Damian Ruiz
How can one differentiate an obsessive disorder about one’s sexual orientation, i.e. the doubt about whether the sufferer is homosexual, from ego dystonic or unaccepted homosexuality?
I will answer clearly and concisely, the person with homosexual OCD can never come to a conclusion. This is the key concept that differentiates the two issues.
Doubt is permanent, now yes, in two hours time no, now I accept that I am homosexual, after a while I think no, that I have never liked boys, now I have seen a man that I have found attractive, therefore I am, some time later I realise that I only like women… and so on and so on constantly, in a permanent loop of verification and doubt.
On the other hand, in ego dystonic homosexuality, the person does not doubt, they know about their homosexuality, they know about their attraction for people of the same sex but they do not want to admit it, they cannot integrate it, due to moral, family, social, etc. issues.
This is the big difference, while in OCD there is doubt and permanent proof, in the other case it is known but not accepted.
Homosexuality is a variant of human sexuality that represents, in any era, culture or society, between 5 and 10% of the population. And it is, on a psychological and organic level, as normal as heterosexuality, although it is a minority. –
But after this clarification I insist that, in my therapeutic experience, no person I have treated with OCD of sexual orientation has turned out to be homosexual.
And I want to make it clear that when I have had and still have patients with an ego dystonic homosexuality, my job is to make them integrate it, accept it and live it in fullness, freedom and responsibility. But they are two completely different things.
Regarding the treatment of obsessive disorder with this content, the therapy consists of reinforcing determination, security, self-esteem, courage and activating an appropriately channelled aggressiveness in order to get out of this endless loop.
Basically, although it may seem simple, it is a question of freedom and of occupying the place that corresponds to the patient in his or her social habitat.