The different types of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affect a small part of society, ranging from 1.1% to 1.8% of the world's population. And, although within these data the so-called Homosexual OCD It is relatively rare, but it is still a problem that should be treated with the help of a mental health professional.
What is homosexual OCD?
To understand what homosexual OCD is, it is necessary to first outline a definition of what it is. obsessive-compulsive disorder.
It is a psychological problem characterized by the constant appearance of thoughts, called obsessionswhich disappear when a certain action is performed or compulsion.
Based on this definition we can establish the bases of homosexual OCD. In this case, the person who suffers from it experiences a constant and obsessive concern about being homosexual. And to calm this concern, he needs to take action to reinforce his heterosexuality.
This is a complex disorder that is difficult to diagnose, as it is easy to confuse it with simple homophobia. Perhaps it is easier to understand it through an example:
Javier is almost thirty and sends us a remarkably interesting question concerned about his sexual orientation.
There is no objective reason why he could be doubting his heterosexuality: he claims that He has always liked girls and who does not feel any type of emotional or sexual attraction towards members of the male gender.
There is only one event that can explain his concern. His younger brother has introduced his boyfriend to the house and the news has made Javier wonder if he might also be homosexual.
Since then, the thought has obsessed him. So much so that feels the constant need to demonstrate his attraction to womenas well as reaffirming their masculinity through behaviors that are rejected by part of their environment.
He has also started to watch pornography starring men only to find that this type of content still does not excite him, a behaviour that has also begun to worry him.
Although he doesn't know how to name what's happening to him, Javier has a textbook homosexual OCD.
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What are its causes?
It is difficult to determine what the specific cause of homosexual OCD is. However, there is one characteristic common to all people who suffer from it: belief that being homosexual is something badeither.
This belief usually has its origin in a homophobic education. It is common for these people to have grown up surrounded by people who taught them that the diversity of sexual orientations was unnatural.
In fact, they usually have a stereotypical conception of homosexuality.
In their minds, gays and lesbians are promiscuous people, who behave based on an excessively feminine or masculine stereotype, and whose mentality is far from that of the person with homosexual OCD.
As if that were not enough, this homophobic upbringing makes them certain: their environment would reject them outright if they were not heterosexual.
This fear of rejection It is what leads them to carry out those compulsive actions that aim to reaffirm their heterosexuality.
Is it possible to treat homosexual OCD?
Many experts believe that obsessive-compulsive disorders cannot be eradicated, although they can be controlled.
Therefore, the goal of treatment for homosexual OCD is not to make the condition disappear completely. The goal is that the obsession becomes manageable enough so that it does not hinder the daily life of those who suffer from it.
A combination of psychological therapy and psychotropic drugs is usually necessary to reduce the effects of this problem. In the field of psychological therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy has proven to be considerably effective in treating this disorder.
Ultimately, this type of therapy is characterized by replacing irrational thoughts with more rational ones, which in turn allow behavior to be modified.
In addition, it is a therapy that can be developed both in person and through online therapy.
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