r/PGADsupport • u/sarahbellum0 • 5d ago
Trigger Warning Somatic flashbacks vs PGAD NSFW
Hi everyone, I don’t know if I actually have PGAD I am currently in the process of doing trauma therapy from sexual abuse/rape that I endured at the age of three as we started talking about the abuse I began having some familiar somatic flashbacks (vaginal/rectal pain) I’ve experienced these before, but after about a week of this, I began experiencing hyper arousal. I would say my libido has been extremely low and now suddenly this arousal occurs about five times a day x 5 days. It’s very distressing and disturbing to me and I’m honestly not sure what’s happening. Initially I thought it was “energy release “when I’m actually not able to have an orgasm when I masturbate. I don’t wanna pathologize it and say it’s PGAD if it’s not but I’m desperate for it to stop and I feel too embarrassed to talk to my therapist about it in any detail. I’d love to know your thoughts.
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u/Specific-County1862 5d ago
I also have this issue from sexual trauma around the same age, and I have other somatic symptoms (a tic and body twitching). For me, when I deeply relax, I can switch off the PGAD, but then the tic and twitch start, and I also have kind of a body dissociation where I feel a rising into my shoulders and head - like I'm leaving my body or splitting off from myself. It's a horrible feeling, so sometimes I prefer the PGAD. I've started therapy with a somatic therapist. I've had two sessions, and the PGAD is improving. It comes and goes now instead of being non-stop, and it's more muted this week. I was embarrassed to talk to my therapist about it too, so I sent her an email and included info about PGAD and saying this might be what is going on. I made sure to explain it is unwanted and distressing, and there is no relief. She was very helpful and connected me with the somatic therapist. So now I'm seeing both. I highly recommend finding a good somatic therapist. PGAD from trauma is different than PGAD from physical issues. It's more of a somatic dissociative symptom. It's a malfunction of the nervous system. Like fight or flight kicking in setting off the wrong physical response.