Sexual obsessions are repetitive and intrusive ideas, thoughts, images, or impulses focused on sexual content.
People with sexual obsessions might have distressing urges to behave sexually toward animals, children, or other groups. They may see images of themselves engaging in unwanted sexual acts, experience intrusive images of genitalia, or have doubts concerning their sexual identity.
Some individuals with sexual obsessions mistakenly believe they are deviant or sinful. So, they not only experience the anxiety that accompanies all types of obsessions, they often suffer from strong feelings of shame, guilt, and hopelessness as well. Their false ideas about the obsessions may prevent them from seeking treatment, and prompt them to isolate.
Not A Reflection of Self
Those with sexual sessions worry that they will act on their unwanted thoughts and impulses. They may obsess about losing control and acting out sexually around kids, or impulsively exposing themselves in public. Individuals who are straight might doubt that they are; others may dread having a sexual attraction to dead things, or to God.
Anything sexual that can be imagined can become the subject of an obsession. Because cultural and personal beliefs about sexuality are emotionally charged and involve morality and identity issues, it is easy to understand why these obsessions are extremely distressful.
However, as symptoms of OCD, sexual obsessions are not indicators of identity or morality. They are unwanted, uninvited, unbidden, repetitive, anxiety provoking thoughts. Having them causes distress because they conflict with the individual’s behavior preferences and chosen values.
Identifying Sexual Obsessions
Pedophiles enjoy the thought of engaging in sex with children. Necrophiles enjoy the idea of being with the dead. Someone with a sexual obsession concerning kids or dead things is generally frightened, even horrified, at the prospect of acting on their thoughts—even if privacy were assured.
People who are gay take pleasure in thoughts of being with a same-sex partner, but someone with a homosexual obsession is scared and maybe disgusted by the intrusion of such thoughts.
Those with OCD may also worry that they will eventually have to act out their impulses to find relief. The desire to experience relief from obsessive thoughts can easily be confused with a willingness to act on them. Being able to differentiate symptoms from their sense of self is why many individuals seek the help of professional counselors.
OCD/Sexual Obsession Treatment
OCD is most often treated using exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). People are supported and encouraged to gradually face their fear triggers and resist performing anxiety reducing ritual behaviors.
Since they are symptoms of a disorder and not a reflection of the person, there is no attempt to disprove obsessions. Instead, successful treatment allows people to view their obsessions as meaningless intrusive thoughts, and to accept that none of us can be completely certain about our future behavior.
Source: Steven Seay
Photo credit: Bhernandez / flickr
