How do people know they are gay

by Fred Penzel, PhD

This article was initially published in the Winter edition of the OCD Newsletter. 

OCD, as we know, is largely about experiencing severe and unrelenting doubt. It can cause you to doubt even the most basic things about yourself – even your sexual orientation. A study published in the Journal of Sex Research found that among a group of college students, 84% reported the occurrence of sexual intrusive thoughts (Byers, et al. ). In command to have doubts about one’s sexual identity, a sufferer demand not ever have had a homo- or heterosexual experience, or any type of sexual experience at all. I have observed this symptom in young children, adolescents, and adults as well. Interestingly Swedo, et al., , start that approximately 4% of children with OCD experience obsessions concerned with forbidden aggressive or perverse sexual thoughts.

Although doubts about one’s own sexual identity might come across pretty straightforward as a symptom, there are actually a number of variations. The most obvious form is where a sufferer experiences the thought that they mig

How Do I Know If I Am Gay? Signs You Are Gay

Particularly when young, some people may ask, "How do I know if I am gay?" if they have conflicting sexual feelings. When it comes down to it, there is no reliable "Am I Gay test", so the only way to know that you are gay (definition of gay) is to look within yourself to decide your own thoughts and feelings towards others of the alike sex. You might also yearn to consider the possibility that you are neither gay nor straight and are bisexual or just curious.

There are also signs that you might be gay to consider.

Signs You Are Gay

There is no one way that gay people act or see – gay people are just as diverse as straight people. Just because you are a man who is effeminate or a woman who is boyish, that does not mean that you're necessarily gay. So don't fall into the trap of thinking that your clothes, hair or attitude determines your sexuality.

When looking at the signs you are gay, you might hope for to ask yourself these questions:1

  • Have I ever been sexually attracted to the same sex?
  • Do I feel strong emotional bonds to

    Sexual Orientation

    Adolescence is the dawn of sexual attraction. It happens due to the hormonal changes of puberty. These changes involve both the body and the mind — so just thinking about someone attractive can cause physical arousal.

    These new feelings can be intense, confusing, sometimes even overwhelming. Teens are beginning to bring to light what it means to be attracted romantically and physically to others. And recognizing one's sexual orientation is part of that process.

    What Is Sexual Orientation?

    The term sexual orientation refers to the gender (that is, male or female) to which a person is attracted. There are several types of sexual orientation that are commonly described:

    • Heterosexual (straight). People who are heterosexual are romantically and physically attracted to members of the opposite sex: males are attracted to females, and females are attracted to males. Heterosexuals are often called "straight."
    • Homosexual (gay or lesbian). People who are homosexual are romantically and physically attracted to people of the same sex: females are attracted to other fema

      How do I know if I am gay or lesbian?

      Many people are brought up to feel that everyone is sexually attracted to people of a distinct gender than their own. However, this isn’t the case. Lots of people are attracted to the same gender or more than one gender, and this is absolutely fine.

      Gay is the word used to describe someone who is only attracted to the same gender. It can be used to describe someone of any gender, but sometimes gay women might prefer to be referred to as lesbians. People who are attracted to more than one gender often identify as bisexual or pansexual.

      How do I know if I’m gay, lesbian or bi?

      Some people know what their sexuality is from a very young age, but some people aren’t so sure. It can be rigid to know if you’re gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual or something else, and there’s no definite way to know, it’s just how you feel.

      If you’re a dude and you’re only attracted to other guys, then you might be gay. If you fancy other guys, feel excited when you think about them, masturbate to thoughts of them, and want to date and include relationships with the