Sexual Orientation OCD (SO OCD)

Sexual Orientation OCD (SO OCD) can also be referred to as HOCD. It can hugely effect the lives and relationships of those who have it and it can be immensely stressful and dibilitating. For years a person could believe that they belong to one sexual orientation. They could be in a heterosexual relationship for years and then all of a sudden start doubting this wandering instead if they are attracted to the same sex; or they could be in a same sex relationship and all of a sudden start questioning whether they are heterosexual. Like all OCD subtypes there is a 'trigger.' and this will be different for each person. Such triggers might involve peer pressure or opinion, the media (articles written about SO OCD, radio programmes and television programmes or films). Whatever the trigger is it starts a wave of obsessive thoughts that are difficult to control. To reduce the level of anxiety caused by the obsessive thoughts the person might engage in the same sort of compulsions that all people with OCD engage in. They may stop going out to avoid being around their friends. They may stop going to school or college and acting truent. They may stop going to work. They may start avoiding social media and stop listening to the radio or stop watching the television for fear of being triggered by something they see. This explanation of SO OCD is fairly brief and it is important to remember that anyone who has SO OCD can have obsessions and compulsions that are centred around any sexual orientation.