OCD Chicago

You Are Not Alone
Information for Individuals

Sexuality Doubt

Get an Expert’s Perspective

Read articles about OCD and treatment to gain relief

Someone with sexuality doubt is overly concerned about his or her sexuality.  This is not about people who are actually gay.  This form of OCD is typically seen in people who are not gay or lesbian, but have doubts about their heterosexuality.

Obsessions include:

  • Continually worrying about possibly being gay or lesbian
  • Repeatedly asking themselves how they can know for certain they are not gay
  • Fear that they may have acted in a manner that could be interpreted as “gay” or “lesbian”
  • Fear that they could have touched someone inappropriately

Compulsions that may be performed in an attempt to relieve the anxiety of sexual doubt include:

  • Repeatedly asking someone they are close with questions such as, “Do you think I could be gay?” or “How can I know if I’m gay?”
  • Closely observing themselves to see if they “look” gay or lesbian or acted in a way that could be interpreted as gay or lesbian
  • Spending time looking at nice-looking men or women (or pictures of them) to test their own sexual response
  • Overly analyzing how they acted in a social situation to try to determine if they acted in a homosexual manner
  • Avoiding any discussion of gay or lesbian subjects, to the extent of not even saying the words “gay”, “lesbian” or “homosexual” or any other such synonym or colloquialism
  • Not acting or dressing in any way that the opposite sex does—for example, a woman who never wears slacks or pants suits—or tries very hard not to act “masculine” for fear of being thought to be a lesbian or a man who avoids shirts of a certain color because they look “feminine” or does not engage in certain activities that might be considered gay

Find a book about OCD and its treatment

Back to Obsessions and Compulsions

Back to Information for Adults

 

Toolbox