It's all in the mind

When you bring everything down to simple plumbing, the whole question of erectile dysfunction gets easier to understand. It's all to do with pumps and valves. When the arteries dilate, the blood flows into the penis. As it swells, the pressure shuts off the veins that would drain the blood out and, before you can say Jack Robinson (sometimes say it several times), you have an erection. If the problem is with the plumbing, the little blue pill is effective and dilates the right arteries. And, in the majority of cases, the problem is with the plumbing, so it's easily fixed. Unfortunately, the plumbing system sits in a building and there can be problems with the owner. For the whole thing to work, the owner has to want it to work. He has to want to respond to the sexual stimulation. Erections do not happen by accident. They reflect the mind.

This brings the bad news. If the cause of the erectile dysfunction is psychological, trying to rely on the little blue pill is not only a waste of time, it is also going to add a new layer of performance anxiety to the man's list of problems. The truth is that if a man is seriously depressed or has gone through an extremely stressful situation, there may be no enthusiasm for sex. Now add in all the other possibilities, like there are religious or cultural reasons why the man might find the idea of sex inappropriate or distasteful, and the likelihood of an erection recedes into the distance. Worse, suppose the man has been sexually abused or his first experiences with a woman left his self-confidence shattered. If the mind and the body cannot work together, sexual relationships are not going to be a success.

For once, it's actually more appropriate to talk about love rather than sex which tends to be the more mechanical form. When two people are in love, they are more relaxed and the relationship develops more naturally. There is more trust and fewer inhibitions. When the man is depressed, trust in self is lost. The antidepressants often have impotence as a side effect. So therapy rather than drugs is the better route. Once therapy begin to lift the depression and change attitudes towards sex, there will be a place for viagra. Self-knowledge and understanding can help someone back into a relationship. Assuming that the partner is still willing, an active sex life can be resumed. In its own right, this decision needs to be planned. Performance anxiety needs to be addressed and viagra is a reliable drug to produce the erection once the mind is willing. Not everyone can recover from a depression and still make the relationship work. But once trust begins to return, the chances are good.

Your Credit Report and Financing a Used Car

Before you even start looking for a used car you should determine how you are going to pay for it. Most people put a down payment on a used car and finance the rest. In today's economy it is important to know what your credit score is as lending qualifications have tightened up. Your credit score is a three digit score that is the determining factor in whether you qualify for financing and what percentage rate you will pay.

If you don't already know find out what your credit score is. The three digit score is known as a FICO score. There are three major credit bureaus that assign scores: TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. The score shows the likelihood of your paying back the loan on time. It is based on the length of your credit history, the credit you already have and the number of recent credit applications you have submitted. The average credit score in the United States is 694. The higher the score the lower risk you are to lend to. The scores can range from 300 to 850.

You can get one free credit report per year online, by law, from each of these three bureaus. Go to www.annualcreditreport.com for your free report. There isn't usually a big variance in the scores from the different bureaus. If you get a free report from one agency at a time you can get a free credit report three times a year.

If you have a credit score of 680 or above you should be able to finance your used car with good terms. If your credit score is below 680 you should consider shopping at bad credit car dealers who offer private financing.

You can also take steps to improve your credit score. First, check your credit report for any errors. Look for errors in late payment or unpaid credit. If you find any correct them by contacting the company reporting them. This is the easiest way to improve your credit score.

Paying your bills on time is another important step. One third of your credit score is based on your payment history which includes any late payments and foreclosures. One third of your credit score is based on the total amount of balances you owe versus your total credit limit. It is best to keep your balances to less than 80% of your credit limit on your credit cards to keep your score high for this factor.

Other important factors are a long history of active accounts which shows you are a good credit risk, responsible use of credit showing timely payments on all debt and a low incidence of new credit applications.