Gretchen Molannen's suicide spotlights debilitating effects of persistent genital arousal disorder
Gretchen Molannen, 39, was profiled by the Tampa Bay Times on her battle with persistent genital arousal disorder, before she took her own life. / Tampa Bay Times screen grab
The tragic story of Gretchen Molannen's suicide shows how debilitating a sexual disorder can be for sufferers.
Orgasm disorder leads to suicide
Molannen, 39, was found dead of suicide in her home Dec. 1, the Tampa Bay Times reported. She had suffered from the rare sexual disorder called persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD), a condition characterized by spontaneous, unwanted genital sensation and arousal in the absence of sexual stimulation or emotion; the sensations can be unrelenting to sufferers, according to the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
The paper had done a feature on Molannen's struggles that was filmed and published prior to her death.
While some may joke about the idea of persistent orgasms -- according to the Times, one of her doctors even said "I wish my wife had that," -- the disease essentially destroyed her life, resulting in several suicide attempts before her eventual death.
"I know that God wants more out of my life than having me testing out suicide methods, constantly crying and abusing myself," she had told the paper.
Molannen had struggled with PGAD over the past 16 years, according to the Times' profile, when one day at age 23 she felt sexually aroused as if a switch turned on, but it never stopped. The only temporary relief she got was from hours of masturbation, which she detested because of her religious upbringing. Even then, the agony would only subside for minutes.
When she finally got the courage to see a doctor after months of suffering, she was told to take a milk bath or use ice packs, none of which helped. She couldn't hold down a job and was broke, forcing her to apply for disability and relay her struggles in court to a judge.
She had a boyfriend who helped her with her finances, but physical intimacy would lead to significant pain.
"The arousal won't let up. It will not subside. It will not relent. One O-R-G will lead you directly into the horrible intense urge, like you're already next to having another one. So you just have to keep going. I mean, on my worst night I had 50 in a row. I can't even stop to get a drink of water. And you're in so much pain. You're soaking in sweat. Every inch of your body hurts," is how she described her condition weeks after the Aug. 15 hearing.
Her claim was eventually rejected.
With PGAD, arousal can last for hours, days or even longer, despite attempts to relieve it with sexual activity or orgasm. Medications like antidepressants, anticonvulsants, pain blockers -- even botox injections -- are sometimes prescribed but generally have temporary effects if any at all, according to one expert. Sometimes medications make the problem even worse.
"Think of what it would be like to be like continuously on the verge of sneezing, say, or with a full bladder and nothing to do about it," Dr. Barry Komisaruk, a professor of psychology at Rutgers University who is renowned sexual medicine researcher, told CBSNews.com "The women are really tormented by it."
The cause of PGAD is thought to be unknown, with some theorizing psychological, vascular or neurological issues at play.
Komisaruk began researching the disorder after a doctor called him and said his wife was suffering from PGAD. The woman had also been diagnosed with a Tarlov cyst, a rare cyst on the sacral portion at the bottom of the spine. With so little research on the condition -- which was only first characterized in 2001, he said - Komisaruk sought out a support group of women with PGAD. After obtaining MRIs from 18 women in the support group, he saw 12 of them had Tarlov cysts, whereas in the general population, they're only found in 1.2 to 9 percent of people. Some women who did not have cysts appeared to have vertebrae pressing against nerves on the spinal cord, which may have contributed to their condition.
He published his findings in a May issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
He concedes more research is needed since the study only found a link, not a cause, but he's hopeful it could lead to a better understanding of the disease.
Komisaruk says one of the problems with PGAD is a lack of knowledge. Many doctors don't know about it and it's not even recognized by the medical community as an official condition. Therefore any procedures that may potentially reduce the problems are not covered by insurance because there's no code for PGAD. What's more, it's unknown how many women have the condition since many choose not to talk about it out of embarrassment.
"If there was more general knowledge about it, I think more women would discuss it with their doctor," he hopes.
Before the story's launch, Molannen emailed the Tampa Bay Times thanking them for their interest in doing the story.
