HOCD and Intrusive Thoughts

HOCD (homosexual obsessive compulsive disorder) is a subgroup of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). It causes relentless questioning of one’s sexual orientation via the intrusive thoughts that are characteristic of OCD. HOCD is also known as Gay OCD or Sexual Orientation OCD (SO-OCD).

The term HOCD is not a recognized scientific or diagnostic name. Instead, it is more of a reference name or “title” that is used within the OCD community. This term defines the mental anguish that comes from experiencing intrusive, unwanted thoughts that you might be gay. If you have HOCD, these thoughts can come so often that, over time, it can become unbearable.

Part of the frustration with HOCD is that, once the intrusive thoughts are triggered, the person’s mind refuses to accept the reality that they have never been attracted to the opposite sex before. They can try to convince themselves that they are content with their straight orientation, but their OCD won’t allow them to do so. Eventually, these thoughts can become intrusive enough to make a person quit a job or leave a relationship because they are so convinced that they have been lying to themselves their entire life.

If you have HOCD, you might:

• Fear that you have been living in denial of your true orientation.
• Worry that just the fact that you are questioning your sexual identity means you are gay, because “I wouldn’t wonder about my orientation if I was straight.”
• Fear losing your “self” and your previous identity.
• Be concerned that homosexuality is “catching” in the same way that a cold or the flu can be caught.
• Worry that being around a gay person will trigger your own latent tendencies and cause you to act out.
• Fear that being unable to perform sexually means you are gay.
• Think that other people will see you as gay because of a certain mannerism or because of how you dress or act.

HOCD Is All About Intrusive Thoughts

The truth is, HOCD is not about the person’s sexual orientation – it is really about their intrusive thoughts and how they react to those thoughts.

People without OCD will have a random thought and then dismiss it because it has no meaning. Those who have OCD and HOCD, however, attach deep meaning to these random thoughts and often spend countless hours searching for one hundred percent assurance that the thought is or is not true.

These intrusive thoughts don’t go away, either. For someone with OCD, once an intrusive comes into their mind, they cannot dismiss the thought because it sets up a cycle of doubt and questioning that repeats over and over again.

As far as OCD goes, no proven cause has been found for the disorder. And, since there isn’t just one concrete cause for OCD, there also is no exact reason for why someone with OCD will go on to develop HOCD or another subgroup. What we do know is that OCD and its subgroups revolve around whatever it is that the person fears. For example, while some may worry that they are actually gay (HOCD), another may worry that they will hurt themselves or others (Harm OCD).

Help for HOCD

Because there are only a few studies out there on HOCD, many mental health professionals don’t realize this subcategory exists. Therefore, they don’t understand how to properly diagnose and treat it. In many cases, clinicians either miss the diagnosis or they call it “sexual identity confusion” instead of HOCD. But, remember – HOCD is not about sexual identity, it is about the person’s OCD (whether it has been diagnosed or not).

There is a big problem with labeling and treating HOCD as “sexual identity confusion.” It can cause the individual to believe that their misinterpretation of their sexual orientation is actually meaningful and true. For this reason, when seeking help for HOCD, it is extremely important to find a therapist who specializes in treating either OCD or the HOCD subgroup.  

A therapist who is familiar with the condition will also understand that HOCD is not something that can be cured through reasoning and talk therapy because there is no underlying homosexuality to uncover. Instead, treatment for HOCD should involve the same therapies clinicians use when treating classic OCD. These include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure and response therapy (ERP), exposure and ritual prevention therapy (EX/RP), and sometimes the short term use of medication to help with depression and anxiety.

We Are Experts In The Treatment of HOCD

If HOCD has left you struggling with relentless questions about your sexual identity, HOCD: Everything You Didn’t Know – A Primer for Understanding & Overcoming Homosexual Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a book by Dr. Rosen, Founder and Clinical Director of The Center for Treatment of Anxiety and Mood Disorders will be an indispensable and compassionate guide that will demystify the disorder and offer hope.

In addition to this book, our clinic has therapists who are specially trained to treat OCD, HOCD, and other subgroups of the disorder. For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact The Center for Treatment of Anxiety and Mood Disorders in Delray Beach, Florida or call us today at 561-496-1094.