Orgasm disorder leads to suicide

Gretchen Molannen's tragic suicide shows how debilitating the rare sexual disorder called persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD) can be. The 39-year-old took her own life after struggling with the condition for 17 years, reports the Tampa Bay Times. PGAD is characterized by persistent, unwanted genital sensation or arousal that can be devastating for sufferers.

For more on this story, go to the Tampa Bay Times.

According to the Times, Molannen first developed the condition when she was 23-years-old. It felt like a switch was flipped, and she felt sexually aroused -- and it would not stop. "I was terrified," she told the paper. "I couldn't get unaroused. I didn't know what to do."

For more on this story, go to the Tampa Bay Times.

Molannen told the paper that the only temporary relief she got was from hours of masturbation, which she detested because of her religious upbringing. Even then, the agony would only subside for minutes. "You're in so much pain. You're soaking in sweat. Every inch of your body hurts," she said. For more on this story, go to the Tampa Bay Times.

Molannen could not hold down a job and applied for disability this summer, but was eventually rejected. She tried to take her own life several times as she dealt with the disorder. "Think of what it would be like to be like continuously on the verge of sneezing, say, or with a full bladder and nothing to do about it," Dr. Barry Komisaruk, a sexual medicine researcher not involved in her care, told CBSNews.com. For more on this story, go to the Tampa Bay Times.

"I know that God wants more out of my life than having me testing out suicide methods, constantly crying and abusing myself," Molannen had told the Tampa Bay Times. Treatments recommended by doctors did not help. She had a boyfriend who helped her with her finances because she did not work, but physical intimacy would lead to significant pain. For more on this story, go to the Tampa Bay Times.

Sexual medicine researcher Dr. Barry Komisaruk says one of the problems with PGAD is it's not formally recognized by the medical community, and many doctors aren't even aware of it. Without the formal recognition, insurance doesn't cover treatments "because there's no code for PGAD," he said. For more on this story, go to the Tampa Bay Times.

It's unknown how many women have PGAD since many choose not to talk about it out of embarrassment. "Men don't understand it," said Molannen, as reported by the Times, who compared it to an erection that never goes down. "It won't let you calm down. You can't go to sleep. You think you are going to have a heart attack. You think you are going to die." For more on this story, go to the Tampa Bay Times.

Causes of PGAD are unknown, but Dr. Komisaruk theorizes that so-called Tarlov cysts or pressure on the bottom spine that affects the nerves may be a cause. A recent study of a support group of 18 women with PGAD confirmed suggested these causes.

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Gretchen appealed the judge's decision, but her attorneys dropped the case, according to the Times. Before her death, she sent emails to businesses asking for a free MRI to determine if she had the cyst and a nerve scan to check for damage. For more on this story, go to the Tampa Bay Times.

With PGAD, arousal can last for hours, days or even longer, despite attempts to relieve it with sexual activity or orgasm. The condition can be unrelenting, getting in the way of relationships and jobs. For more on this story, go to the Tampa Bay Times.

During the editing process, Molannen reached out to the paper to express her gratitude. "I am flattered that you cared so much to want to help. I just hope this will educate people that this is serious and really exists, and that other women who are suffering in silence will now have the courage to talk to a doctor about it," she wrote. For more on this story, go to the Tampa Bay Times.

Gretchen Molannen took her life on December 1, her boyfriend told the Times. The story "won't help her now," he said. However, women who suffer from PGAD expressed their gratitude for Molannen sharing the story. For more on this story, go to the Tampa Bay Times.