A Florida woman who told her story of shame and struggle to a reporter last week committed suicide a day after her video was published.

In the haunting footage, 39-year-old Gretchen Molannen explained that for 16 years she’s been unable to control her level of sexual arousal, leading to extreme anxiety and, she said, persistent masturbation just to achieve a few short moments of relief.

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Speaking to The Tampa Bay Times last week, Molannen explained that she’d been contemplating suicide after being repeatedly denied federal disability benefits. She had no health insurance, and claims her condition was so extreme that she couldn’t hope to work or lead any sort of normal life.

She committed suicide on December 1, one day after her heart wrenching story appeared in the Times.

Speaking to WTSP-TV in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, Jeannie Allen, the founder of a support group for women with Molannen’s disorder, said that all of the members were in shock at the sudden loss. “Everybody’s just devastated and can’t believe this has happened,” she said.

The group is taking donations to have Molanne’s body buried in her parents’ cemetery plot in Michigan. They’re also petitioning the Social Security Administration to officially recognize Persistent Genital Arousal Syndrome as a legitimate cause of disability.

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call 1-800-273-8255 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

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This video is from WTSP-TV in St. Petersburg, broadcast Wednesday, December 6, 2012.

This video is from The Tampa Bay Times, published November 30, 2012.