Joel Block - Staying Up

Staying Up

Erectile Fitness Training for Good Sexual Health

Joel Block Ph.D and Harold H. Dawley Ph.D

Published by

Pop Psych Literary, Inc.

Melville, New York 11746

Copyright

Copyright 2013

Joel Block and Harold H. Dawley, Jr.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright holders.

Published in the United States of America

Cover Design by Wellness Institute/Self Help Books, LLC

ISBN 9781617504525

Dedication

We dedicate this book to our fellow men in the hope that as we travel through life we will be able to continue to enjoy sex for as long as we can. To further this goal our book is offered to you so that you can Stay Up. We believe in the value of erectile fitness training and urge you to stay in shape sexually by regularly engaging in it.

JB and HHD

Acknowledgement

We wish to acknowledge our patients and the wisdom we have acquired from them that enabled us to write this book. We also thank Bruce Gilbert, M.D., Ph.D for writing the foreword and sharing his perspective of this book.

JB and HHD

Contents

About The Authors

Joel Block, Ph.D.

Joel is an award-winning psychologistexcellence in couple therapypracticing couple and sex therapy on Long Island, New York. Board Certified in Couple therapy by the American Board of Professional Psychology, Dr. Block is a senior psychologist on the staff of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Medical Center and an Assistant Clinical Professor (Psychology/Psychiatry) at the Hofstra North Shore-LIJ Medical School. For twenty years he was the training supervisor of the Sexuality Center at Long Island-Jewish Medical Center. Dr. Block is the author of over 20 books on Love and Sex, his specialty.

Harold H. Dawley, Jr., Ph.D.

Harold is director of Wellness Institute/Self-Help Books, a digital and print publisher. He spent twenty years on the staff of the New Orleans Veterans Affairs Medical Center where he held clinical faculty appointments in the Department of Pathology at the Louisiana State University Medical School, the Department of Medicine and the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology at Tulane University School of Medicine, and an adjunct faculty appointment in the Department of Allied Sciences at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Recipient of the Outstanding Psychologist of the Year award from the Louisiana Psychological Association and the Distinguished Service Award from the Division of Psychologists in Public Service of the American Psychological Association (APA) and other awards and honors for his clinical, public service and research work, Dr. Dawley was elected a Fellow of the APA. He is a Past President of the APA Division of Psychologists in Public Service and is also a Past President of the National Association of Veterans Affairs Psychologists. He is the author of seven self-help books including Proton Warriors - Surviving Prostate Cancer and the Prostate Cancer Industry.

Foreword

When a man is told he has cancer, and in particular cancer of the prostate, time stops for him. He first deals with his mortality and the impact that this diagnosis might have on him and his family. Once he comes to grips with the diagnosis he then starts the process of seeking a treatment approach that is best for him. A significant concern is the loss of control of his erections and urinary function. In this beautifully written book for men faced with a potential change in their ability to obtain and maintain an erection, Doctors Block and Dawley emphasize the need for these men to take control of their recovery. They deal with these most intimate concerns in an easily readable and entertaining manner. The authors present a practical and understandable overview of male sexual dysfunction and current treatment options. They deal not only with the physical but also the psychological aspects associated with erectile dysfunction.

As a Urologist who has specialized for the past 25 years in male sexual dysfunction, I have had the great pleasure of working with the senior Author, Dr. Joel Block. We have shared many patients who have adored him and made remarkable improvement in their sexual functioneven when the etiology may not have been psychological. His intelligence, compassion and experience make him the consummate expert in the field.

I remember a patient that Dr. Block and I had shared. He was a robust 54-year-old gentleman who presented a year after prostate cancer surgery with concerns over his erections. Although he was able to obtain a fairly normal erection he was not able to maintain the erection with relations. My evaluation confirmed a slow but steady return to normal erectile function. However, on relaying these results to the patient he confided in me that he feared his wife was not being satisfied and that she might look elsewhere. It appeared this fear was delaying recovery and impacting on his erectile function. The couple was then seen by Dr. Block and by using many of the techniques described in this book, was able to regain the closeness and openness they had had earlier in their marriage as well as returning to a satisfying sexual relationship.

What is unique in Doctors Block and Dawleys approach is the way they empower the patient to take charge and give the couple the tools they need to maximize erectile function. This alone would be a reason for making this book a must read for men after prostate surgery. In addition, they also provide a resource for current treatment options for erectile dysfunction.

As you progress through these pages I hope you will be motivated to take charge of your recovery and, in doing so, assure maximum recovery of your sexual function.

Bruce R. Gilbert, M.D., PhD

Professor of Urology

Hofstra North Shore LIJ School of Medicine

Director of Reproductive and Sexual Medicine

The Smith Institute for Urology

North Shore LIJ Health System

Preface

Why This Book Was Written

Erectile dysfunction, or ED as it is frequently called, is a problem many men face. It refers to the ability of a man to maintain an erection sufficient to complete sexual intercourse. While it can occur at any age, it is more common as men age. As men grow older there is a corresponding decline in their ability to obtain and maintain an erection. Erectile dysfunction is also common following the onset of some illnesses and treatments for them. Most men have little understanding of what is involved in their ability to obtain and maintain an erection. It is one of the common aspects of life that men tend to take for granted. It is only after a struggle with ED that they begin to think of about what is involved and what they can do about it.

As two clinical psychologists, we have spent our career dealing with men and women who have had various emotional, behavioral, and medical problems including ED. The senior author, Dr. Block, is a sex therapist with specific expertise in ED and the co-author, Dr. Dawley is a former Veterans Affairs psychologist who has evaluated innumerable men. Both are familiar with how ED can impact a mans quality of life and interfere with his love relationship. It was only after the junior author, Dr. Dawley, received treatment for prostate cancer and personally became aware of erection problems that he realized the true impact of such a problem.

While ED can affect a large number of men, the good news is that there are steps men can take to minimize this problem and in some cases completely overcome it. The first step is to understand normal sexual function and to then see how age, medication, or medical treatment can lead to ED. The second step involves participating in erection fitness training. Dont laugh; but the same principles that apply to maintaining good physical fitness also apply to maintaining good erection fitness, regular exercise and training. The training involves obtaining an erection and engaging in some type of sexual activity until an orgasm is achieved. Erection fitness training means engaging in masturbation when other types of sexual activity are not available.