Hello all, I am a straight male who has recovered from OCD. I suffered from what people call HOCD, among other obsessions. And during my suffering, I was really angry that people on this site were saying that me and my fellow sufferers were actually in denial. What you have said has made me and my friends so anxious that it has made some of us nearly suicidal. It's not something "made up by extremist christians", as I know LGBT people who suffer from sexuality obsessions. I now fully realize with the help of a number of doctors and months of therapy, that I will not be forced into a life style that I don't want to live. It's not a matter of homophobia, I support gay rights and have a number of LGBT friends. Challenge me. Bring it on. I beat OCD, the same obsession some of you claim doesn't exist and others, I know I am not in denial, I suffered from extreme OCD.
"HOCD" = OCD about being gay. Is there a term for wanting-all-the-dishes-to-be-clean OCD? No, and that is for a reason. OCD can have many ways of showing itself. I don't think I'd say it's denial. Not everyone feels the same way, and it could be seen as quite crass to do so. I assure you that most, if not all of us, know that OCD exists. HOCD does not. Being OCD about one's sexual orientation can certainly exist, though. The problem with coining HOCD as a standalone disorder, besides the lack of research, perhaps, would be that it gives leeway to people who are questioning to self-diagnose themselves as such. That's the origin, is it not? From overly and ridiculously religious places and such, as a tool... I'm sure Chip could say more.
I will agree to a certain extent that there is a POSSIBILITY IT EXISTS, and am finally glad someone finally came and told that HOCD did not come from Religious Extremists as there are even homosexuals who become intensively obsessed with their orientation, but there is a lack of evidence supporting it and the fact you made an account on this site JUST for the purpose of exposing, so to speak; the truth of HOCD makes me question if you are. Not all homophobes are gay and in the closet and you can have exposure to homosexuality and still be in denial. So really, you just sound like a troll to me. How do I know this; I am a frequent 4chan user.
I've posted this clarification a bunch of times, so I'll do it once more. HOCD does not exist. It is not a disorder recognized by the DSM-V. Even though it's a terminology issue, HOCD (as a term) IS something made up by religious extremists. It does not exist. However, you CAN be an OCD sufferer who has obsessions/compulsions related to sexual orientation. It is not unheard of. On the other hand, when people come to these forums claiming that they have "HOCD" and have never previously had any OCD-related symptoms, you have to admit that it's a little suspicious. Not impossible, but the odds are more likely that it's denial than actual obsessive behaviour. Nobody is forcing you into a lifestyle you don't want to live. I'm sorry if you or your friends came to this site previously and received/perceived poor advice, but nobody can or should wish that upon you, similarly how nobody who is LGBTQ* should be forced to live a cisgendered, straight life. I congratulate you on your newfound recovery with the help of professionals - as that's exactly what we'd recommend you do around here, since mental health is beyond the scope of our community to provide support/advice in. Though I still fail to see why exactly you've come here to post this thread.
My issue is not whether or not HOCD exists as a term DSM-V, but people on this site like "Chip" who say that it is just denial. I think it's awful to say, because OCD manifests in different ways and sufferers give the different obsessions different names. I believe harm OCD is recognized though in DSM-V. If i'm not mistaken. But I believe it's not recognized quite as much because it's extremely difficult to talk about, because people fear that they will immediately be labeled as gay. Also, not a lot of these doctors are actual sufferers. Also, you wouldn't tell somebody who suffers from Harm-OCD that they are in fact, a psychotic murderer, it's just not true.
Right? I saw this and that muffled sound y'all just heard was my brain exploding against the sides of my skull. ...This looks like a job for Chip.
Let me paint you a picture: We often get people coming here who claim to have unwanted sexual attractions to the same sex, only having started now, and have no prior recollection of obsessive/compulsive behaviour. If you're only having OCD symptoms starting right now and only on that one topic, yes, it could be OCD, but is more likely not. Even OCD as a formal diagnosis requires... 1 month of symptoms, IIRC. Either way, mental health is outside the scope of our forums. We can however help people work through denial, so if there's a possibility that that is what it is, we try and provide support and advice there. Perhaps some people are too extreme in declaring it outright denial and not considering all the possibilities - that happens in a multitude of situations here, not just OCD-related ones. Again, I don't mean to discount your experiences, but I'm not quite sure what it is you're here for - if you're not gay and I'm telling you we (as a community) know that sexual orientation obsessions can exist, what is it you're trying to accomplish with this thread?
