Derek S. Identifying and overcoming pelvic pain

This question was submitted via our Ask a TMS Therapist program. To submit your question, click here.

Question

I've have had severe urethral pain for 28 months. Nothing had been found bacterially or structurally with penis or urinary tract. Can this be TMS? have trouble getting my head around the possibility given proximity to oral sex being performed on me by a stranger but drs insist pain is unrelated to that event. Feedback would be appreciated.

 

Answer

Thanks for your question.

Urethral pain can absolutely be TMS, especially considering that you had sexual contact with a stranger prior to the onset of the symptom.

TMS often will piggyback on an event that causes uncertainty. In this case, there may have been a fear that you had contracted an STD and, boom, symptoms consistent with that very issue appear. It is similar to getting into a minor car accident and developing back or neck pain even if there was no structural or tissue damage.

By the time that all structural and bacterial causes are ruled out, it has already taken on a life of its own and the symptoms and fear get caught in a self-perpetuating cycle.

Work toward finding more confidence and assertiveness approaching this from a TMS perspective. This can make a huge difference in the arc of your recovery.

---

Any advice or information provided here does not and is not intended to be and should not be taken to constitute specific professional or psychological advice given to any group or individual. This general advice is provided with the guidance that any person who believes that they may be suffering from any medical, psychological, or mindbody condition should seek professional advice from a qualified, registered/licensed physician and/or psychotherapist who has the opportunity to meet with the patient, take a history, possibly examine the patient, review medical and/or mental health records, and provide specific advice and/or treatment based on their experience diagnosing and treating that condition or range of conditions. No general advice provided here should be taken to replace or in any way contradict advice provided by a qualified, registered/licensed physician and/or psychotherapist who has the opportunity to meet with the patient, take a history, possibly examine the patient, review medical and/or mental health records, and provide specific advice and/or treatment based on their experience diagnosing and treating that condition or range of conditions.

The general advice and information provided in this format is for informational purposes only and cannot serve as a way to screen for, identify, or diagnose depression, anxiety, or other psychological conditions. If you feel you may be suffering from any of these conditions please contact a licensed mental health practitioner for an in-person consultation.

Questions may be edited for brevity and/or readability.

 

I will chime in with a resounding YES. I have bouts of pelvic/bladder inflammation when I am sexually active with a new person. Especially if it's a new or rocky relationship. When I feel vulnerable with a partner I get symptoms.

 

Very well said Derek! TMS in a nutshell.

Cheers,
tt