- Date posted
- 5y ago
- Date posted
- 5y ago
The problem with all thia HOCD stuff is the label. What does it man to be gay to start with? There are as many measures as there are people on earth. First let's get rid of the language prison here. Let's call it a random name - "bleab". "I am worried that I might be bleab". What those that even mean? That I find men attractive. To what degree? - We are starting to get into messy territory here. --- Since it is impossible to classify the various levels and degrees of same sex attraction that makes a person a "bleab" person we need to find another measure: "What do you want"? "Who do YOU want to live with?" "How do YOU want to spend the rest of your life?". Once these questions are answered it is of little importance whether you masturbate to "clean porn" or "unicorn porn", whether you get erections by looking at another bleab, etc. ---- Our self-righteous society loves categories and wants you to identify with one. You don't have too. --- As a person TRULY attracted to both genders (to a degree - cough, non-reassurance) I am a living example of this. I find tons of things interesting but what do I want? What do I want my life to look like? for MY SAKE not for what other people will think. I don't visualize my life with anyone else but my beloved wife. She is the best companion in this journey. There is one thing that OCD will never have the power to make me doubt- and that is the love I feel for her to the point where I was willing to endure unbearable pain so she wouldn't suffer. Now, here it comes. I know it is reassurance but fuck it - I am just gonna give it to you. People truly attracted to their same gender don't agonize over it - even if they are in denial. It is beautifully pleasurable to think about it.
- Date posted
- 5y ago
@FernandoV this was one of the best comments I have ever read on this app! Thank you sooo, so much!!!
- Date posted
- 5y ago
Goddamn those words are truly powerful. That’s probably the best advice I’ve ever heard in HOCD, period.
- Date posted
- 5y ago
FernandoV—my favorite person on this app. Now, if you have wisdom for those of us with existential themes, I’ll take anything you got to offer!
- Date posted
- 5y ago
*four months* my bad
- Date posted
- 5y ago
Sure, what seems to be bothering you? I don't have a lot of personal experience with existential obsessions but let's give it a try.
- Date posted
- 5y ago
Thank you Fernando. Well, most of it has to do with death and life and God, so all the big things. I can’t stop thinking about what happens when we die, if anything. And how can we ever find meaning in life, and why are we even here? And how can I know that I’m living a meaningful, good life? I was/am religious and it has always brought me joy, but I keep questioning whether God exists and checking to see if I believe anymore. I believe doubt is a healthy part of faith, and I know that no one can ever really know if God exists. And I guess at this point I don’t even really care if the religious stuff/God/Ultimate Reality is real or not, I just want the joy and comfort that it used to bring me. The compulsions are mainly mental—ruminating and arguing with myself and reassuring myself that “I still believe” or whatever. Internet research is also a compulsion. I’m working on ERP with a specialist, but this has just been a really hard theme for me to break. Ive struggled with almost all of the regular Pure O themes, and ERP has been helpful for all of them, but the existential stuff has been a lot harder to counter.
- Date posted
- 5y ago
Sorry for not answering before. -- If that is existential OCD then yes. I have had a lot of that too. - I see a key phrase in your message '"I want the joy it used to bring me". There is exactly where the trap is - just as a heroin addict you are after a high that is no longer there. As long as you keep pursuing that high, your suffering will likely keep prolonging. Would it be possible for you to let go of that need and want?
- Date posted
- 5y ago
Thank you for answering, Fernando. I see what you mean—it just makes me sad and keeps me in an ocd loop to think about the things I used to feel. Like, do I wish I could go back to a time when I was sure that heaven was real and not just made up to help humans deal with a fear of death? Of course, and youre right that that keeps me in a loop. But if I can somehow let go of that desire for certainty, how do I sustain a religious practice? Because I still want that in my life because it grounds me and it’s part of my identity and I think parts of it are so beautiful. I just don’t know if any of it is true. I see it as similar to a lot of ROCD thoughts that I’ve struggled with—I don’t know if my love for my husband is real or strong enough, even though I also know that I want to be with him; and what if one day I feel like I don’t want to be with him, etc. But I think with the existential/religious stuff, the consequences of not knowing the answers seem so dire—like questions of life and death that if I don’t figure out, I may be wasting my life. I know that is also probably just OCD winding me up, but I don’t know how to accept uncertainty around questions of life and death.
- Date posted
- 5y ago
A book called 'a year to live' by Stephen Levin helped a lot with that crisis for me. - The journey for that 'truth' you are looking for is long and it comprises our whole existence. It is beautiful to live foundationless, without ground.
- Date posted
- 5y ago
Thank you for the recommendation. I’ll check it out! And thanks for taking the time to respond thoughtfully and wisely.
Related posts
- Date posted
- 21w ago
I don't even know if I should put this here, but I have the greatest girlfriend in the whole world, and I love her very much, but my thoughts keep saying I'm going to hurt her, so I can hurt God and idk what to do, I feel so disgusted and idk what to do, and the worst part is why does some part of me just not even care idk what to do anymore, it's almost like I'm turning into this horrible person and idk what to do, I'm really not sure what to do. I have really been able to be happy I just feel like I don't deserve it and I want to care about people and God and I want to be a good person, but a part of me shuts off my caring nature and idk what to do, I'm really freaking out because it's like IDC and idk what to do I just feel so nasty and scared because why don't I feel like I care. Why does it feel like it's something I wanna do idk, what to do I'm really freaking worried. Also I don't want OCD but a part of me says I need it or I like these thoughts and idk what to do, as im writing this i just feel like laughing and idk what to do, i really judt want jesus to hug me and say everything will be alright, i am such a monster....
