Help? Has this been heard of?

[janey]

I am prone to anxiety and unwanted thoughts that make me feel anxious.
Recently, whenever I think about something that makes me anxious I feel like my clitoris gets tingly as if blood is filling it. It only lasts for a few seconds then goes away.
Has this ever been heard of? Is it because my blood pressure goes up when I think of something anxious? Anyway, it's making me more anxious.

What could be causing this? The thoughts are not sexual at all.

I'm really scared that it means I like my thoughts or something, but I feel disgusted by this!

Please, any help would be nice.

[jessed03]

Hi Janey,

I'm a guy (yeah, hard to believe, despite the picture lol) but I actually read something like this when I was reading through an anxiety book.

By unwanted thoughts, do you mean of an anxious variety (e.g. do I have heart problems?), or of a somewhat disturbing variety (e.g. a thought you have thought, however clearly don't believe)?

[janey]

Thank you SO SO much for replying.

The unwanted thoughts are about something that my mind thinks of, but I clearly don't believe/want it to happen. They give me physical anxiety, like stomach butterflies and pits in my stomach and sometimes nausea. Recently, I've been having the clitoral reaction and that particular thing is the worst regarding my thoughts. Oh yes, and to add to it, this anxiety has even caused a shingles outbreak and I'm only 20!

Also, your picture doesn't look like a female to me. :]

[jessed03]

No problem Janey.

Out of interest, are these thoughts that provoke a reaction sexual in any kind of way?

[janey]

The thoughts are not sexual in nature, so a sexual response shouldn't happen. I don't feel like I want sex when it happens, I just feel a pulse down there when I have intrusive thoughts and sometimes it happens when I'm not particularly thinking of a specific thought, but I feel anxious.

[kbuzz1]

I've heard of anxiety being an over active 'fight or flight' response. When our bodies go into that response there is an increase in adrenaline, heart rate and blood flow to all parts of the body. Like when you get angry, your face gets red from higher blood pressure. I'm not a doctor but I would say you are experiencing an increase in blood pressure like you suspect.

[jessed03]

Ok, I see. I think I have an idea of what's happening. As you know, anxiety is a very weird condition (understatement of the year!). It can cause changes in blood pressure as you mentioned, as well as a flow, oxygen level and a whole host of other stuff.

Chances are, I think it could be one or two things causing it. Probably a combination of both is the likeliest.

The first is it sounds very much like you said. Anxiety can cause it to feel like blood is pulsing through strange parts of your body. I remember I got pulsations in my toe when I had panic attacks. Very strange, as I've never had it since. I wondered why this was, and it made a lot of sense once I found out. As we know, anxiety is all about fight or flight. Often the fight response usually involves dizziness (to prevent blood loss incase cut), it includes excess adrenaline ready to combat an attack, and of course the symptoms of the fight response go on and on.
On the other hand, people often experience the flight tendencies too. They don't have to be either/or. Some notice their symptoms resemble the fight, others the flight. Some find they resemble both. Anyway, the flight aspect, usually involves elevated autonomic nervous system arousal. The increase of blood flow around the body, ready for 'flying' away from attack. This usually means pulsations can be felt in unusual places, as the body readies certain muscle groups. It means that various pressure levels can be present at certain points, and often, the body can confuse this anxious arousal, for a sexual kind of arousal. It then usually realizes it's mistake, when there are no sexual hormones/thoughts present to accompany it.

Part two, is the anxious cause for it. I think part of your post is very important: "I'm really scared that it means I like my thoughts or something, but I feel disgusted by this!"

Anxieties job, more or less, is to frighten us to near death :). It means well, but it's wiring gone bad so to speak. When having intrusive thoughts, one of the terrifying aspects that I remember, is the thought that I secretly wanted these thoughts to come true. Whether sexual, violent, religious, harmful, the thoughts all had that aspect to them. If I wasn't scared of them, they were worthless, and anxiety had failed. A symptom that can often occur with intrusive thoughts, and can occur in the mind even without them, whilst you suffer anxieties surrounding them, is false arousal.

