I've been reading about HF more recently, and i've come to the conclusion that it really isn't even a thing. At least not in the way many people seem to see it anyway. But i will explain my thoughts more and i wonder what others think too maybe?
The penis isn't like most body parts. It's size and shape changes all the time due to blood flow and hormonal responses. It's well known that during times of fear or anxiety the fight/flight response kicks in and the penis will turtle right up. This turtling, from what i understand, is very similar to how most people experience HF. While true fight/flight situations don't occur often in daily life - we all experience all kinds of stress/anxiety all the time which can trigger similar hormonal responses.
The other part of this is a pelvic floor imbalance/tension. A huge percentage of people have some major strength imbalances all throughout the body due to the sedentary, 'sitting down' way we live these days. Most people have no strength or decent mobility in most of their body - and the pelvic floor is no exception. (In fact the pelvis/hips/glutes are usually the tightest, weakest most immobile messed up area of most peoples' bodies).
Put these 2 things together and you have a mixture of too much tension in the PC muscles (and a lot of the body), and a state of stress/tension/anxiety that a lot more people are suffering from in this day and age than even realise. You end up with guys who, for whatever reason, are experiencing stress or anxiety - even if they're not hugely aware of even feeling that way. This automatically causes the fight/flight response. Blood flow to the penis slows right down causing turtling. At the same time most of the muscles in the body - including the PC ones - tighten right up as they do when anxious/stressed. For this to happen to muscles that are already super tight is obviously not good. You'll have these crazy tight, spasming PC muscles trying to lift the penis back up into your lungs!
So now you have a penis with no blood going to it, and some damn tight muscles drawing it in/up too - what's that gonna look/feel like?!
In addition, some people will be a lot more susceptible to these stresses and anxieties than others. Some guys are very laid back and almost emotionally detached. Other guys - particularly maybe the kinds of guys that find themselves on a site devoted to sexual and penis improvement(!) - are probably pretty anxious about these kinds of things. They are also much more tuned into their bodies, but also more emotionally/hormonally responsive in general.
It seems to me that if you put these things together a lot of guys might experience what has become known as Hard Flaccid. For me the dangerous part is in labelling it an 'injury'. I think it's much more likely just the body's natural response to certain situations occurring more often than some guys would like. And in some guys it seems to happen chronically so. That is no reason to label it an injury, cause even more anxiety and tension and speed up the whole vicious cycle even more.
I mean, the penis does change all the time doesn't it? I know mine is damn different if i'm out in the cold, or if i've been for a run/done intense exercise etc - the damn thing disappears! But i believe that's just pretty normal. Add in the muscle tension and stress factors and yes, you might have a small, flaccid yet tense feeling penis. But that doesn't mean it's injured!
This isn't to say it's not an awkward situation for some guys who are already very conscious about the size/fitness of their penis - to then see it turtling and tight/firm when they think it shouldn't be. But calling it an injury sets a whole crazy precedent that it's something that needs to be fixed right away or may cause crazy mounts of harm. All the talk of resting the penis, abstaining for long periods etc - all these will do is increase anxiety and exacerbate the issue.
It can be no coincidence that so many guys with so-called HF have visited docs and urologists to be told they're all fine. And if you google HF there's barely a single genuine medical acknowledgement of it.
If you'd rather not have a turtling, firm little scaredy-penis at times and want to change that, then i'd say there are things to do about it:
- all over body training, mobility, strength etc. Particuarly on the PC/pelvis area. Maybe see a PT of some kind. Some myofascial release etc etc.
- Reverse Kegels!!
- therapy/mindfulness/meditation etc! There's no doubt in my mind a lot of this is psychological more than just physical. And a few quick sessions don't do much good - long term therapy can do phenomenal things for even those who consider themselves pretty well adjusted. It's not about being a crazy, weak person - just the opposite, it's about being fully aware of yourself.
- scrap the supplements/medicinal fixes - even if they help at all (which i doubt) they're papering over the cracks at best.
I'd bet a lot of guys who have suffered from HF have also had Pre-E, delayed-E, ED and other penis/sex related anxieties at times too.
Some people will no doubt say they experience HF and aren't anxious or stressed etc. But to be honest i would doubt that whole heartedly. Why are we all on a site like this is we haven't experienced some kind of anxiety about this stuff. People are in denial about these kinds of feelings all the time, doesn't mean they're not there.
Also, it doesn't need to be anxiety to the level of major attacks; even work related stress will be causing serious muscle tension. Even pure inactivity and lifestyle will cause huge muscle tension too.
