Anyone else deal with compulsively checking if they’re turned on by something? I’ll check a picture like 10 times until I think I feel something or don’t. And it’ll be stupid stuff too, like a dumb ad. I’m trying to resist!!!

Same here. I feel turned on by the stupidest stuff and it’s really scaring me

This is causing me to have a lot of anxiety in terms of sex and relationships I just want it to end

@Immorethanocd Are you seeing anyone about these thoughts?

@TS At the moment, no

@Immorethanocd I'd REALLY reccomend looking for an OCD or Trauma specialist in your area.

That’s good advice! It’s hard for me because I can get turned on by women in certain situations but I do not want to be with one romantically or sexually at all. It’s more just like a porn thing. So it’s been tough, but I’ve been trying super hard to stay calm and follow basically what you outlined above

@Immorethanocd I’ve also started obsessing about not being turned by by gay sex between two men but again, I’m not sure it’s really relevant anymore

@Immorethanocd Your already halfway there! Its It's just that, a porn thing for you. Being able to realize that is really important to being able to move forward. Remember there are MANY porn videos out there that are extremely taboo to some people thatd youd never actually try. Think of it like this. When you watch a slasher film and you enjoy the killer, say Michael Myers, you probably wouldn't associate your liking of him or the film to you possibly being a murderer in the making. Understanding that it's okay to separate yourself from your thoughts is all part of coping and helping heal your OCD.

@TS Hey thanks! I wish I could just get turned on by men in porn and move on! But, all my fantasies revolve around a man with a woman so I’m not too concerned anymore, it is just like what you said

@Immorethanocd Exactly! We are not our thoughts! And you can view your thoughts almost like a cloud. It may show up but just as everything in nature does, it will pass. The key is to not react to the thought. You can acknowledge it, but dont ruminate. I still struggle with OCD but mine has went from questioning if I was somehow attracted to my sister (I'm not lol) to questioning if I'm really transgender (I am and have been for over 3 years now) and now its asking to question if I'm REALLY attracted to guys lol so as you can see, I've managed to beat OCD in certain points but it finds new doubts and ways to bring up insecurity. The key is that I have been learning to separate it from myself. I know myself, my heart and my morals before dealing with OCD. Those dont go away now that OCD has tried to hijack them.

@TS I feel that! It went from Harm OCD to ROCD to fear of pregnancy/disease/natural disasters. Lol I never thought in my wildest dreams my brain would be telling me not liking abs means your gay, but here we are. It’s a wacky thing to have but I know we can both get through it

@Immorethanocd Absolutely! I've been seeing a therapist for it. Starting on the 26th I'll be seeing her every Tuesday. So I'm looking forward to that. I want to get to get results without being medicated but honestly I'm not opposed to medication either as long as I get a positive response from it!

@TS Meds were really good for me, just to even out the waves, so don’t be afraid of the possibility! I’m excited to continue my relationship and stop analyzing every other movement I have and just be with him☺️ things are going to look up

@Immorethanocd Did they lessen your episodes? Give you clarity? What exactly did they do for you?

@TS For me personally, they helped me just stay at a baseline level of calmness. It did lessen the duration of my episodes and it’s definitely easier to manage my symptoms. Like, before I couldn’t even type half the stuff I said above without sobbing, but through medication it helps hamper some of those negative feelings and keep me calm