- Date posted
- 3y ago
- Date posted
- 3y ago
Omg this is me too!! You have LITERALLY described my life and situation, and I totally feel you. The good news is, there is stuff out there on this (I have done so much research and am finding new pieces every so often). There is an article on iocdf.org about double invalidation by Elle Warren (insta, @griefgurlwithocd), one on men's health, published 5 days ago, a post with helpful comments on @kimberleyquinlan's insta, you have to scroll on her page to find her post on bisexuality and OCD, and just today I found the account @notdefining on Insta, where Mark talks about this exact experience in posts whilst being in a 'hetero' marriage. I guess I've been seeking assurance in some ways, but mostly I need this community as it's such a specific sub-sub type of OCD so I totally understand the absolute anguish it causes you, as it eats me up too. I am so happy in my relationship with my boyfriend but I have debilitating thoughts of should I be with a woman on paper, am I attracted to women more, etc, and this spirals me into a habit of checking online, catching myself checking my attraction to men/women in different ways to calculate my attraction levels, reassuring myself etc. I hope this helps. You and I are not alone!
- Date posted
- 3y ago
Omg! Thank you so much for responding! It makes me feel so much better and less alone. I will dec check out those resources. I have been going through this on and off for about 2 years now and it's taken a big toll on me and the intimacy in my relationship cause I do all those same kinds of compulsions you mentioned, checking attraction levels, comparing etc... but I think the worst compulsions that come with it are comparing to all of the comphet information and "signs of being gay" sort of media I see online all the time. It has totally warped my perception of my attraction to men to the point where I am always compulsively checking and overthinking! Are you doing work with an ocd therapist?
- Date posted
- 3y ago
@Whatabtme In addition, I realized kinda later on that I was bi, not until I was in college, so that aspect of things always intensifies my ocd more. I realized well before I met my current boyfriend but the fact that I was already like 19 or 20 when I came out as bi always makes me super double down on the ocd thoughts that I could realize late in the game that I am gay too
- Date posted
- 3y ago
I'm so glad. When I saw your post I just wanted to help because I truly understand, and I've been seeking out others in the same boat to feel less alone. Those resources are great so definitely do in your own time. I know how all consuming it can get with the mental checks! I am seeing a bisexually affirmed therapist based in the UK as I am from there. I've just started but she's amazing and she's called @bi.affirmativetherapist or similar on Insta. She understands OCD and anxiety and loosely diagnosed me but also specialises in working with bisexual people and sexually compulsive behaviour so I thought that would be helpful as it's not a straight out OCD issue if you get me? But nocd do provide therapists who cover all themes too. Same here with the lateness of things. I'm 30 and only last year was I owning my bisexuality and knowing it fully. I had years where I thought I was gay or more gay than straight, whatever that means, but romantically pursued guys and just pushed it to the back of my mind. For me so much has been about control and being 'fine' and pressure. Since I have been free and open with my partner and fully myself the OCD has hit, because I'm finally accepting and happy, so it's going after this stuff and causing doubt. I guess I'd say with your worries is that right now, you say you are not gay. Right now, you are happy and choose to be with your partner. Future proofing is useless. But also, sexuality is a spectrum!! Everyone is on that somewhere and we are making it easier for the next generations to be less black and white, because that is not truthful to the population, and it's been proven in many studies and stats. My bf after speaking to me was like, I'm probs not 100% straight. I don't think many people are 100% gay or straight over a lifetime, most are conditioned to think they should be. Lisa Diamond has done amazing research on the fluidity of all sexualities. I've spent hours looking at all the research to keep teaching myself this, so I still struggle, but as soon as we stop obsessing over labelling and being one specific thing we can actually breathe in the acceptance. Easier said than done ofc!
