Someone who has successfully beated hocd can share their story? Like how did you do it and how long it took?

YES, I'm going through such a hard phase I don't know if I'm taking steps ahead or I'm taking steps back. Like I would like to know what to do I'm lost, and my therapist doesn't even talk about therapy

I’ve recovered from it before and now I’m towards the end of a second episode of it. The first time, my OCD wasn’t as bad. I just talked to my mom about it and she said it was normal to find girls pretty and to want to hang out with them, and as long as I wanted to date boys, then I probably liked boys. She said there was no way to know your sexuality 100% but that nothing I’d said sounded like I was gay. I accepted the marginal uncertainty and felt better. I didn’t have any issues for several years after that. This time round was worse and cumulated with me having a panic attack in a Honda dealership—super fun, right? I was so worried that I was actually gay all along and started overly examining every interaction I’d ever had with the same and opposite sexes. Did I ever like boys in the first place? Had I ever had a crush on a girl? Was I just in denial? What was the difference between wanting to be friends with someone/be around someone and wanting to date them? Those questions were stuck in my head for about a month. I went to a therapist who helped me a lot, and I’m already feeling better. She had me read LGBT blogs, watch TV shows that featured girl-girl intimacy, listen to “I Kissed A Girl and I Liked It” by Katy Perry three times a day, etc. This all desensitized me to my triggers, and made me much less anxious. Once the anxiety disappeared, I realized again that I’m definitely, most likely (I try not to deal in absolutes anymore because that’s just what OCD wants) straight. OCD is just a convincing little bastard sometimes! As hard as it is, you have to expose yourself and stop running away from your triggers. Recovery can happen pretty quickly once you stop fighting and start confronting.

I don’t want to keep assuring you guys that it’s OCD but yes, I experienced all that, too. You just need to expose yourself and stop fighting. And accept the worst case scenario. So what if you’re a lesbian/gay? You’ll live, you’ll learn to deal with it. Whether it’s OCD or actually homosexuality, you’ll be fine. Remembering that helped me a lot too.

@erin174 did you have some kind of attraction loss towards the opposite sex? Your story is very inspiring thank you so much :)

I did a little bit this time around. It was more like every time I was attracted to a guy my brain told me I was making it up

This makes me so anxious because it's like my mind reject the attraction and it makes the feel so real

It felt real for me, too! You just have to expose yourself to your triggers and then you’ll see it for what it truly is. :)

Can I ask you when did you start seeing improvements? Like the first thought that pops out in my head in the morning is this and I'm tired

Honestly, this week! It’s too early for me to say I’m entirely recovered but I hardly ever think or worry about it anymore, and last night I went on a date with a guy and felt normal again! Once I committed to the exposure and really dedicated myself to it, it only took about a week for me to feel somewhat normal again. I went through my exposure exercises faster than I was asked to though.