Why is my girlfriend uncontrollably twitching and spasming?

Defenestrator — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 02:22:10 -0800

My girlfriend uncontrollably twitches and spasms while around me. Possible explanations? (slightly NSFW) It all started a few weeks into our relationship, following the first time we had sex. After we finished, amidst a great deal of excitement, emotion, and built up sexual tension (she didn't climax), her legs began to shake and twitch uncontrollably. She mentioned she didn't really know what was happening, and I was more flattered than anything. They gradually subsided.

From that period on however, throughout the year we've been dating, she has experienced muscle twitches of varying intensity when around me. They used to be single twitches, in the legs, spaced as closely as 5 or 10 seconds apart, but strangely enough they seem to have migrated to her torso after having her legs pinned down during one twitching incident. Recently the single twitches have been interspersed with rapid spasms that almost seem to catch her breath.

She reports that they happen only when focusing on me, and the only way she can stop them is by shifting her focus. Recently they have been precipitated more by "loving" thoughts, although sexual thoughts can do it as well and sometimes she responds to my inquisitions with, "I was thinking about your hand on my arm" or "I was focusing too much on your breathing next to me." They happen most often in intimate situations where we are touching, such as laying on the bed together, although they've happened without any physical contact.

Needless to say I like them. Uncontrollable muscle spasms speak louder than words right? Yet oftentimes they are so uncontrollable that they become a frustrating nuisance to her, and there is understandably some curiosity (and slight concern) as to what the medical basis is. She says they've never happened to her before, and neither her nor I have ever heard of anything like it.

Is this common? Has this happened to anybody else? And, although it doesn't seem it so far, should this be something to be concerned about?

Why are habits so hard to break, even for a moment?

davejay — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 17:32:27 -0800

It's one thing to stop smoking, or stop biting your nails, or stop drinking, altogether -- what I want to know is, why is it sometimes so difficult to stop doing a habitual activity even for a few moments, while trying really hard? Today, another person asked MeFi a question about blowing on food to cool it; that reminded me of a day many years ago, when I was eating gazpacho at a restaurant. No matter how much I tried not to, no matter how hard I fought against it, I couldn't keep myself from blowing on the spoonful of (cold) soup before putting it in my mouth. I failed to resist the temptation three spoonfuls out of every four.

Similarly, someone I know has an annoying physical habit they do when bored; however, if you call their attention to it, they still can't resist doing it. It's not a tick, or a tremor, or something involuntary -- it's a deliberate physical activity they can't resist the temptation to do, like scratching an itch.

Does anyone actually know why these habits are so hard to break, even for a moment, when you're consciously aware you're doing it and actively trying to stop?

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Why is my girlfriend uncontrollably twitching and spasming?

Why are habits so hard to break, even for a moment?