Vent: I wish SOOCD was better understood. Even on this app. It feels horrible when people invalidate the thoughts or question them. “There’s nothing to be scared of” “there’s nothing wrong with being ______” Of course there’s nothing scary or wrong about loving who you love. BUT Feeling like losing a part of your identity is scary. Possible judgement is scary. Losing a partner is scary. We have core fears that honestly have nothing to do with sexuality, it’s just what our OCD chose to fixate on. It’s so exhausting explaining it and having people give unsolicited comments and “advice” regarding this theme when they don’t understand.

Thank you for this. Mine is slowly relapsing I think, and I’ve always hated how people react to this. I’m honestly scared to talk about my SOOCD with people I trust, because I’m afraid they’ll tell me I’m gay/bi/pan/etc. I don’t want to be gay- it’s something that just doesn’t seem to fit with me, and I’m scared that my life is a lie and that I’m a lie and that I’m gay- Sorry for the rant I totally agree with this 💛

👏 This, this, this. I feel like SOOCD has less of a black and white morality standing in terms of right and wrong and therefore people LOVE to jump to conclusions and project their sexual orientation onto people. I connect so much to the fears you've stated like losing your partner or losing your identity. There's so much more to SOOCD than gay or not or straight or not and it needs to just as validated as the other themes.

I dont even feel like Im losing a part of my identitt anymore, just feels like this is my real one

ALSO I just wish we changed the way we talk about it in general. Like being more neutral and really emphasizing SOOCD instead of HOCD to be more inclusive of the LGBTQ+ that have this theme because anyone can have it about being any sexuality. I assume they feel kind of left out in the conversation because a lot of rhetoric and resources exclude them. I think being more inclusive about it would help change the idea that it only impacts heterosexual people who fear being exclusively homosexual (which carries a LOT of negative connotations with it that get generalized to this form of OCD) and hopefully showing people it impacts everyone and cannot be generalized to whatever people assume with HOCD. Also talking more about how it really has nothing to do with sexuality. I sometimes get caught up in the thoughts and how real/literal it seems that I forget that I don’t technically have sexuality problem. I have a core fear and an identity problem. We all do. It’s just that our OCD really chose to fixate on sexuality for whatever reason. I think breaking down this OCD into core fears and identity can help reduce some of the stigma that comes with people assuming it is about sexuality. Anyway that’s my continued vent I guess.

Yes. 💚💚💚💚

Ugh yes mine is slowly coming back

I have similar thoughts regarding gender identity OCD.

Agreed!!