At first, the changes are small.
You wake up a little more tired than usual.
You need another cup of coffee to get through the afternoon.
The gym starts feeling like another chore.
You tell yourself you'll work out tomorrow.
Then tomorrow turns into next week.
You put on a few pounds.
Your clothes fit differently.
And by the time you get home from work, you barely have enough energy to sit through a movie.
But the part that bothers you most isn't the weight.
Or even the fatigue.
It's what happens when you get into bed.
Your wife moves closer.
And instead of feeling excited, you start thinking about how early you have to wake up tomorrow.
You tell her you're tired.
She understands.
The next time, you say the same thing.
Eventually, she stops asking as often.
And you start wondering whether she's taking it personally.
You still want to be close to her. You just don't feel the same desire you used to.
For some men, the problem goes further.
They notice that erections aren't as reliable.
Sometimes they lose interest halfway through.
Other times, they worry so much about whether they'll perform that it becomes difficult to enjoy the moment.
And the more they think about it, the harder it becomes to relax.
What started as a change in sex drive can become a source of frustration for both partners.
Not because the relationship is necessarily failing.
But because neither person fully understands what's happening.
