Penis anxiety : Penis enlargement

Many men become anxious about their size of their penis so don’t assume you are the only one. But, whilst most of these men will forget about this there are others who find that they are constantly thinking about this or feel embarrassed about doing so.

However, it is not something to feel ashamed or silly about and it is recognised as a serious concern by the medical profession. If you find that you are anxious or unhappy with the size of your penis then you may have what is called ‘penis anxiety’.

Penis anxiety is a state in which the sufferer is constantly worrying about the size of their penis to the point that it becomes an obsession. They mistakenly believe that they are lacking in this department and are unable to have a normal sexual relationship or function as a ‘proper man’.

For many men, this is seen as a blow to their masculinity which then leas to feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem and an overall lack of self-confidence.

What often happens is that the man starts to avoid situations such as communal changing rooms or showering alongside others after playing sport. They compare themselves to other men and imagine that they will be open to ridicule from their peers. In their eyes they have a smaller penis than their friends and immediately become embarrassed by this.

Contrary to popular belief women are not pre-occupied with the size of a man’s penis. They do not automatically assume that a small penis means poor sexual performance. But anxiety about penis size can affect sexual performance which then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The issue of ‘performance’ is important to many men who see it as a statement of their masculinity. So, a perceived ‘deficiency’ in this area is a blow to their pride and a difficult thing to live with.

The problem of penis comparison

But the problem with this is that every man is different in regard to the size and appearance of their penis. Men either have a short, fat looking penis or a long and what appears to be bigger penis. But appearances can be deceptive. The short, fat type of penis will extend considerably when aroused whereas the long type will have hardly extended at all.

However, men with the shorter, fatter type of penis wrongly assume that they have a smaller penis compared to those men with the longer penis.

Reasons for larger sized penis

There are a variety of reasons as to why one type of penis appears to be bigger than another which includes:

• Excessive growth of pubic hair: this can obscure the penis and make it appear smaller.
• Excessive weight gain: carrying a few too many pounds or being obese can result in ‘abdominal overhang’ which hides the penis.
• Optical illusion: a penis looks smaller when you look down at it as compared to looking at it in a mirror.

Penis size

It is important to realise that there is a difference in size between a stretched, flaccid penis and an erect penis. What appears to be a smaller penis can actually be proportionally larger when erect.

In other words, having a small flaccid penis doesn’tautomatically mean a small erect penis. A small penis functions just as well as a larger one.

An average sized penis measures around 4 inches (flaccid) and 5 to 7 inches when erect.

(Source: NHS choices: can I get my penis enlarged article)

An abnormally sized penis is around 3 inches (erect) or 1.6 inches (flaccid). This is used as a guideline for penis enlargement surgery.

The majority of men have a normal sized penis. Only a very small minority have an abnormally sized penis.

But if you feel that your penis is too small and it is causing you a great deal of distress then penis enlargement surgery is an option.