I just hope to educate the community because I know this website "spiked" a lot of people I talk to. HOCD isn't a professional/medical term, so I guess you could say that doesn't exist, but the actual obsession that you are a sexual orientation you aren't does.. I just don't want anymore people sent into panic attacks because a LGBTQ was offended by our obsessions. You truly don't know what it's like until you experience it, it is not a matter of homophobia, I assure the LGBT community. Basically, to sum it up for everybody, we're scared because sometimes, like any normal human being, we sometimes have strange sexual thoughts or feelings. These can be fleeting, after all, the kinsey scale says not everyone is 100% gay or straight. But with OCD, we think because we sometimes have these thoughts, we will be eventually forced into a sexual lifestyle that we don't like. It's a complicated concept, but it is true.
Actually, I've never, ever said that HOCD is just denial. I have said that there is no such disorder as HOCD, which is true. It would be like saying there's "hand washing OCD" or "lock checking OCD" or "not stepping on cracks OCD." There's no such thing as any of those, including HOCD. In fact, if you look carefully at the comments that I and others have made in HOCD threads, we've often said "There's no evidence whatsoever that you're gay, and you seem to have other obsessive traits, so you may, in fact, have OCD, and you should get evaluated for it." But on the other side of the coin, there are a lot of people who are gay and having a tough time accepting it, and the HOCD label, which was largely created by the so-called "ex-gay" community, does an enormous disservice to those who are struggling with accepting that they are, in fact, gay. So for someone that has a constellation of symptoms matching OCD, it is possible that one of the obsessions that person may suffer with is concern about his or her sexual orientation. But OCD itself is a pretty uncommon diagnosis (when properly diagnosed by a professional, I mean, not self-diagnosing off the internet), and OCD in which one of the symptoms is an obsessive questioning of sexual orientation is even more rare. So when someone claims OCD and the only symptom they have is obsessive concern about their sexual orientation... that raises a lot of questions, because that particular symptom pattern (OCD focused only on sexual orientation, with no other OCD-related symptoms) is exceptionally-rare-to-nonexistent, and often is an indication that what's going on is a denial of real feelings. The reason I'm so adamant about the accurate use of labels, and the elimination of bullshit and inaccurate labels like HOCD is that it does a huge disservice to those who are genuinely having difficulty accepting themselves. I have no dispute whatsoever that OCD itself exists (though it is relatively rare), and that some people with OCD obsess over their sexual orientation, among other obsessions. But there is no disorder called "HOCD". That's widely acknowledged and accepted by pretty much everyone credible in the psychology and related fields.
"HOCD is a figment of the imagination of the religious crazies who are in denial about the fact they're gay. It is not recognized in the DSM, nor by any reputable association of psychotherapists, psychiatrists, social workers, or counselors. " "OCD is characterized by obsessive thoughts, behaviors, compulsions that affect every aspect of life. HOCD is simply denial wrapped in a label that makes it more acceptable. " He goes on to say that if it is just one obsession alone, it is not OCD, I'm pretty sure that's not true.
Chip's not necessarily saying that you're in denial. He's saying that the label allows people to do that. It's also possible for some to just be obsessing over it, but that's not HOCD. That's OCD about one's sexuality.
Okay, forgive me, I made a false accusation, I guess I don't have any beef with you guys if you agree that sexual obsessions aren't denial, thank you. ---------- Post added 2nd Aug 2013 at 02:41 PM ---------- I'm actually quite happy, and I feel like a bit of a fool for coming out with guns blazing against you guys, I guess my OCD friends, sometimes just twist what people say so it supports their fears. I'm glad this community doesn't disagree with us about our disorder and I will tell my friends that EC doesn't think they are in denial.
No worries. It might be sensible, if you're part of other online communities where this topic is discussed, to let them know that EC isn't denying the existence of OCD
