At some point in your life, you might experience a very flustering intimate encounter: You’re about to get close with your partner, when all of a sudden they lose their erection, or they can’t get one in the first place. It leaves you unsure of what to do next — do you just keep going because you bought new lacy underwear for this, or do you cancel the evening’s romantic plans entirely? Plus, there’s probably a small voice in your head telling you that you did something wrong, or that this change in mood is your fault. (Let’s clear that up now: it’s obviously not!)

Difficulty keeping an erection sufficient for penetration is referred to as Erectile Dysfunction, or ED for short. Here’s the thing: this is a pretty normal issue, whether it happens just once or numerous times in a row. People of all genders experience difficulty with arousal, and it’s inevitable that this comes up during intimacy. Issues with arousal are unrelated to how passionate your relationship is or how much you love each other — sometimes there’s just no spark for a variety of reasons.

That said, you’re not doomed to figure this out on your own. To help your partner address their ED, it’s crucial to discover the cause of it — so get ready to communicate. Here’s what might be preventing them from getting hard and how to address it.

There are sometimes physical causes at play.

There is a whole host of physical health issues that can lead to ED, explains Dr. Alex Chinks, Boston-based licensed clinical psychologist and intimacy expert. These could include:

Diabetes
High blood pressure
Obesity
Fatigue
Smoking
High cholesterol
Advanced age

ED can even be an early symptom of current or future heart disease, Dr. Chinks says.

The first thing Dr. Chinks asks ED patients is: “When was your last physical?” — in order to rule out these medical causes. “My next question is about alcohol and drug use,” Dr. Chinks continues. “Drinking is the largest culprit of ED in men under the age of 40. And any recreational or prescription drugs can bring about ED as a side effect.”

Maybe it’s all mental.

ED gets a lot more complicated when it comes to psychological causes, because humans are emotional, sensitive, insecure creatures (yes, all of us!). Your significant other might have an image in their mind of how intimacy should look and how they should perform — but when real life doesn’t meet their expectations, this can lead to stress and going limp as a physical reaction. Your partner might also lose an erection due to reasons ranging from anxiety to big life changes. Depression in general can dampen desire and increase the chance that erection loss keeps occurring. (Frustratingly, antidepressants can lower libido and lead to ED as well.)

“I often say that one’s intimate life is a window into their non-intimate lives,” Dr. Chinks says. That means if there’s a lot going on internally, ED and other bedroom-related issues can come as a result.

Or there’s a dysfunction present.

“Our response cycle typically follows a pathway of desire-arousal-excitement-orgasm,” Dr. Chinks says, where erections are a sign of arousal. “If your partner is experiencing low desire (or libido)” — the first step in the process — “then they may not be able to move into the arousal zone.” Sometimes you’re just not in the mood, and that’s OK. But on the chance that there is a deeper issue at play, a doctor’s visit never hurts to figure out what’s going on.

6 ways to deal with ED in a relationship

You can still have a satisfying intimate life when a partner is experiencing ED — we promise. Here are a few strategies to get you there:

Get creative.

Keep in mind that erections are not going to make or break your intimate connection. And for most people with a clitoris, penetration is not even needed for pleasure. Especially if you care a lot about your partner, there are other ways to satisfy each other, and intimacy consists of a whole range of behaviors. Try mutual touch or playing with toys while focusing on other erogenous zones, like the clitoris, anus, or prostate.

Play with it soft.

Marriage and family therapist Brooke Norton says that playing with a soft penis can be enjoyable for everyone. “A soft penis is just that — it doesn’t mean anything about masculinity or being a good lover,” she tells SheKnows. “And we also have hands, mouths, and the rest of our bodies to use for pleasure.” The possibilities are endless, whether there’s an erection present or not.

Take a break.

Dr. Emily Morse, Doctor of Human Sexuality and host of the popular Sex With Emily podcast, recommends a tactic in the same vein. “Try taking a break from penetrative intimacy for a bit — go back to kissing, have him focus on pleasing you, touch each other’s bodies, have a snack — whatever it is, the mood can come back!”

Redefine what intimacy means to you.

If you and your partner are still feeling totally lost about what to do next, there are a few things to try when working past ED. “I often encourage folks to think about what intimacy is about,” Norton says. “Is it really about staying hard? Intimacy is about sharing pleasure and enjoyment, not necessarily about body parts behaving in a particular way. Some of us were taught that there is foreplay and then penetration is the main event.”

Instead, think of every part of a romantic encounter as meaningful. There’s no need to stick to a script when there are so many broad ways to express affection and desire.

Talk to an expert.

Oftentimes, an intimacy therapist will also be able to come up with suggestions and assist with matters of ED. It’s important for a professional to give attention to individual stories and unique circumstances that brought people to the point where things became difficult.

Norton says, “I once worked with a cis, hetero couple who really prioritized penetration, so I asked them to consider using a toy for this purpose. It turned out that he enjoyed using the toy on her so much that he was able to get an erection.”

Be patient and communicate.

Overall, the best way you can help your partner is to be understanding and patient, and to not get upset in any way (remember, this isn’t your fault — or theirs). In our very patriarchal culture, it can feel like a partner’s erection is inherently related to your appearance, attractiveness, and desirability, but that’s not true.

Keep in mind that ED can feel embarrassing and your partner can feel like they’re taking a hit to their self-esteem as well, so just try to be the most supportive person you can. Being able to talk about and work through this together will set you up for an even stronger relationship.