Intrusive thoughts.
Hi guys. I don’t know if many of you get intrusive thoughts. However I’ve been having them over sexual orientation. I’ve always been heterosexual however my mind is constantly going over and over saying in my head I’m gay I’m gay. It causes me a lot of anxiety.. and no I have nothing against people who are gay. It’s just something that’s causes me a lot of anxiety. Is this normal to have these thoughts with intrusive thoughts? I feel like I’m going mad or I’m in some sort of denial. If anyone could help just please let me know.
Original post by Anonymous
Hi guys. I don’t know if many of you get intrusive thoughts. However I’ve been having them over sexual orientation. I’ve always been heterosexual however my mind is constantly going over and over saying in my head I’m gay I’m gay. It causes me a lot of anxiety.. and no I have nothing against people who are gay. It’s just something that’s causes me a lot of anxiety. Is this normal to have these thoughts with intrusive thoughts? I feel like I’m going mad or I’m in some sort of denial. If anyone could help just please let me know.
It's weird to say, but I think I'm in a similar boat. I think what I am trying to do to reduce my anxiety and stress regarding this particularly, is to not try and label it? Like I know the whole "I don't want to label myself" thing has become idk big lately? But what I mean is try not to put too much pressure on yourself to find out? Or know? Like I think it will just come with time, and experiences, there is no rush to find out. Whatever you are is fine. Perhaps you are both. Either way, everything will be okay. You don't have to know right now, it makes no difference for rn
Original post by Anonymous
Hi guys. I don’t know if many of you get intrusive thoughts. However I’ve been having them over sexual orientation. I’ve always been heterosexual however my mind is constantly going over and over saying in my head I’m gay I’m gay. It causes me a lot of anxiety.. and no I have nothing against people who are gay. It’s just something that’s causes me a lot of anxiety. Is this normal to have these thoughts with intrusive thoughts? I feel like I’m going mad or I’m in some sort of denial. If anyone could help just please let me know.
The types of intrusive thoughts you're describing are actually very common. If they are causing you a lot of distress or impacting on your life in a negative way, it could be worth considering therapy, as intrusive thoughts like these can be a symptom of OCD. Are there things you do to try and stop these thoughts? Are there things you avoid doing or places you avoid going because of them? Sometimes these things can actually keep the problem going. If you're interested, there is a book called Break Free from OCD by Challacombe, Bream & Salkovskis that might offer an insight into what might be going on.
Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting you have OCD, just that it may be helpful to look into to see if you relate to the symptoms.
Original post by Teresa09
I am currently really busy and I was just skim reading this quickly - I have quite a few thoughts on this topic - I will send you back a reply later
Heya just out of curiosity I was wondering what your thoughts on this were?
Original post by Anonymous
Hi guys. I don’t know if many of you get intrusive thoughts. However I’ve been having them over sexual orientation. I’ve always been heterosexual however my mind is constantly going over and over saying in my head I’m gay I’m gay. It causes me a lot of anxiety.. and no I have nothing against people who are gay. It’s just something that’s causes me a lot of anxiety. Is this normal to have these thoughts with intrusive thoughts? I feel like I’m going mad or I’m in some sort of denial. If anyone could help just please let me know.
i have like the opposite to this kind of.. im unlabled rn and my brain is like very homophobic, its like another person in my head calling me a f*ggot over and over again, i keep thinking that its disgusting and stuff. i know im just being stupid but i know how it feels to feel freaked out by it, just try to ignore it and be confident in yourself and your identity, if you know you are straight, you are straight!
Original post by pips1242
Heya just out of curiosity I was wondering what your thoughts on this were?
Oh I’m sorry completely forgot to reply to this. Bear with me Yoy have to know a bit about me to understand this so it will be slightly longer.
I have these sorts of intrusive thoughts (I’m catholic and parent/church have always taught that you have have feelings for people of the same the same sex but not act on them. For ages I tricked myself into thinking that I liked men and not women - this was obviously not true. So I tried to do only what I wanted - like women. Now I have learnt that I am bi rather than gay or straight.) seeing as my parents are really against it and my dad is very heavy in the faith, i tell myself that I am straight and at the minute thats all they know - I trick myself into saying I’m straight because I am terrified of telling them.
I feel like I’m in denial about and because because I don’t want to tell them - and I’m lying to them that I’m straight it caused me a lot anxiety as well.
I don’t want to label myself as anything because then I know it’s definite and I have to tell my parents and family.
I used to worry about them a lot when I was younger... I used to get intrusive thoughts about committing acts of violence, self-harm and suicide that upset me a lot. Used to think I was a potential psycho or something. The more I worried about them, the more they happened.
That was until I saw a documentary all about mental health and treatment for OCD... A clinical psychologist on it explained that literally everyone (including himself) has intrusive thoughts about everything from acts of violence, to self-harm, to crime, to sex and that they are completely and totally normal. They aren't a sign of some hidden dark desire or anything like that. In fact they are usually the complete opposite, in that they often represent things that disgust, frighten or disturb you.
If you try to suppress intrusive thoughts, they inevitably happen more frequently. It's like this... Try as hard as you can not to think of an elephant. Suddenly all you can think about is elephants because paradoxically you have to consciously think of the thing you are trying to avoid thinking about. That's just the way the brain works... To actively avoid something you have to be aware of it, and to be aware of it, you have to consciously think about it.
Best thing to do is either ignore them, or just laugh at them... Once you realise that they mean nothing, they will eventually go away.
That was until I saw a documentary all about mental health and treatment for OCD... A clinical psychologist on it explained that literally everyone (including himself) has intrusive thoughts about everything from acts of violence, to self-harm, to crime, to sex and that they are completely and totally normal. They aren't a sign of some hidden dark desire or anything like that. In fact they are usually the complete opposite, in that they often represent things that disgust, frighten or disturb you.
If you try to suppress intrusive thoughts, they inevitably happen more frequently. It's like this... Try as hard as you can not to think of an elephant. Suddenly all you can think about is elephants because paradoxically you have to consciously think of the thing you are trying to avoid thinking about. That's just the way the brain works... To actively avoid something you have to be aware of it, and to be aware of it, you have to consciously think about it.
Best thing to do is either ignore them, or just laugh at them... Once you realise that they mean nothing, they will eventually go away.
Original post by Anonymous
Hi guys. I don’t know if many of you get intrusive thoughts. However I’ve been having them over sexual orientation. I’ve always been heterosexual however my mind is constantly going over and over saying in my head I’m gay I’m gay. It causes me a lot of anxiety.. and no I have nothing against people who are gay. It’s just something that’s causes me a lot of anxiety. Is this normal to have these thoughts with intrusive thoughts? I feel like I’m going mad or I’m in some sort of denial. If anyone could help just please let me know.
poor guy, sounds like you have dark apostles, try out some gay porn and if it makes you feel sick then youre probably straight. have a good one my guy
