Sexuality on a continuum

I've been with her for a year and I like her but this was making me anxious. I asked for an explanation more in detail and she that sometimes it was helpful for people in recovery to think of sexuality that way. I'm not sure if she meant to fuel uncertainty to sit with or if she was trying to say she thought I wasn't straight. I'm just confused now

@Hopeforthefuture This is what she said exactly "The last part was about how for acceptance it can be helpful to think of sexuality and sexual orientation as a continuum and some people are far left and some far right and maybe some are a step or two in between but it does not have to be a bad thing or something people do anything about (this can be an ERP script)." Do any of you know what she meant by this? Does it seem like she was just suggesting an exposure or was she saying something about me. I'm so anxious I could cry.

@Hopeforthefuture Actually, that understanding helped me with my sexual orientation OCD many years ago- the continuum thing. I think it just helped me accept that sexuality isn’t a black and white thing and perhaps there are some feelings or other things that fall outside of that “black and white” orientation. It sounded like she answered your question when you asked her- that accepting that viewpoint helps some people in recovery w that theme.

@englerscott Oh okay. I think I may have been misunderstanding her. I think maybe I was taking it as "she thinks you aren't straight" instead of what you are trying to say. And I thought maybe she was trying to say "I think maybe you were once not straight even if you think you are now" or something. 😔 either way its been an anxiety ridden day and I feel like I just hit a setback. If you have any other tips that helped you with this theme please, share! I can use all the help I can get!

@englerscott Were you able to move on from soocd/hocd?

After that she said "my point being that humans are complicated and maybe none of us can be certain"

@Hopeforthefuture Do you think she was suggesting an ERP idea? I don't know what to do.

Sorry to bother. I'm just trying to figure out what her intentions might have been

@Hopeforthefuture Do you think that would be a good exposure for you??

@englerscott It probably would be. Any ideas on how I could structure this? I'm super bad at structuring them myself!

@Hopeforthefuture Oh not a bother, I understand! It sounds like maybe she was trying to be helpful and also not reassure you (aka: saying "none of us can be certain ") which is why you feel anxious because it sounds like she triggered an exposure just in saying that. Maybe a helpful structured exposure could be to simply write out "my therapist may or may not think I'm straight" or "my sexuality may not be certain"... I find that writing is helpful but you could say it out loud or text it to yourself or whatever might give you a good exposure?

@Jamie L Okay. Thank you! I really want to get better so I'll try this! It's so hard but I believe I can get better. I just hope I'm right

@Hopeforthefuture You can get better! For sure. I have gotten better and some days are harder than others, but it's much better than it was last year before I started. I feel way more capable. Good luck 👍!

@Hopeforthefuture Let your therapist help you with that part - I know for me what I needed to do was create a hierarchy of things that distress me. Therapist helps w the rest

@englerscott Yes mine as well, she helps me kind of grade the severity and comes up with ideas that I can use or mold to fit the obsession

Yes.