What Is OCD?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a condition where people experience repetitive and intrusive obsessive thoughts that cause anxiety. To reduce this tension, the brain creates compulsive behavior — repeated acts or mental rituals that offer short-term relief but reinforce the fear.
Common examples include checking, avoiding, or mentally analyzing situations to regain control.
In OCD in LGBTQ individuals, these obsessions often revolve around sexual identity, attraction, or fear of being rejected for who they are.
Why OCD Is More Common in LGBTQ Individuals
Research shows that OCD in LGBTQ people is more frequent because of underlying sexual identity confusion.
When a person feels conflicted between their true self and societal or family expectations, their subconscious mind experiences emotional chaos.
This identity conflict triggers anxiety and uncertainty. The subconscious then tries to regain safety through obsessive thoughts — such as repeatedly questioning sexual orientation or gender identity — and compulsive behaviors like reassurance-seeking or avoidance.
These actions create a temporary sense of safety but strengthen the cycle.
Subconscious Level: The Emotional Mechanism
At the subconscious mind level, the process starts with confusion and fear.
When normal sexual feelings arise, the anxious mind misinterprets them:
“What if I’m not who I think I am?”
“What if this feeling means something bad?”
This confusion turns into obsessive thoughts, producing anxiety, which leads to compulsive behavior — such as checking reactions, overanalyzing, or testing attraction.
This forms the well-known obsession–compulsion loop, where the person becomes trapped in mental checking and emotional exhaustion.
Bezahler A., Falkenstein M.J., Kuckertz J.M., et al. What Do You Believe? Differentiating Obsessive Beliefs between Bi+, Gay/Lesbian and Heterosexual Adults with OCD. J Obsessive Compuls Relat Disord. 2024 Aug;42:100898. Available at PubMed/PMC. PubMed+1
Healing the Cycle
Healing OCD in LGBTQ people requires working beyond conscious thoughts — focusing on the emotional roots in the subconscious mind.
Through therapy that encourages acceptance and emotional safety, individuals can resolve the fear of rejection and self-doubt.
When the subconscious no longer sees sexual feelings as a threat, the obsessive thoughts lose power, and compulsive behavior fades naturally.