I don't get groinals a lot, but I do get false feelings which feel very real which is what leads me to anxiety attacks. Today I was playing a game and interacting with ppl of a fandom I'm in, and they were girls and you can guess how I felt (really anxious but I was trying to ignore it) with intrusive thoughts like "you probably like them" it makes me feel sick. Everytime I interact with a girl it feels like I enjoy talking to them bc my thoughts tell me I like them, but I hate hate that feeling, and it also leaves me feeling more confused and anxious bc I keep thinking "what if you do like girls" This makes me think it's real, and I'm just so upset, I feel sick

When my OCD got really bad I would use avoidance as a way to cope with my intrusive thoughts like that. I thought if I didn’t hang out with my friends that were girls then I wouldn’t have those thoughts that made me so uncomfortable. I found that actually putting myself in those uncomfortable situations, letting those thoughts be there without acknowledging them was really helpful. I found that overtime those thoughts faded and I felt more comfortable hanging out with my friends that were girls. That’s not to say that I don’t have bad moments when I want to use avoidance again, but I try my best to face my fears rather than push it away. You got this! Just know you’re not alone and all of us on this app are here to support you on your recovery journey!