- Date posted
- 3y ago
Thank you so much for sharing. I really appreciate the chance to connect and bridge the gap of loneliness with our specific circumstances. I've been doing erp therapy with nocd to address my obsessions around this, and my boyfriend actually has ocd himself so I'm very open with him about my struggles. Idk what I'd do if I couldn't talk to him about it, but it definitely makes things a bit more bearable. But you're right! Ultimately the obsessing over labeling and specifics gets in the way of acceptance and i think that's what's fueling my ocd lately! Easier said than done like you said. Thank you thank you again for sharing. I've felt so alone for so long. <3
- Date posted
- 3y ago
@Whatabtme Thanks so much for opening up about it! That's great you've been doing ERP. I'm starting CBT soon, and may try ERP with nocd sometime as well. That is so so good you can communicate openly with him - I think it's the most important thing you can do. My boyfriend knows about everything and even though it felt hard it was the best thing I've done, and he is so madly supportive. I also did a scary thing and told my parents today, who literally couldn't have less of an idea of OCD, but they've been great considering. Being open really is key! I'm always here to chat and I hope you find more solace in others experiencing the same thing! <3
- Date posted
- 3y ago
Comment deleted by user
- Date posted
- 3y ago
Yes, but people often give reassurance to people with soocd framed as "the thoughts aren't true that you like X gender" and when it's framed like that, it is actually exclusive of bisexual and pansexual people
- Date posted
- 3y ago
So long sorry! But I really feel strongly about it, and I'm doing better after a therapy session this afternoon.
- Date posted
- 2y ago
I also wanna add that I grew up loving men primarily, having crushes on them , and yes dealt with unhealthy information about sex from society/porn and unhealthy christian teachings. Also I have enjoyed having sex with men and being in relationships with them. Sex to me was something you did in relationships with someone you love and trust minus me doing the opposite too many times. I’ve a lot of scars because I gave my virginity before ready. I have also come to a point of feeling brainwashed. I’m also so isolated and the pandemic put a wrench in my life so I think it’s so complex. Also thoughts of you can’t be bi because you would be thinking of men more or your sapphic leaning so how are you allowed to be with a man if you’re not gonna want sex etc….. I feel guilty tired of all of this.
- Date posted
- 2y ago
Last comment. I’ve also gone down the road of looking into the possibilities of being demisexual as well because I have experienced that indicated I very well could be towards men.
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 2y ago
Do you guys talk anymore , I like women and trans women like genitalia of both not necessarily men: I know I fall on the bisexual spectrum and my ocd latches out , how do you do erp. I seen things for homosexual and straight but not for me I probably 80/20 most straight but my attractions flip flop as when I with someone in real I prefer women and fantasy wise I fantasize about both. But most the trans women and male genitalia . This latches on to my ocd as when I was younger I didn’t care
Related posts
- 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
- Students with OCD
- Sexual Orientation OCD
- OCD newbies
- LGBTQ+ with OCD
- Relationship OCD
- Young adults with OCD
- Date posted
- 13w ago
I’m 25 and never ever thought this before my soocd relapse. I have a bf of 5 years. Never been a high libido kinda girl. Don’t get me wrong I do get turned on by my bf but not like every day you know? - That had always been in the back of my head, is this normal and ok? But my ocd has latched onto the most scariest what if EVER. My brain is now saying How do you know you won’t prefer to sleep and kiss girls if you haven’t tried it: and it’s that unknown that is scaring the shit out of me. I DONT AND NEVER HAVE wanted to sleep / kiss a girl. But now my intrusive thoughts is all I think about!!! I don’t want I don’t want I don’t want??? So why does my brain think BUT WHAT IF??? I know ocd thrives off uncertainty which is why I think this is happening? But I don’t wanna find out or work it out because all I want is to be with my bf and marry him!! Is this just the epitome of OCD?
- Mid-life adults with OCD
- "Pure" OCD
- OCD newbies
- Students with OCD
- Relationship OCD
- Sexual Orientation OCD
- Young adults with OCD
- Date posted
- 11w ago
Sorry long post. Anyone feel like now they’re just in extreme denial. Like when I was little I noticed guys more than girls in movies and was more drawn to them. I remember changing my mindset to switch that. 98%of my life has been straight until recently. I felt drawn to some guys but never thought of it sexually. Always had girl crushes dreams and porn. Now I watch porn and I feel like straight takes longer and then I go and watch gay porn and feel nothing until I tell myself it’s two attractive dudes and love is love and imagine physical sensations and then it hits like suddenly. Like I have to convince myself it’s alright. Then when I try again I can do all that but feel nothing and then straight porn works. Idk if it’s just getting a fix or the first time works with anything or what but it’s confusing. On top of that I’ve felt girl relationships including my wife maybe miss something and a guy maybe matches that feeling that but then I feel like I’d be missing something without a girl or my wife. Idk I’ve had some rough times in life with male figures in my life but idk. I feel like I have to convince myself more and more that I’m straight even more than the first time I dealt with this. Can someone relate? Please
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