- Date posted
- 17w ago
I’m sharing this bc I need advice or even support from anyone who can relate. If you can’t relate and don’t think you’ll say anything helpful or kind pls don’t comment anything… I’ve been struggling with somethings that’s making me question myself. There has been moments while self pleasuring when I get intrusive thoughts, in those moments it feels like I’m enjoying or even self pleasuring myself bc of the thought. Right after I immediately have an anxiety attack and my HEART drops bc it feels terrible I feel like a disgusting monster :( ppl have told me I haven’t done a bad bc of how intense my guilt and panic are but I keep thinking that MAYBE I made a horrible decision in the moment and the guilt is just realising that it’s just wrong this doesn’t make sense to me because I’ve always told myself that I would never act on this in 1 million years and I’ve been known that these things are wrong so I’m just like constantly questioning myself these feelings and exact same situation has happened two times already I even promised myself that I wouldn’t act on anything beforehand and yeah, I still felt like I did act on my thought during my alone time I’m genuinely convinced that I’m a horrible and it’s even got into the point where I don’t wanna be here anymore and I don’t even think this is my OCD :( tbh
- Date posted
- 15w ago
Idk what else to title this. I was watching a film cooper video cuz why not and he mentioned smthn about wall paper customization and icons and stuff and I just kinda had a groinal response followed by the memory of me having my first crush on a woman (my friend at the time) that helped me figure out that I’m bi and I felt kinda intensely for her but that’s cuz a) it was new and b) we were kinda on again off again friends who haven’t spoken in a few years now and I’m over her entirely. It was toxic I think. She was too much like the person who bullied me in elementary school (they were friends as well so my mom made me cut her off which is. Fair. Made me really sad but eh that’s life) I saw her at prom cuz someone brought her. It was nice to see her but yeah that was it. And now I’m mentally comparing what I felt for women in the past (idk intense crush, listening to a lot of gay songs (think she by dodie) dressing semi masc cuz funky, we had nicknames for each other despite not dating or anything) to men (less intense crush but still big crush, I’ve only dated and kissed men so sparks rhere) and now I’m just slightly nauseous and worried that I don’t like men as much as I like women but I think that’s normal for any bi person? To have different levels of attraction to different genders? Idk I feel gross and icky now like I shouldn’t even be thinking about it or her cuz I have a bf. And I do look fondly upon it, now I’m nervous cuz I got more excited about her calling me a specific nickname than I do from my bf calling me honey even at the beginning? Honey felt more traditional and I love it but we do switch around nicknames and it’s always nice, not many butterflies anymore, and sometimes I get anxious when he does lately, if it’s a nickname in Portuguese. Or if he called me a shortened version of my name. What does that mean? I’m nervous now. I was doing half decently today now I’m nauseous again. I’m worried that cuz I liked the nicknames she and I had that means I don’t like the ones my bf and I have and that I just don’t like him or men cuz I’ve been feeling off around him. But I love when he calls me honey, it still feels good when he does it now but no butterflies. Idk what’s wrong with me. Is it even ocd at this point. Even if I do like women slightly more it doesn’t erase that I love my bf. I’m worried I’m leaning too much towards women tho and I’m a lesbian. Idk if my bi cycle is cycling or if I’m just a lesbian entirely cuz I don’t feel much when my bf takes off his shirt, sex feels different, and things feel stale and slow. But maybe that’s cuz I’m checking and comparing. Now I’m anxious fuck. I’m trying not to think about her idk why. I’m worried I still find her attractive or am attracted to her or smthn. She’s in my city. I didn’t care before but now I do. Or if I think about her I’ll think about other women and will only want to have sec with women which not really tbh. I wanna be able to enjoy sec with my bf. It just hasn’t felt right lately cuz I’ve been so depressed and obsessive. I wasn’t obsessing much last night when we had sex but it still didn’t feel passionate. It didn’t feel uncomfortable but I thought it’d be more? Idk. I know it’s normal to not feel him inside me cuz the vagina isn’t very nerved up compared to the clitoris but it felt like more the motions. But tbh. I needed it. Idk I wanted to have sex and it was a nice stress relief. I just didn’t feel butterflies which kinda bummed me out but we’ve been having sex since august so that’s normal. Idk. I haven’t been able to fantasize about sex. The fact that I’m bi makes all of this so confusing. Cuz yes hypothetically I can enjoy the thought of sex with a woman. But I don’t want to rn cuz I’m dating a man. And I can’t fantasize about sex with him cuz I’m getting intrusive thoughts about my friends and I having sex. I have this urge to watch porn cuz it’s been a while but I’m not going to. I’ve cut down a lot on masturbation. Partially cuz this partially cuz I wanna do things with my bf (when I’m mentally ok) but jow my brain is saying “Oo you think all these women are so hot you’re gonna go feral blah blah blah” and yes women are hot but I don’t wanna have sex with a woman. Idk saying women are hot doesn’t bring me anxiety but the thought of sex with one or leaving my bf and saying I’m a lesbian bother me. Cuz I know it’s not true. I love him I know that. I’d be happy if we stayed together. I wouldn’t regret a thing honestly. I like having sex with him. Idc if it’s not like porn or the movies. As long as I’m being pleasured and he’s being pleasured we’re good. That’s what sex is about. I think the loss of butterflies is normal cuz the excitement of like (sorry tmi) fingering and oral eventually wears off right? But still feels good. I don’t feel as excited about intimacy anymore cuz we have done it so often but it still feels nice. But my brain perceives that as me not liking sex with men and therefore I’m gay. No I just don’t feel the need to jump his bones every single time I see him?? Idk the friend thing is bothering me. Idk if I feel any joy behind it. The groinal response really really throws my perception off
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