Anway, just putting it out there as i hate to see so many guys panicking that they have irreversibly damaged their penises when in fact nothing is wrong with them!
The penis isn't like most body parts. It's size and shape changes all the time due to blood flow and hormonal responses. It's well known that during times of fear or anxiety the fight/flight response kicks in and the penis will turtle right up. This turtling, from what i understand, is very similar to how most people experience HF. While true fight/flight situations don't occur often in daily life - we all experience all kinds of stress/anxiety all the time which can trigger similar hormonal responses.
The other part of this is a pelvic floor imbalance/tension. A huge percentage of people have some major strength imbalances all throughout the body due to the sedentary, 'sitting down' way we live these days. Most people have no strength or decent mobility in most of their body - and the pelvic floor is no exception. (In fact the pelvis/hips/glutes are usually the tightest, weakest most immobile messed up area of most peoples' bodies).
Put these 2 things together and you have a mixture of too much tension in the PC muscles (and a lot of the body), and a state of stress/tension/anxiety that a lot more people are suffering from in this day and age than even realise. You end up with guys who, for whatever reason, are experiencing stress or anxiety - even if they're not hugely aware of even feeling that way. This automatically causes the fight/flight response. Blood flow to the penis slows right down causing turtling. At the same time most of the muscles in the body - including the PC ones - tighten right up as they do when anxious/stressed. For this to happen to muscles that are already super tight is obviously not good. You'll have these crazy tight, spasming PC muscles trying to lift the penis back up into your lungs!
So now you have a penis with no blood going to it, and some damn tight muscles drawing it in/up too - what's that gonna look/feel like?!
In addition, some people will be a lot more susceptible to these stresses and anxieties than others. Some guys are very laid back and almost emotionally detached. Other guys - particularly maybe the kinds of guys that find themselves on a site devoted to sexual and penis improvement(!) - are probably pretty anxious about these kinds of things. They are also much more tuned into their bodies, but also more emotionally/hormonally responsive in general.
It seems to me that if you put these things together a lot of guys might experience what has become known as Hard Flaccid. For me the dangerous part is in labelling it an 'injury'. I think it's much more likely just the body's natural response to certain situations occurring more often than some guys would like. And in some guys it seems to happen chronically so. That is no reason to label it an injury, cause even more anxiety and tension and speed up the whole vicious cycle even more.
I mean, the penis does change all the time doesn't it? I know mine is damn different if i'm out in the cold, or if i've been for a run/done intense exercise etc - the damn thing disappears! But i believe that's just pretty normal. Add in the muscle tension and stress factors and yes, you might have a small, flaccid yet tense feeling penis. But that doesn't mean it's injured!
This isn't to say it's not an awkward situation for some guys who are already very conscious about the size/fitness of their penis - to then see it turtling and tight/firm when they think it shouldn't be. But calling it an injury sets a whole crazy precedent that it's something that needs to be fixed right away or may cause crazy mounts of harm. All the talk of resting the penis, abstaining for long periods etc - all these will do is increase anxiety and exacerbate the issue.
It can be no coincidence that so many guys with so-called HF have visited docs and urologists to be told they're all fine. And if you google HF there's barely a single genuine medical acknowledgement of it.
If you'd rather not have a turtling, firm little scaredy-penis at times and want to change that, then i'd say there are things to do about it:
- all over body training, mobility, strength etc. Particuarly on the PC/pelvis area. Maybe see a PT of some kind. Some myofascial release etc etc.
- Reverse Kegels!!
- therapy/mindfulness/meditation etc! There's no doubt in my mind a lot of this is psychological more than just physical. And a few quick sessions don't do much good - long term therapy can do phenomenal things for even those who consider themselves pretty well adjusted. It's not about being a crazy, weak person - just the opposite, it's about being fully aware of yourself.
- scrap the supplements/medicinal fixes - even if they help at all (which i doubt) they're papering over the cracks at best.
I'd bet a lot of guys who have suffered from HF have also had Pre-E, delayed-E, ED and other penis/sex related anxieties at times too.
Some people will no doubt say they experience HF and aren't anxious or stressed etc. But to be honest i would doubt that whole heartedly. Why are we all on a site like this is we haven't experienced some kind of anxiety about this stuff. People are in denial about these kinds of feelings all the time, doesn't mean they're not there.
Also, it doesn't need to be anxiety to the level of major attacks; even work related stress will be causing serious muscle tension. Even pure inactivity and lifestyle will cause huge muscle tension too.
Anway, just putting it out there as i hate to see so many guys panicking that they have irreversibly damaged their penises when in fact nothing is wrong with them!
Comment