Saturday, August 21, 2010

Homosexuality Anxiety: A Misunderstood Symptom of OCD - Monnica Williams - University of Virginia, Department of Psychology

In: Leading-Edge Health Education Issues
Editor: Lennard V. Sebeki, pp. 195-205

Abstract

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) involves unwanted thoughts and repetitive behaviors that can be highly distressing and disabling. Obsessive themes typically center on contamination, illness, worries about disaster, orderliness, and loss of control. Sexual obsessions are a common form of OCD, but it is not known how many of those with sexual obsessions experience homosexuality anxiety – an obsessive fear related to homosexual feelings, thoughts, or images. The phenomenology of OCD-related homosexuality anxiety is described and contrasted with an ambivalent homosexual orientation. Examples of OCD homosexuality anxiety are provided from on online OCD support forum. Mental health professionals who are unfamiliar with OCD may mistakenly attribute symptoms to a sexual identity crisis, resulting in greater distress and confusion in the patient. It is important that clinicians properly identify and treat this manifestation of OCD. More research is needed to quantify the prevalence of homosexuality anxiety and how to best tailor treatment.
Read more:
http://www.brainphysics.com/research/HOCD_Williams2008.pdf
ISBN 978-1-60021-874-3
© 2008 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

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