When I was younger, I knew I had O.C.D. before I knew I was G.A.Y. While dealing with liking boys, I did think that maybe having O.C.D. was a precursor to being gay and then thought all gays had O.C.D. It wasn't until I learned that one of my fellow students was gay in the 9th grade and realized that not all gay people were the same. He was totally different than the stereotype I had in my mind and shattered my O.C.D. belief. Hey, I was young.
Gaystarnews.com shared with us a different interpretation of the connection between being gay and having O.C.D.
A woman wonders whether her boyfriend’s recent, anxiety-ridden ‘coming out’ could be a case of OCD, on a recent post for British newspaper the Guardian’s Private Lives section.
The post reads: ‘A few months ago [my boyfriend] told me he has feelings he may be gay. I’d read about types of OCD that can zone in on thoughts about sexuality, and thought it sounded like that. He’d been to a GP a few years before and been given the same diagnosis, but he refused CBT and didn’t take the medication offered. It seems to me that he thinks that the truth is that he is gay, but is supressing that truth and feels anxious and stressed.’
While some commenters were quick to suggest he is indeed gay, or at least bisexual, some argue OCD could really be the source of his anxiety.
User ‘BrightonBloke’ explains: ‘People with OCD confuse thoughts with actions. A non-OCD sufferer might see two men holding hands and briefly think about what being gay is like and forget about it. A person with OCD would respond differently. They would say to themselves, “No-one else has these thoughts, what do they mean about me? The repetitive nature of OCD thoughts deceives the sufferer into believing the thoughts are important.’
‘BrightonBoy’ says he felt the same way, until his ‘mind was filled with homosexual imagery all day long’. Now, however, he dates women. 'No-one wants genuinely gay people to use the OCD label to remain in the closet, but unfortunately, too many OCD sufferers never disclose their sexual orientation obsessions because they fear being misunderstood, or there are those who are given inappropriate and harmful therapy to “help” them come to accept their “latent homosexuality”‘ he says. – gaystarnews.com
What do you think? Is there a connection between O.C.D. and being gay?
Do you think O.C.D. can be so powerful that it could sway someone's sexuality?
Is this a woman grasping at straws to get her boyfriend back?
Has it ever occurred to you
Has it ever occurred to you that OCDs are not linked to one's non-heterosexual sexual orientation but to all the pressures non-heterosexual kids have to face for not being heterosexual when they realise they are not heterosexual?
Homosexuality si perfectly normal and natural, it doesn't cause any propensity to develop OCDs; but the horrible conditions under which non-heterosexual people are born are the real reason for mental problems non-heterosexual people may suffer from.
Blame religion, blame heterosexism and how strongly they are promoted in society for our mental sufferings.
Sometimes people who avoid
Sometimes people who avoid something can develop certain behaviors, and I suppose some could appear to be OCD, but remember, not all obsessive compulsive disorders are the same, and linking any diagnosable mental illness to homosexuality can be dangerous.
A past roommate of mine is
A past roommate of mine is OCD and prior to us living together we became good friends. Maybe a year after moving in he came home one night somewhat drunk and got into bed with me for what was an unexpected and very powerful experience. He'd had thoughts he might be gay- sometimes to an obsession, but I have no doubt he is straight. Regardless, he felt it okay that night to explore whether or not he might be and put it to rest. Along the way, he discovered that at last to a certain extent, those thoughts and feelings have merit. The way I then explained to him is that no matter who we are, sexuality is always within a spectrum and it's nothing to worry about if his is too.