Advice on Psycho-sexual therapy

[Mcajshaw]

Hi All

I have posted a few times over the years regarding my constant rumination and confusion about my attraction to females and males and constant rumination and checking of attraction (never had a serious girlfriend in my 30's now) and been on a hamster wheel as Polar Bear rightly put it off trying to understand myself and genuine confusion about sexuality.  I realise I need to step up my game again in terms of not checking and ruminating over the subject (looking at instagram, facebook, TV to check for attraction etc) and try to leave it alone from an OCD perspective which is always tough.

However , I also know that psycho-sexual therapy is available by referral on the NHS and given my age and the length of time this has gone on I feel it might be time to at least give this  a go (if my GP approves) and see what I can achieve with it, alongside my strategy from an OCD perspective. 

My question really is, has anyone else who has ruminated and obsessed about sexuality sought help also through Psycho-sexual therapy, and, if so was it was beneficial alongside implementing OCD CBT strategies.

 

Many thanks

Edited October 17, 2018 by Mcajshaw
spelling errors.

[PolarBear]

I don't even know what that is but I would advise against it. You are trying to seek certainty. You haven't been successful so now you're looking outside the box for something else that will provide certainty. I do not believe that eill work. The reason is that you do not have a sexual or sexual identity problem. You have an OCD problem.

[Lynz]

Psycho-sexual therapy is generally for people who are having sexual difficulties such as women who tense up before intercourse due to anxiety/trauma etc. and it therefore causes them pain. I've had it in the past to get over something similar when it came to getting gynaecological examinations. Men can have it for things like erectile dysfunction caused by performance anxiety and that sort of thing.

In short, I don't think psycho-sexual therapy will do anything for you because you have OCD, and need therapy to treat that, i.e. CBT.

[Angst]

Lynz is correct in her account of the type of thing that the therapy provides. If you look at NHS Choices website it will contain a brief description of the types of issues that the therapy will deal with.

CBT is the therapy recommended by NICE for OCD. But the water may be cloudier if you have a diagnosis of OCD with another mental health problem. For example OCD with depression. Which is something that I have. In the case of depression, NICE recommends CBT along with five other therapeutic approaches. All have equal status.

A very illuminating book is Linda Gask’s The Other Side of Silence. Lind Gask was Professor of Community Psychiatry at the University of Manchester and spent many years practicing as a consultant psychiatrist in England and Scotland. She provided therapy and received therapy. She gives a frank and brave account of her experience   of the different types of therapy. I say brave because it’s rare for an insider to provide such an account.