Highlights of the specific mental health needs among gay and bisexual men.
Contents:
HOCD – HOMOSEXUAL OCD OR THE FEAR OF BEG GAY
Homophobia, culturally produced fear of or prejudice agast homosexuals that sometim manifts self legal rtrictns or, extreme s, bullyg or even vlence agast homosexuals (sometim lled “gay bashg”). The term homophobia was ed the late 1960s and was ed * the fear of gay people *
The chang are associated wh creased visibily of openly gay characters on televisn, the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” and the Supreme Court cisn that legalized same-sex marriage.
For every highly publicized act of vlence toward sexual mori, such as the recent mass shootg at a gay nightclub Orlando, there are many more physil and verbal asslts, attempted asslts, acts of property damage or timidatns which are never reported to thori, let alone publicized by the media.
But when we back up and thk about this aggrsn wh the amework of sexual stigma, we n see that the of antigay vlence n eper and are more plex than a simple “prejudice” explanatn. For example, heterosexuals may fear that pro-gay polici such as the legalizatn of same-sex marriage will make harr to advance their own alternative polil agendas. People who experience homosexual OCD may experience obssns surroundg the uncertaty of their attractn or potential attractn to people of their same genr.
WHAT IS THE FEAR OF GAY PEOPLE?
* the fear of gay people *
In the past, some have ed the term “Homosexual OCD” to refer to them wh Sexual Orientatn OCD that volve doubts or tsive thoughts about attractn to people of the same genr, ntrary to one’s own inty. People who experience homosexual them Sexual Orientatn OCD may experience obssns surroundg the uncertaty of their attractn or potential attractn to people of their same genr.
Homosexual OCD do not mean that someone is aaid of beg attracted to people of the same genr, but rather that they are aaid of the uncertaty they feel about their own inty and sir. Someone wh homosexual them Sexual Orientatn OCD is not necsarily aaid of havg one sexual orientatn or another; rather, their abily to feel sure of their own sexualy and inty signifint distrs. Guilt or shame n pop up for someone wh homosexual OCD if they are a heterosexual relatnship and feel rponsible for potentially wastg their partner’s time or g them grief if they e to the realizatn down the le they are fact gay, lbian, or queer.
Homosexual them Sexual Orientatn OCD n lead people to overanalyze unwanted physil sensatns they experience rponse to stimuli om the same genr, and terpretg this sensatn to be a “sign” that they actually are nial of their sexualy. When people wh fear of beg gay experience tsive thoughts, imag, feelgs, or urg that e distrs, they may engage pulsns, both physil and mental.
The crease the number of visible gay and trans people is sometim treated as a cursy or a e for ncern by crics, but ’s not a surprise. It’s normal. * the fear of gay people *
Where a tly gay person obtas happs and relief the act of revealg their homosexual orientatn, HOCD people who “e out” ntue to doubt their sexualy. As wh tradnal OCD, people who are affected by this ternalized homophobia engage ruals to help them alleviate their anxiety and prove to themselv that they are tly straight.
They might also perform washg ruals if they are around a gay person, may act overtly to assure themselv of their sexual orientatn, or may even blatantly act out agast gay people orr to prove they are straight. Addnally, HOCD sufferers might avoid physil ntact or beg alone wh gay people and may even rry this behavr to shunng same-sex public rtrooms or not eatg public se the food was prepared by a gay person. Durg therapy ssns the patient fac the suatns that trigger their obssns orr to learn how to al wh their ternalized homophobia and rce their fixatn.
If they don’t, they may unsel the person to help them accept their homosexualy which will only aggravate the person’s HOCD symptoms. If HOCD has left you stgglg wh relentls qutns about your sexual inty, HOCD: Everythg You Didn’t Know – A Primer for Unrstandg & Overg Homosexual Obssive Compulsive Disorr, a book by Dr.