I remember my intrusive thoughts revolved around violence. I would have a thought of violence, and perhaps some time later, I would get this sick arousal feeling in my stomach, similar to what you've described. It felt like butterflies in my stomach too. It felt as if I was about to do something forbidden, that I was excited about. I don't know if you've ever broken a long diet, and brought a large cake, and taken it home, and eaten it. It felt like that. Forbidden, yet very exciting. Of course, this was sickening to me. I didn't want to commit violence!!! I didn't want to, even if I was allowed! And so this then became anxieties next trick, and it was a very good one! It get's you doubting yourself big time. Many sufferers of OCD get reactions like yours when around children, and it horrifies them beyond belief. They become convinced they have a secret attraction to children, and years of horrific suffering and shame can endure, unless they can realize it's a bluff, and get the help they need to overcome that anxiety. Often religious people get an overwhelming arousal when holding the bible, or in church. They have thoughts and urges to commit disrespect towards their religion, and something similar will often occur.

If it's happening still without thoughts, it's quite possible that the mere memory of intrusive thoughts and their meanings, is setting off some sort of 'muscle memory' that the brain has, and triggering a memory of a previous incident, and that's why it's repeating.

Whatever the reason. It's a perfectly normal sensation. Given the circumstances.

It has no meaning at all behind it whatsoever. NONE. EVER You hate these thoughts deep down, thats why you have this response of extreme arousal. The trick is, it isn't a sexual, or excitement arousal, it's arousal through extreme anxiety towards them. A confused body has just interpreted it wrongly, and a fearful subconscious mind has thought far too much about it, and jumped to the wrong conclusion.

As you overcome your anxiety, these intrusive thoughts, and these strange sensations will go. But be prepared for one or two more odd things to crop up along the way. Anxiety won't leave without a fight.

I hope this brings you some comfort :)

[janey]

WOW! Thank you so much for that! I'm going to read it every time I feel bothered by it. :) You've given me something to cling to when I couldn't find anything else about it! I thought that maybe I did just want those thoughts to happen and I felt hopeless.

I REALLY relate to the part where you think you secretly want these thoughts to come true. I suffer from that so much. Sometimes I'm seeking reassurance every 10 minutes asking "Are you sure I just don't secretly want these thoughts to be true or that my subconscious/body wants them to be true?" And of course, the answer is always no.
The weird thing about these thoughts is that they're episodic. I spend a week or two being suffocated by them, then I spend a week feeling quite normal, but then a thought triggers an episode.

I appreciate all the time and effort you spent typing this. You have no idea. You really, truly helped me out big time. I wish I could help you with something!
And also, thank you kbuzz1 for helping as well. :)

[alankay]

Yeah see part of being anxious is that we pay wayyyy too attention to our bodies and overestimate the importance and meaning(if any) of any sensations. Just Ye Olde anxiety......:) Alankay

[jessed03]

I appreciate all the time and effort you spent typing this. You have no idea. You really, truly helped me out big time. I wish I could help you with something!


You've heard of the butterfly effect right?! In 18 months time, when you're feeling much better, you'll probably share the things you learn during this phase of your life with others. One of those people may go on to be a taxi driver, who will one day drive a nurse to a hospital. That nurse may save the life of a chef. That chef, may be so good at his job that he wins an award. On the way to deliver the award, the guy who is due to present it, may take a detour, and get his suit adjusted. The tailor may walk out of his shop to pick up some more needles, and when doing so, may see me just about to walk out infront of an oncoming car, and shout out to warm me, thus saving my life. It always pays to be nice to people....

Cos you just never know :D

[janey]

Oh, but I'm always nice to people. I'm excessively nice. I'm one of those saps who will do anything for anyone, even if it causes me a personal loss. I may have helped you out already then! :D


I was 5 and gave this homeless man a huge coffee can of silver change, my childhood life savings. From that change, he cleaned himself up enough for a job interview. He got the job and saved money for a year to move to London. While on the plane, he helped a lone pregnant woman give birth to a little boy, Thomas. The woman and that once-homeless man started seeing each other and soon enough got married. He served as the father of the boy. Fast forward a little, and this boy is in grade school. The school bus pulls up in wintry weather to his home and honks. Thomas is tying his shoes and hasn't put on his winter attire. He delays the bus. When buses are parked with children presumably getting on and off, cars are not allowed to pass. There's a minor traffic build-up. You are walking to your school and cross the street where this very same bus is stopped. Should Thomas not have prevented that bus, an old lady named Doris would not have seen you and hit you on the slippery road. Not only that, but she's a mean old lady and would have left you there saying to herself that all kids are rotten.

Kay, that was kind of a boring story. And why would a Florida homeless man go to London? I think he'd seriously go to Miami to see the babes.
Maybe I'll help you out one day, though.

[vicky]

I've experienced that two or three times recently and I'm going through an anxiety patch. Although surprisingly its one of my 'symptoms' that didn't worry me.