Good Evening, I hope everyone is doing well and thank you in advance. Simply put is HOCD real or is it just denial about being gay? Last 3 years I lost about 30 lbs and being called gay everywhere I go, before that people never assumed that I was gay. Now I'm obsessed with this possibility, scared to go anywhere, can't watch sports etc. Should I take the next step and date a guy or seek professional help? Thanks again for any responses they are appreciated.
Seems like dating a guy would be jumping the gun. I haven't seen anything about your attractions, though, which is what sexuality is really about. Do you suffer from OCD? I wouldn't self-diagnose, but it's rare to have OCD about only one thing, ie sexuality, but otherwise nothing else. I'd argue that there are a *lot* more people scared of being gay than there are who have an OCD specific to homosexuality. It's too convenient an excuse, in my opinion.
First, HOCD as a standalone condition is not recognized by anyone credible. OCD, however, is a real, debilitating, and frustrating disorder. If you find yourself having anxiety and uncontrollable obsessive thoughts about things (of which being gay could be one of them), then that is one of the symptoms of OCD, and it would be advisable to see a therapist to get a proper evaluation and diagnosis. On the other hand, if the only concern is constantly thinking about whether or not you are gay, and it isn't so obsessive that it is interfering with daily functioning, that's not OCD, and is likely just a process of trying to figure out who you are. One way you can explore where your sexual attraction lies is by masturbating without porn, and fantasizing, in alternate sessions, about guys and then about giris, and seeing which one is more arousing/exciting to you. That will usually provide a pretty good indicator as to where your true unconscious attractions lie.
there is one simple rule how to recognize whether someone suffers from HOCD or is latent gay... ...(i dont say its 100 percently reliable but it can be helpful): if your thoughts about guys are intrusive, you are disgusted by them and you know you like girls then most probably its HOCD if you enjoy your thoughts about guys secretly, if you are looking forward to those moments of watching pictures of gay guys and think of them but you are anxious because of the fact someone could find out your attraction then you might be gay or bi and are just scared to reveal it to others as i said its just one clue, it may not be applicable to all people
For quite a while I thought I was OCD that made me question myself. I do have OCD and I do have compulsive thoughts that are intrusive which have been a long-standing issue. In my case I really do not think that is what is going on because the thoughts are not disgusting or scary to me. (I'm more scared that I'm straight and making a big deal out of nothing, though that's a little hard to explain.) However either way I think if it is interfering with your life (and it sounds like it is, if you are afraid to go anywhere) then seeking professional help would be a good idea. It's not that a professional will tell you what your orientation is but they can help you understand about OCD and anxiety and other issues that might be going on.
