OCD and TMS

J

Jane.Fearless

New Member
waveaHello,

I'm going through a development and hope to get your advice because I have some questions because I don't understand some things.

I have an anxiety disorder and OCD. one day I got physical arousal for no reason and googled and came up with the term PGAD. I've been stuck since then. :(

It feels a little bit like my TMS is different than most. maybe I'm wrong, that's why I post in the forum.

I just had a physical symptom, googled and got more and more symptoms because I read more and more that it was obsessive to read and was inquiring came very late (after 6 weeks).
my problem is, actually (!!!) it is clear that my anxiety disorder and OCD triggered all the physical symptoms.

They only stay when I am not consciously thinking about what scares me. I also notice how I always have very intrusive thoughts as soon as I feel a little better. then I start scanning my vulva / pelvic area, getting skeptical about whether it is really psychological, panicking, starting to google, reading horrible stories from those affected and that is chasing me.

the symptoms change a lot, it depends on what I'm more afraid of. if I am afraid that the arousal is in my clitoris it is there, if I am afraid that it is deep in my abdomen it will come there.

it is a constant skeptic in my head. has a connection with TMS and OCD - actually I already know the answer, just that I ask and that it torments me at the moment is an answer. :arghh:

I would still be happy about exchanges and tips on how I could handle it better.
 
Jane.Fearless said:
waveaHello,

I'm going through a development and hope to get your advice because I have some questions because I don't understand some things.

I have an anxiety disorder and OCD. one day I got physical arousal for no reason and googled and came up with the term PGAD. I've been stuck since then. :(

It feels a little bit like my TMS is different than most. maybe I'm wrong, that's why I post in the forum.

I just had a physical symptom, googled and got more and more symptoms because I read more and more that it was obsessive to read and was inquiring came very late (after 6 weeks).
my problem is, actually (!!!) it is clear that my anxiety disorder and OCD triggered all the physical symptoms.

They only stay when I am not consciously thinking about what scares me. I also notice how I always have very intrusive thoughts as soon as I feel a little better. then I start scanning my vulva / pelvic area, getting skeptical about whether it is really psychological, panicking, starting to google, reading horrible stories from those affected and that is chasing me.

the symptoms change a lot, it depends on what I'm more afraid of. if I am afraid that the arousal is in my clitoris it is there, if I am afraid that it is deep in my abdomen it will come there.

it is a constant skeptic in my head. has a connection with TMS and OCD - actually I already know the answer, just that I ask and that it torments me at the moment is an answer. :arghh:

I would still be happy about exchanges and tips on how I could handle it better.
Click to expand...

Hi Jane!

I have OCD and also suffered with pudendal neuralgia/PGAD about 7 years ago. I had this for about a year and then it eventually went away. It returned in December last year at a time when I was highly stressed about my mums illness and various other things and I was obviously devastated that it had returned! It’s finally on its way out now and I’m less and less bothered by it. I still sometimes get pain but its minimal, it doesn’t stick around for long and I don’t feel afraid of it anymore.

My OCD is also under control at the moment but this also flares up now and again. What I’ve noticed is that I either have one or the other, I never have pain and OCD at the same time...I think this is a giveaway that it’s all TMS.

What I suggest is getting distracted. Find something else that gets your attention. I play the piano and this was a good distraction for me. Soon enough you will realise that you’ve gone 10 minutes without any pain, then it’ll turn into an hour, then a day and so on.

It will go eventually, just try to bring your stress levels down somehow (much easier said than done I know). Find something that you love doing. I hope this helps and good luck!
 
Thank you for your reply! it's good to know I'm not alone with this form of TMS!

Thank God I have no pain but a feeling of sexual excitement and some other sensations.

I notice when I read hopeful things about or Treatments for Pgad , the symptoms go away completely for a short time.

when I am really distracted (a good conversation with friends) I also notice that I have no symptoms

wehn I watch an interesting TV series that go Symptoms sometimes completely gone.

These are things that help me and moments when I have no symptoms I write down to recognize the connection with the psyche.
 
Jane.Fearless said:
Thank you for your reply! it's good to know I'm not alone with this form of TMS!

Thank God I have no pain but a feeling of sexual excitement and some other sensations.

I notice when I read hopeful things about or Treatments for Pgad , the symptoms go away completely for a short time.

when I am really distracted (a good conversation with friends) I also notice that I have no symptoms

wehn I watch an interesting TV series that go Symptoms sometimes completely gone.

These are things that help me and moments when I have no symptoms I write down to recognize the connection with the psyche.
Click to expand...

You are definitely not alone that’s for sure :) The fact that your feelings of arousal come and go is a great sign, it’s not permanent and goes away when distracted.

have you tried CBT for your OCD? This helped me and I learnt lots of useful tools for when the intrusive thoughts come.
 
Havehope said:
My OCD is also under control at the moment but this also flares up now and again. What I’ve noticed is that I either have one or the other, I never have pain and OCD at the same time...I think this is a giveaway that it’s all TMS!
Click to expand...

I watched my thoughts for a few days and watched the same thing! I never have symptoms and OCD at the same time! every time the symptoms go back there are intrusive thoughts about PGAD that bring it back and when I have symptoms then the thoughts don't come up! Thanks for your feedback, so I could see for myself that it happens to me too!

every time I have no symptoms I get a great panic, I am afraid of why I am better and afraid that it will come back worse, it is really out of control!

currently i am not doing therapy i have been in therapy for many years but unfortunately the success was only short, i think i have to learn to cope alone to heal if that makes sense.
 
o_O one thing that struck me: if I find something, for example a doctor or a treatment for Pgad that was successful, or if I read successful stories about Pgad (which are not TMS), I feel better!
my symptoms become MUCH milder or Go away and my thoughts become clearer.
It always lasts until I become skeptical and again I feel the fear and hopelessness that nobody can help me.

For me it is a sign of TMS! I am 100% sure if I read today that "Pgad and Pudendale Neuralgia is curable" my symptoms would go away.
Whenever I imagine a message like this I feel better!

I have now bought a book about TMS - the Great Pain Deception so that I can start making progress.
 
I have been diagnosed by a Doctor with OCD even though I was No longer having the episodes. ... Right as my pain went away

For all intents and purposes TMS IS OCD. I always describe it to people as 'OCD of the Body'. Just like when I had intrusive thoughts that drove me near crazy, it's outside of my volition, seems VERY 'real' and of paramount importance for my attention.

In fact, as I'm sure you guys' have noticed, the attention we give to the symptom is identical to the attention we gave to 'Binding the anxiety' rituals,cleanings,etc that we go through during OCD episodes.

Sarno identified OCD as analogous to TMS in Healing Back Pain. That comparison was one of the numerous 'aha' moments I had... Subsequently I have used the strategies that a doc gave me to fend off OCD episodes ON TMS symptoms to great effect.

STOP therapy.

I think if your good at googling you can this study online. It was My Doc's Graduate work at UCLA. One group of OCDers was given SSRI's, the other was told as they went through their day, if they found themselves drifting into the OCD circle, to say out loud "STOP". They were immediately to go do another unrelated task. The PET scans of the brains of both groups were normalized...one through meds, the other through therapy.

The effective principle is to 'scratch the record' and make the record unplayable so it will stop

I started doing it on my off days from work and it WORKED. (doesn't work to well when someone is paying you to do something in public LOL)

obviously I have never had the malady you speak of, But I have had lots of peculiar things happen that were not pain but definitely there to distract me....and the obsession and fear stunk of OCD... and Thank God for Sarno and co. for saving us off that carousel, huh?

peace
 
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