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Neurology (Expert Forum)
Brain Damage Fears and OCD
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Brain Damage Fears and OCD
by Michael, Jul 07, 2000 12:00AM
Hi, my name is Michael. I am 20 years old was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder 5 years ago. My obsessions are related to causing damage to my body, especially to my brain. At the moment I am stuck in a never-ending cycle of worry about an incident that happened six months
ago.
In the incident I felt very dizzy and had feelings of unreality for about half an hour. Then I had an unusual pain in my chest and felt like I was dying. The reason I am so worried about this causing brain damage is because the dizziness started after masturbation. I am worried that the dizziness and feelings of unreality are related to some kind of ischemic damage to the brain. Can masturbation twice in day have an effect on the brain especially since I was on Zoloft at the time?
I first saw a doctor six months ago. She says that the chest pain and the dizziness were probably hyperventilation. But how can I be sure that the dizziness was not related to some kind of brain ischemia or damage or that ischemia wasn`t caused by any physiological changes from masturbation? Could the dizziness and depersonalization be from reduced blood flow that could be damaging?
The psychiatrist I am seeing at the moment says that the probability of brain damage is very low and that if he were to do a neuropsychological test and picked up cognitive abnormalities like memory, that it would probably be related to my depression/ocd.
I just feel that there is no way out of this worry. I often have a strong urge to commit suicide because I feel I can`t go through every day with the same depression and the same worry. Why would I only have the feelings of dizziness after masturbation and while I was on Zoloft?
Is brain damage possible in an incident like this and what is the
probability?
Sincerely,
Michael
***@****
ago.
In the incident I felt very dizzy and had feelings of unreality for about half an hour. Then I had an unusual pain in my chest and felt like I was dying. The reason I am so worried about this causing brain damage is because the dizziness started after masturbation. I am worried that the dizziness and feelings of unreality are related to some kind of ischemic damage to the brain. Can masturbation twice in day have an effect on the brain especially since I was on Zoloft at the time?
I first saw a doctor six months ago. She says that the chest pain and the dizziness were probably hyperventilation. But how can I be sure that the dizziness was not related to some kind of brain ischemia or damage or that ischemia wasn`t caused by any physiological changes from masturbation? Could the dizziness and depersonalization be from reduced blood flow that could be damaging?
The psychiatrist I am seeing at the moment says that the probability of brain damage is very low and that if he were to do a neuropsychological test and picked up cognitive abnormalities like memory, that it would probably be related to my depression/ocd.
I just feel that there is no way out of this worry. I often have a strong urge to commit suicide because I feel I can`t go through every day with the same depression and the same worry. Why would I only have the feelings of dizziness after masturbation and while I was on Zoloft?
Is brain damage possible in an incident like this and what is the
probability?
Sincerely,
Michael
***@****
Doctor's Answer
by CCF Neuro[P]MD, RPS, Jul 07, 2000 12:00AM
Dear Michael:
I wouldn't worry about brain damage to masturbation. It would be very, very unlikely to occur. I would agree with the physician that told you that it is likely due to hyperventillation. There is an enity known as exercised induced migraine where some people get headaches and migraines with intercourse or masterbation. In this condition, it is self limiting and will cease within a few months and there is no brain damage. So, I would not worry about brain damage.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro MD
I wouldn't worry about brain damage to masturbation. It would be very, very unlikely to occur. I would agree with the physician that told you that it is likely due to hyperventillation. There is an enity known as exercised induced migraine where some people get headaches and migraines with intercourse or masterbation. In this condition, it is self limiting and will cease within a few months and there is no brain damage. So, I would not worry about brain damage.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro MD
