Does anyone else feel like the groinal response comes without specific thoughts? I suffer with POCD so sometimes I just see a child or hear someone talking about a pedophile and I’ll instantly feel the groinal and a lot of anxiety. You so often read that the groinal follows an intrusive thought, but for me it’s gone beyond this.
I also get this too, I've suffered with pocd most of my life and that is always one of the hardest parts to get your head around, unfortunately it's because our brains have linked the intrusive thoughts to the groinal response even in the subconscious so even just a word can trigger it
@mmyv1234 I have suffered for almost 10 years so yes, I think you are right. I’m so sorry you experience this but it reassures me to know I’m not alone
I’ll be afraid of things about to go wrong and get the groinal. I think it’s hyper awareness and dissociation for me. Brain damage or my brain being overwhelmed and misfiring as a groinal response before an intrusive thought barely even registers. It’s just a constant state of stress for me. I just find it really difficult to relax when the environment stresses me out so much so the brain misfires as a groinal instead of just an intrusive thought now.
hey, i can only imagine how tough it must be to deal with that groinal response popping up unexpectedly. it sounds really challenging and you're definitely not alone in feeling that anxiety. 🙏 i've been in a similar spot with my ocd and what really helped was "unstuck" (unstuckmyocd.com/try), a free AI OCD therapy tool my therapist recommended. it'll be especially helpful for you because it's like having an OCD therapist in your pocket, providing personalized, step-by-step support when those automatic responses hit. i hate when people promote stuff, but i really think it can help you because it's changed my life. lmk if you have Qs or just want to talk more! <3
Anyone else read about "groinal response" and "arousal non-concordance"? Basically anyone can feel a slight "twinge" of arousal at a random time, but for people with OCD, they immediately latch onto it and think it MEANS something about them. This is how many cases of HOCD, POCD, BOCD, etc begin, I'd imagine. I can have felt something one time 3 years ago and nothing since then, but still be worried it "means" something about me. Or, sometimes that first incident causes repeated intrusive thoughts every time you come in contact with that thing, so it become a self fulfilling prophesy. I can be doing fine for weeks and then suddenly start worrying about one of these again. Anyone else have any experiences similar?
I wanted to see if this is an experience, that others share. I have been in a relationship and for a long time now I have experienced groinal responses in situations where I feel anxiety. For example, if I’m in a classroom and there’s male students around me I may get a groinal response. or if I’m watching a TV show and I find an actor to be attractive and I get an ongoing groinal response. And it’s not that I’m having intrusive thoughts about the person or that I have some sexual attraction, but I simply find them attractive, and I guess I have a fear of finding someone else, except my partner attractive. I have just had a very bad relationship with finding others than my boyfriend, attractive and it’s almost like a fear that I have. When I see some more attractive, especially on TV, it’s almost like my body is conditioned to get that groinal response. Can anyone else relate to this?
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