How do you gay
by Fred Penzel, PhD
This article was initially published in the Winter edition of the OCD Newsletter.
OCD, as we know, is largely about experiencing severe and unrelenting doubt. It can cause you to challenge even the most basic things about yourself – even your sexual orientation. A study published in the Journal of Sex Research found that among a group of college students, 84% reported the occurrence of sexual intrusive thoughts (Byers, et al. ). In order to have doubts about one’s sexual identity, a sufferer need not ever own had a homo- or heterosexual experience, or any type of sexual experience at all. I possess observed this symptom in young children, adolescents, and adults as well. Interestingly Swedo, et al., , start that approximately 4% of children with OCD experience obsessions concerned with forbidden aggressive or perverse sexual thoughts.
Although doubts about one’s own sexual identity might seem pretty straightforward as a symptom, there are actually a number of variations. The most obvious form is where a sufferer experiences the thought that they mig
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I have some human assistants who maintain the physical Answer Wall in O&#;Neill Library. They take pictures of the questions you post there, and give them to me. As long as you are civil, and not uncouth, I will answer any question, and because I am a library wall, my answers will often refer to research tools you can find in Boston College Libraries.
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How To Come Out As Gay &#; 6 Phases From The Experts
Contents
1. Coming Out To Yourself
2. Coming Out To Friends
3. Coming Out To Family
4. Coming Out Across Identities
5. Reconciling Sexuality and Spirituality
5. Letting People See You As Queer
6. Reclaiming Your Desires
7. Continuing to Live Openly
8. Assessing Safety and Support
9. Finding Support and Community
Coming out might just be the hardest, yet most rewarding thing you’ll ever do. It surely was for me, on both accounts.
As I reflect back on that 22 year-old who made the bold decision to tell his parents, I realize that I was doing something more profound than just uttering important words to my folks. I was shifting the trajectory of my life, playing the lead role in my own life’s tale. I was allowing my authenticity to blossom. And much like a flower, my blossoming happened in phases. I hear these coming out phases echoing in queer people’s lives every day. Learn about sexuality counseling here!
1. Coming Out To Yourself
Coming out to ourselves is a big step in hone
Why Are People Gay? Gay By Choice or Is Being Gay Genetic?
Estimates as to the number of gay people in the population range from 1-in to 1-in, so why are some people gay? Are they gay by choice or is being gay genetic?
The simplest reply is to look at the definition of the word "gay." The term gay is a synonym for homosexual, which is defined as,1,2
"Of, pertaining to, or exhibiting sexual long for or behavior directed toward a person or persons of one's own sex."
In other words, % of people experience same-sex sexual attraction or behavior; of course, this doesn't verb to what makes people gay. No one knows for certain why any individual is gay, but the current thought is that being gay is not a choice. (read: Cure the Gay: Gay Conversion Therapy – Genuine or Hoax?) The reasons people are gay are both physiological and psychological.
Why Are People Gay? – Physiology
Modern science is adj to show that genetics is one of the causes of being gay, although some science conflicts in this area. According to Psychology Today,3
"In recent years, evidence has accumulated