Men with a severely bent member, a condition frequently known as Peyronie’s disease, often experience some male organ health challenges. Men and their doctors usually focus on the physical difficulties and complications of having a substantially bent member, but there can be complications in other areas as well. Perhaps most prominently, men with Peyronie’s disease may find themselves experiencing significant levels of depression. Left unchecked, depression can become a terrible burden.

How bent?

In Peyronie’s disease, the member is severely bent. But just how bent is that? After all, many millions of men have some degree of curvature to their manhood when it is firm, and that’s perfectly normal. There isn’t really a cut-off point for when a bent member becomes Peyronie’s disease. Instead, a diagnosis of Peyronie’s often depends on whether the degree of curvature is such that it impedes or prevents penetrative coupling, or that it causes painful tumescence.

Most of the time, Peyronie’s disease occurs when the member endures trauma. It can be one big trauma (such as being hit in the manhood by a fastball) or it can be numerous smaller traumas (such as over-aggressive handling during partner sensual activity or self-pleasuring). When such trauma occurs, the damaged tissue heals itself by laying down a layer of plaque. But the plaque is not as flexible and pliable as the damaged tissue and cannot stretch in the same way. Thus, when the manhood becomes firm, the undamaged portions extend as they usually do; however, the damaged section stops expanding after a certain point, causing the member to bend in that direction.

Depression

Clearly, the manhood is of great importance to a man; for some men, a great deal of their feelings about themselves and their masculinity relate to the member. A very bent member can make a man feel his equipment is deformed or make him worry about what his partner(s) may think of it. And in some cases, the bending physically prevents the man from engaging in penetrative coupling. All this can lead a man into feelings of depression. One survey of 98 men with Peyronie’s disease found that 48% of them were clinically depressed.

Many people, especially men, have a very difficult time acknowledging depression and therefore have difficulty getting treatment for it. The very best thing that a man with depression can do is to seek help from a professional, such as a psychotherapist or a social worker. A professional can help a man work through the issues causing depression and recommend strategies for dealing with it.

In addition, the following tips can help fight depression:

• Focus on the positive. Identify things that are going well and keep them in focus.

• Socialize. In general, people feel better when they do not isolate themselves.

• Talk about it. Find a trusted, non-judgmental friend or lover and talk about Peyronie’s and why it is bringing about feelings of depression.

• Laugh. Studies prove that laughter really can help alleviate symptoms of depression.

• Watch the diet. Certain food and drink choices can influence depression. Alcohol, for example, can easily worsen depression. On the other hand, foods with omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon and mackerel, and those rich in B vitamins, like leafy green vegetables, can help lighten a person’s mood.

Depression isn’t the only complication of a bent member, of course. Regular use of a first class male organ health crème (health professionals recommend Man1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin) may help to address some of the other issues. For example, male organ skin needs to be as supple and elastic as possible; a crème with vitamin C, which helps promote elasticity in manhood skin, can be a boost in this area. In addition, plaque build-up can sometimes lead to a diminished sensation in the member. A crème with L-carnitine, a neuroprotective ingredient, is better positioned to help restore some of that lost sensitivity.

Visit http://www.menshealthfirst.com for additional information on most common manhood health issues, tips on improving male organ sensitivity and what to do to maintain a healthy member. John Dugan is a professional writer who specializes in men's health issues and is an ongoing contributing writer to numerous websites.