Sex Amnesia: The REAL Condition That Inspired My Book
Anyone who’s read the blurb for my new book, A Not So Immaculate Conception, knows about Lacey Winters’ most toe-curling dream ever—the one that wasn’t a dream but a case of sex amnesia. But are you aware that sex-amnesia (or more officially, transient global amnesia caused by sex) is a REAL condition?
Let me stop the naysayers here. I am not referring to cases of nonconsensual sex or trauma that causes a person to lose, or suppress memories. As a strong supporter of the #metoo movement, and for personal reasons I’d rather not discuss, I would NEVER write about such a sensitive topic. So with that said, I guarantee dubious-free content in my book and that all intimacy is 100% consensual. I make this fact very clear.
Now, back to the inspiration. As a registered nurse, I’ve encountered tons of medical conditions, disorders, illnesses, syndromes, etc. You name it, and after 18 years of nursing, chances are I’ve either seen it or heard about it—sex amnesia included.
WHAT TRIGGERED THE BOOK IDEA?
Initially, I had this vague plot concept floating around in my head [along with the other crazy stuff] about a woman getting pregnant and having to go on a hilarious search for the unknown father. I knew I wanted her to be Type A, an avid life-planner, and have this situation be something totally outside of her norm. I just didn’t know how to construct it without delving into dubious content.
Then, it happened. The inspiration. I encountered a woman suffering from missing memory, not a complete loss, but foggy recollections after having intercourse with her spouse. The light bulb went off! A night of mind-blowing sex could be the trigger for Lacey’s blurred memories. But the stakes needed to be higher than just finding the father. So, I threatened her career and forced her into a fake marriage to save it, added an unreliable private investigator, and sent her on a wild, and hilarious journey to find her baby’s daddy.
Thus, a story was born.
WAIT-WHAT IS SEX AMNESIA AND WHAT CAUSES IT?
Transient global amnesia (TGA) is a temporary loss of memory, or a fragmenting of memory, that occurs right after a strenuous activity—such as sex. What makes this happen? No one knows for sure, but there is a theory.
Whenever we strain, such as during an orgasm or a bowel movement or lifting weights, we increase the pressure inside our abdomens. This interferes with the blood flow into the brain, decreasing the oxygen supply to certain parts. One of those parts is the hippocampus, the tape-recorder of the brain, the section that records short-term memory. Lack of blood flow to this area keeps new memories from being recorded and blurs recent ones.
The good news is it is rare, occurring in only 3-5 out of 100,000 people, and it generally happens only once.
For Lacey Winters’… once is all it took.
The even better news is that most people recover quickly, gaining back their memory. But unfortunately, not the recollection of the event that triggered it. And sex is by far the most frequent cause, still.
Now, some factors can predispose a patient to a case of TGA. People who have a history of migraine headaches, especially coital headaches [head pain after orgasms] are most at risk. It makes sense, considering one of the possible causes of migraines is blood flow changes in the brain.
No doubt, experiencing transient global amnesia is scary, for both the patient and their spouse or family. But as terrifying as it is, it does not lead to long-term brain damage. For some, the event is extremely brief, minutes even.
And what about Lacey Winters? What happens to her? Don’t worry, she gets her happy ending.
You can read about it here!
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RESOURCES:
https://www.livescience.com/16488-sex-mind-blowing-amnesia.html
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/04/transient.global.amnesia/index.html
https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/63/2/260
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/headache/how-a-migraine-happens
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