Is It HOCD or Am I Gay? How to Tell the Difference

Individuals with HOCD are always caught in the chain of doubt, fear and confusion in their sexual orientation especially when there are no prior facts to show transformation in the identity.

This paper will delve into what HOCD is, its symptoms and how people living in it can gain clarity and peace. You are not alone when you suffer intrusive thoughts regarding your sexual orientation, and there is help.

What Is HOCD?

Homosexual Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is known as HOCD. Neither is it gay or straight. Rather, it is sexually obsessive and unwanted thoughts about sex orientation. Such thoughts do not rest on real attraction but on strong fear and doubt.

An example is when a straight person develops a sudden urge to wonder whether he/ she is secretly gay. They might have an over-interpreted interpretation of basic thoughts, feeling and even physical sensation. This pattern of OCD consists of the constant checking of their thoughts, reassurance, or avoidance of some situations.

One should realize that HOCD is not a kind of homophobia. It is also not an indicator that a person is denying his or her sexuality. Rather, it is a mental known problem with invasive thoughts and compulsive behaviour- quite similar to other cases of OCD.

How Does HOCD Start?

In most cases, HOCD begins with one intrusive thought or doubt. this might be brought on by something really little- a scene in a film, a passing suggestion, a remark by someone. As soon as the thought is in the mind it starts off repeating itself. It begins to ask the individual questions such as, what if I am gay and I do not know it or what if I have been deceiving myself these whole years?

The individual fixes on the thought rather than letting the thought pass. They evaluate the past experiences, attempt to be aroused by some specific images, or always make comparison with people. The harder they strive to get a definite answer the more mired they are.

This checking and ruminating preoccupation produce anxiety and hence increased obsessive thoughts. As it draws on, HOCD may become debilitating, muddling and emotionally draining.

Common Symptoms of Homosexual OCD

The symptoms of HOCD depend on an individual, although there are still general patterns that occur. Running mental checks all the time is one of the most common symptoms. The individual can run the old memories again with an aim of finding the evidence that there is a chance that the individual was secretly gay. They may experiment to check how they would react to pictures of the same sex to detect any sensation. Even neutral emotion may cause panic.

Reassurance seeking is another ordinary symptom. Individuals who have HOCD will frequently pose to their friends or the partner questions on the lines of, am I gay? or am I not acting gay? Reading articles or watching videos to persuade them that they are straight may also take hours to them.

There is also the aspect of avoidance that is a large component of HOCD. An individual might not associate with another person of the same sex or engage in discussions touching on the subject of sexuality. In others they even avoid having relationships in the fear that they cannot trust their feelings anymore.

Such habits are not a choice. These are urges which individuals with HOCD engage in to feign their anxiety. The relief is however temporary. The imageries keep flooding back--usually more strongly.

HOCD Is Not About Sexual Identity

Sexual orientation is one of the most misconceived things about Homosexual OCD. This is however a misconception. HOCD is not the exploration of your hidden identity- it is being caught in an OCD loop. The brain will be addicted to the thoughts that something is wrong and continues to seek reassurance that cannot be found.

Individuals that are truly finding themselves sexually often have a sense of clarity with increased time. Conversely, individuals with HOCD are left more perplexed, the harder they look. They do not get it even in their minds. They find more doubt and fear instead.

That is why HOCD should be regarded as an issue of mental health rather than sexuality. The way of understanding the proper diagnosis correctly can lead to changes of life.

Can Someone Be Gay and Still Have HOCD?

Of course, an OCD can be experienced by a gay person, too, yet in such a situation, it must not be related to homosexuality. HOCD corresponds to a behavior with obsessive doubt in the heterosexuality of straight individuals, who in reality were even not attracted to the same sex. In the case of a gay person, OCD could revolve around other concerns such as aggression, pollution, or religion-based anxieties.

When you are doubting your sexual orientation, you ought to consider the kind of thoughts you have. Are they pervasive, non-desirable and nervous-compulsive? Are you one of those people, who feel like they themselves are imprisoned in their minds, unable to get answers and being never satisfied? When such, OCD could be at work.

How Is HOCD Treated?

The positive thing is that HOCD can be treated. As with other forms of OCD, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and a particular method, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), are the most effective forms of treatment. These approaches assist individuals to confront his or her fears without succumbing to obsessions such as checking and seeking reassurances.

The mechanism of ERP is achieved by slowly introducing the thoughts, images, or situations that evoke the anxiety of the person. The trick here is learning not to check, analyse or avoid. With time, the brain begins to realize that the anxiety will go away and the dreaded event does not occur.

In certain situations, it can be expected to trigger the usage of medication, e.g., in SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors). These drugs do not cure OCD; however, they can enhance the effectiveness of the therapy that occurs because they reduce the severity of the thoughts and feelings.

Our mission at OCD-Anxiety.com is to make it easier to understand conditions such as HOCD as well as help overcome them. Whether you live in the United States or anywhere around the globe, our self-help tools as well as our online therapy programs are aimed at ensuring that we offer you the best lines of support.

Why You Shouldn’t Fight the Thoughts

It is understandable to think that one wants to eliminate intrusive thoughts that accompany Homosexual OCD. But the thing is, whenever they are fought against then they tend to strengthen. This is because OCD thrives on dread and opposing.

The more you attempt to build some kind of evidence to your sexuality or to find an appropriate answer the more confused and nervous you feel. Rather, the aim of the therapy is enabling the thoughts to exist but not to grant authority. You are taught how to respond, by saying, maybe I am gay, maybe I am not and go on with it.

This is not a state of mind that means that you deny what you think. It is the matter of embracing uncertainty, as well as turning toward things that really matter in your life.