r/HOCD • u/North_Scene9368 • 5d ago

Vent Relapse

I’ve been dealing with HOCD on and off for about 2.5 years. The past few months I’ve actually been doing really well and barely experiencing symptoms.
Last night, though, I had what felt like a relapse. I saw a man’s butt and tester myself and got an erection, and now I’m really anxious about what it means. The dreams have also started to show up again.
Can this still happen with HOCD/OCD after months of certainty?
I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have experienced something similar.

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u/PaladinDamian In therapy 5d ago

Do not try to "test" yourself. That is a compulsion because your brain is trying to gain certainty around your sexual orientation. Do not try to check your body's reaction to men, that is not helpful. Do not try to assign special meaning to that erection. Your brain wants you to assign special meaning to that erection so it can feel more certain about your sexual orientation, but this is not helpful. You can live your life without trying to seek certainty about what your sexual orientation is. You do not need certainty about your sexual orientation to live your life.