Some people might find it hard to define HOCD and even do not have any idea about it. HOCD is commonly known as OCD or obsessive compulsive disorder, an anxiety disorder which affects about 1 in 200 people. Sufferers have disturbing thoughts and attempt to utilize compulsions or obsessions to attempt to lessen anxiety and fear. Those individuals with HOCD experience negative lifestyle changes due to this disorder and it can merely affect teenagers, adults and even children.
HOCD is also referred to as homosexual OCD. HOCD is somewhat a new subcategory of OCD manifestation. The symptoms of HOCD are not quite different from the typical OCD symptoms. It includes intrusive thoughts and severe anxiety that may head off only when compulsive behaviors are observed. The symptoms of HOCD include the fear of being turned into gay. It can be a sense of being homophobic or not. However, this disorder isn’t a homophobic condition. The fear of change in sexual orientation usually has more to do with loss of sexual identity compared to the actual fear of being gay. Hence, in homophobic persons with homosexual OCD, the main manifestation obviously will have a homophobic slant.
It is significant to note that persons with gay orientation may also experience homosexual OCD, but the fear then is that they are being perceived as straight or turning straight. Again, this isn’t necessarily a homophobic reaction. It could just be persistent feelings and thoughts of being seen as gay when one isn’t. Thus, compulsive behaviors might be intended at avoiding the false assumption of homosexuality. Fear that all sexual issues or relationship are indicators of sexual orientation change. HOCD has elements typically that parallel checking, Pure-O OCD and contamination. Some people with homosexual OCD have a principally checking related variant of OCD. When around similar sex persons, they check out their own bodies for signs of sexual arousal.
Others who suffer from this disorder have a contamination-related variant and worry that contact with lesbians, gay men and androgynous/effeminate or bisexual individuals may someway activate their hidden homosexuality or is contagious. Few worry about acting on superfluous sexual impulses. They worry that if they are around same sex individuals or gay people, they might act out sexually and lose control. Moreover, some individuals with homosexual OCD worry that other people may think they are gay and in turn, they spend excessive energy and time trying to act straight in front of them. All stated above are common symptoms that have been experienced by people with HOCD.
Just like any other form of obsessive compulsive disorder, HOCD symptoms are retained by faulty rituals, beliefs and escaping behaviors. Faulty beliefs about sexual orientation and sexuality bring about fear about the possible penalty of resisting obsessive compulsive disorder related compulsions. This is destructive since every time an unwanted feeling or thought is neutralized or prevented, it is reinforced and becomes more apparent to become activated again in the long run. Rituals and avoidance prevent the occurrence of corrective learning experiences that ultimately would cause these unwanted thoughts to reduce in intensity and frequency.
