Can anyone answer this : i see tiktok as a trigger i love watching them but if i see a pretty girl on their it sometimes gives me that pit feeling and sometimes triggers my hocd , i don't know whether to continue watching them as an exposure or delete the app , i feel like i should keep watching them daily but i don't know how exposure therapy works and what to do

yeah like i enjoy watching them it's like a relaxation thing but sometimes it sets it off and makes me feel worse , if you get an answer and remeber please can you let me know

@LucyHOCD i will:)

@elleeen tysm

it's so confusing like i try to continue through and work through my hocd but it sometimes makes it worse but exposing myself to these feelings could help deal with it

@LucyHOCD It sometimes feels really real like I really am gay. I don't know how to cope with this

@lemondew the fact that you are worrying is a sign that it is hocd and you are not gay , gay people most of the time understand that they are gay and are fine with the idea as it is who they are and it's normal to them , hocd does not make you gay as it's causing you anxiety and making you unhappy , accept that you are having these thought as say "it could possibly be true but it's possibly not , i'm going to accept the uncertainty of it and move in because i no the answer in my heart"

@LucyHOCD true!

@LucyHOCD I am so happy you actually said something that differentiates between actual gay people and HOCD sufferers. I'm always worried ill never really find out even though I know what it is. Thank you so much :)

@lemondew I'm gonna take it one step further. If you are gay, then you just found another enjoyable layer to the activity.

@TulipKitten What?! I don't get it...

@lemondew It was said slightly jokingly. If you're gay/bi, you get to see someone you find cute. I don't see the downside to this lol

@TulipKitten I do see the downside for myself. I don't mean to be rude but it's really not how I have always identified myself. I don't have much problem being bi but I'd rather be straight or at the LEAST lean more towards boys (if I'm bi)

@TulipKitten I know it probably seemed rude. My HOCD flared up. I'm sorry

@lemondew A lot of people are wrapped up in the words of identity or the semantic meanings of such. Language is descriptive. The categories were made for *you*, you weren't made for the categories. If nothing fits you, make up a new word.

@TulipKitten it's foreign to what we are and what we no we are it's like (bad example but it's the only one i can think off ) being born a girl but constantly thinking your a boy even though you know your not in your heart , it keeps taunting you day and night making you feel sick because you no it's not true , i don't really see something that's harmful as a little bit of a joke sorry

@TulipKitten If I would create a word I'd say I'm probably a very heterosexual biromantic. That's how I'd probably identify myself if I ever get out of OCD but I'm not set on it

@lucyolivia Wow!! You spoke up

@lucyolivia I say stuff like this not because I want everyone to be gay or anything. But I'm going to ask people to lean into it because if you're straight, leaning into it helps you realize that you're not really gay or bi. Because the more you lean into this, the more you start realizing that it's not going to fit you.

@lemondew And I mean, that's okay if you are. Attraction is honestly extremely fluid and not black and white. The best thing to do to yourself is to let yourself explore that thought or feeling, whether or not you're actually gay.

@TulipKitten I had explored it by trying to be bisexual but I ever fit. Im also aware that yes, sexuality is fluid but I'm afraid of losing an identity I had adopted since a young kid. Even now I try to be biromantic but doesn't sit right with me. I'm sorry for all of this unnecessary argument between us just because I failed to understand a message you were trying to tell :(