Accepting being gay
by Fred Penzel, PhD
This article was initially published in the Winter 2007 edition of the OCD Newsletter.
OCD, as we know, is largely about experiencing serious and unrelenting doubt. It can cause you to doubt even the most basic things about yourself – even your sexual orientation. A 1998 analyze published in the Journal of Sex Research launch that among a collective of 171 college students, 84% reported the occurrence of sexual intrusive thoughts (Byers, et al. 1998). In order to contain doubts about one’s sexual identity, a sufferer call not ever have had a homo- or heterosexual experience, or any type of sexual experience at all. I have observed this symptom in fresh children, adolescents, and adults as well. Interestingly Swedo, et al., 1989, found that approximately 4% of children with OCD experience obsessions concerned with forbidden assertive or perverse sexual thoughts.
Although doubts about one’s have sexual identity might appear pretty straightforward as a symptom, there are actually a number of variations. The most obvious build is where a sufferer experiences the thought that they might be of a different sexual orientation than they formerly believed. If the su
Making My Peace With Existence Gay: The Journey To Self-Acceptance
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — For years, I struggled with my sexuality, asking myself the equal question over and over: how can I create peace with my damaged inner child, and his way of loving?
The homophobia and macho system that plagues our country has made so many of us feel we want to hide behind closed doors. It affects the way we behave, the way we speak, and the way we treasure. It makes us sense repressed in so many ways, as though we are unworthy of displays of affection. Despite the world’s attempt at moving forward, so little is done to change things.
Related: I was traumatized, but I came out with pride in Mumbai
Carrying fears from childhood into adulthood
Growing up in a religious, traditional, and pragmatic Latin American family, I felt the need to bottle things up a lot. I felt things more deeply, and yearned for answers constantly. Since I was a boy, I always knew I was gay, but struggled to face reality. As preliminary as childhood, boys and girls begin to witness or experience a series of firsts. First kisses, even first loves. It sets the path for what we think is normal. We be
Accepting your sexuality
By: Amber Minney
Lampeter Campus LGBT+ (Women's Space) Part-Time Officer 2021-2022
One of the main things I wish I had been told from the very beginning is this: your sexuality is your own; the main person here is YOU.
I get that this probably sounds appreciate a really small and obvious thing, but I really think this is a sentiment that we don’t express enough. This statement alone encompasses so many important feelings that I hold very lock to my sexual persona today. Your sexuality is your own, and no one else’s. This journey is about you and getting to know yourself. It can be hard to separate ourselves from the mesh of relationships and influences that we encounter every day, but that’s why making yourself the focus is so important. Your identity isn’t for anyone else, ever - it’s for you and you alone to come to terms with, embrace and express however you like.
When I first started to question my sexuality, one of the very first thoughts that I encountered was how will this effect the people around me? How will my friends feel? How will my family feel? Will I still be accepted for who I am? Looking bac
Hi. I’m the Address Wall. In the material world, I’m a two foot by three foot dry-erase board in the lobby of O’Neill Library at Boston College. In the online planet, I live in this blog. You might say I have multiple manifestations. Like Apollo or Saraswati or Serapis. Or, if you aren’t into deities of knowledge, love a ghost in the machine.
I hold 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 investigate tools you can find in Boston College Libraries.
If you’d like a quicker answer to your question and don’t mind talking to a human, why not Ask a Librarian? Librarians, since they have been tending the flame of knowledge for centuries, know where most of the answers are hidden, and enjoy sharing their knowledge, just favor me, The React Wall.
In this post, I want to travel a topic proximate to my heart and my work: the exploration of identity and self-acceptance in the homosexual community. This subject is not just about understanding who we are but also about embracing and celebrating our unique selves in a world that often presents more questions than answers.
In the gay people, the quest for personal identity can be a street paved with challenges, yet it is also one marked by profound personal growth and self-discovery.
Each individual’s journey is a complex tapestry woven from their experiences, struggles, and triumphs. As we navigate these journeys, we learn not just to agree to ourselves but to revel in the beauty of our authentic identities.
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In this blog, we’ll investigate identity within the gay community, the hurdles that often stand in the way of self-acceptance, and the striking resilience that propels us forward.
Book a Free 15 Minute Therapy ConsultationBefore I go further – the difficulties of using the legal title “Gay Community”
In my work as a counsellor, I’ve often encountered the word ‘gay community’ used a