Homophobia Is A Mental Disorder

Homophobia Is A Mental Disorder

Let’s all call out homophobia for what it really is: a mental disorder – not just a dislike of gay people.

Steven Brodsky, an east coast psychologist who specializes in obsessive-compulsive disorder, is making headlines with what he calls Homosexual OCD. He states that he has several clients who are straight but are obsessed with fear that they are attracted to people of the same sex.

The National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) defines OCD as an an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry. The frequent upsetting thoughts are called obsessions. To try to control them, a person will feel an overwhelming urge to repeat certain rituals or behaviors called compulsions. People with OCD can’t control these obsessions and compulsions. Most of the time, the rituals end up controlling them.

Brodsky said he had one adult patient who was so crippled by obsessive thoughts about being gay that he was unable to live independently and had to move back in with his parents to cope. Brodsky said he is convinced that his patient had OCD associated with homosexuality.

Today’s open acceptance of homosexuality and gay lifestyles can sometimes lead therapists to think that this kind of anxiety in straight men signals that they are struggling to come out of the closet. Brodsky’s patient was sent to reparative therapy by a previous therapist, which he believes was ineffective and potential harmful. He says health professionals need a better understanding of Homosexual OCD so patients receive proper treatment for a mental obsession, rather than counseling for a sexual orientation crisis that he says has nothing to do with mental illness.

Jeff Szymanski, a clinical psychologist and executive director of the International OCD Foundation, agrees and says the obsession is “absolutely common in the OCD world.” And Dr. Jack Drescher, another noted New York City psychiatrist who specializes in gay and lesbian mental health, agrees that “being worried that one might be gay is not the same thing as being gay.”

What this means is not known. If a consensus is reached, will homophobia be used as a defense in a criminal trial? Will people take a closer look at the recent activity by Republican politicians like Ted Cruz who continue to push for anti-gay legislation, ignoring overwhelming public opinion and previous court decisions? Does the GOP have Homosexual OCD?

Maybe.