoretical framework to guide future re search and clinical assessment.