"I am flattered that you cared so much to want to help. I just hope this will educate people that this is serious and really exists, and that other women who are suffering in silence will now have the courage to talk to a doctor about it," she wrote.
The Tampa Bay Times has more on the story in this video:
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If you think your suffering from Pudendal Nerve Entrapment, Pudendal Neuraliga, or Pudendal Neuropathy, please go to these attached two websites for symptoms and educate yourself.
God Bless,
http://www.pudendalhope.info/node/9
http://www.tipna.org/
I was sent for tests for scans of my ovaries - fine, sent to a nurse for incontinence - err that isn't the problem - I get the urge to go as the whole area is aroused - not because I need to practice pelvic floor exercises or need to reduce the number of times I go to the loo.
The latest insult was my last consultation when some male doctor said I must of suffered from sexual trauma and I was told I'd have difficulty having sex and would need help - well that was a complete an utter load of small round spherical objects and was most degrading and totally not true - he even examined the wrong part of my private area and caused unnecessary pain..
So Winemaster - after trying hormonal therapy - found it was making it worse and was putting me at more risk of side affects and shouldn't of even been prescribed.... I have a 10 yr old and do not want to be sedated, but at the moment the discomfort is so bad it is draining me - but I want to be alive... I've been offered to have the nerve endings numbed - but how do I know which nerve endings that will affect.... more research needs to be done but with such an embarrassing condition little is known about it - even I had to find the information out myself and tell my consultant what was wrong as they kept moving me around departments.
I am not a freak, or a nymphomaniac, I am a Mum who is getting really distressed by the continuous discomfort, the thought of vulnerability, and the isolation of not really being able to tell friends what is wrong.... it's the lack or relief that is distressing.... it doesn't give up and nothing I can do will stop it....
There are growing corruptions of Satanism in the Protestant sectors as ways to control people and different forms of human trafficking are being practiced.
There may be a leagality hidden in the background of this situation against false religious leaders within certin religious sectors who hunt people for sport, espically pretty women who are single and easy to isolate from others. Who would ever guess religious leaders (male and female)would actually be sexual preditors and hunt a woman for decades?
Religion is a very good cover for false leaders to hide under. If there are false leaders, than what actually are they? There is a whole list of realities to contend with.
Unfortunately, the flocks and masses are unaware of what is being used against them.
And the bible does say, My people parish for lack of revelation! The devil does prowl around looking for innocents; but more times than not, he uses actual human agents of darkness to do his dirty work for him.
Someone or a group could have been having a high ole time with this poor soul.
Good luck.
As for doubters, consider that "priapism" is a well-known medical condition and it occurred naturally long before drugs like Viagra increased the risk. Penile and clitoral tissue are roughly the same thing, so if men can have persistent erections that last for hours and are incredibly painful, then clearly women can have excessive sexual arousal, too.
I have a friend from Spain who in the past whipped himself with a leather strap ... Religion can be hell ...........
And if you don't have a lot of money ... what doctors do you have access to!
Seems like a bunch of web feet doctors were involved in this ... too bad!
If you think your suffering from Pudendal Nerve Entrapment, Pudendal Neuraliga, or Pudendal Neuropathy, please go to these attached two websites for symptoms and educate yourself.
God Bless,
http://www.pudendalhope.info/node/9
http://www.tipna.org/
This kind of episode can occur during pregnancy, though not "persistent" in nature, to my knowledge. During my second pregnancy, I would wake up startled from a deep sleep w/an orgasm that had had zero stimulation. It was actually somewhat painful b/c my uterus was already stretching to accommodate a placenta and fetus, and I felt these sharp spasms. I asked my doc about it, and she said she thought it would subside by the second trimester, which it did. Still, it was not pleasant or enjoyable. I can't imagine what this poor woman lived with for all those years.
The sad summary is that a woman took her own life b/c she was afflicted with a debilitating condition that no medical professional knew how to cure. It doesn't matter that it was a "sexual" condition. It's tragic whenever someone resorts to suicide for lack of a cure to his/her medical condition.