SI 10: Gary and Norma came to a sexual disorder clinic a few weeks after Norma had attended the funeral of her uncle. At the funeral she suddenly recalled childhood experiences with her uncle that made her think there might be a psychological basis for her sexual problems. Gary and Norma were having sex approximately once every one to two months, and only at Gary’s insistence. Their sexual activity consisted primarily of Gary stimulating Norma to orgasm by manually caressing her genitals while he masturbated himself to orgasm. The couple had discontinued attempts at penile-vaginal intercourse in the recent past because Norma often had spasms of her vagina that made entry of the penis painful and difficult, if not impossible. There were other problems in the marriage. Gary worked long hours and spent much of his free time visiting his widowed mother and doing errands or household chores for her. He also had a compulsive gambling problem, and went to the racetrack three or four times a week. As their income was not large, Gary’s gambling losses caused severe financial problems. Norma had always had a strong aversion to looking at or touching her husband’s penis. During the interview she explained that she had had no idea of the origin of this aversion until her uncle’s recent funeral. At the funeral she was surprised to find herself becoming angry as the eulogy was read. Her uncle had been a world-famous concert musician and was widely respected and admired. As Norma became angrier, she suddenly recalled having been sexually molested by him when she was a child. From the ages of 9–12, her uncle had been her music teacher. The lessons included “teaching her rhythm” by having her caress his penis in time with the beating of the metronome. This repelled her, but she was too frightened to tell her parents about it. She finally refused to continue lessons at age 12, without ever telling her parents why. At some point during her adolescence, she said, she “forgot what he did to me.” Notable Stressors Notable Deviance Notable Dysfunction Notable Distress Notable Dangerousness Diagnostic Impressions Treatment Recommendations
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What were the stressors in the marriage? -Gary's long hours at work and his widowed mother's need for him to do household chores caused financial problems. -Norma's strong aversion to looking at or touching her husband's penis led to difficulties in their sexual Show more…
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