I am very confused of this current situation I am in. I am a 17 year old girl, and I've always been attracted to boys and had crushes on them, and I've been in relationship with a boy for a few months now. But approximately a month ago I started to doubt my sexuality. At first I thought I had somehow turned bisexual or I'd been bisexual for my whole life without aknowledging it. And sometimes, I might even think I am lesbian, or turning into one.
It all started after I began to think that a girl who identifies as lesbian was interested in me. She was giving me some subtle signs, but nothing was for sure. Then I started to question that do I have a crush on her? I never had had one on a girl, and never looked at a girl in that way. It has always been very clear to me that I am straight, and thinking that I would be something else made me feel sick to my stomache.
I began to question everything from my relationship with my boyfriend to my sexual orientation. I feel like I would be ok with being "queer", and my family and friends would totally accept it, but it feels wrong and for some reason I do not want to "be gay". I've cried many times for the overwhelming anxiety caused by this matter.
For a month I've been constantly checking my response to every single person I stumble upon. On the street, at school, while watching tv-shows, basically everywhere. I'm trying to figure out if I am attracted to girls and am I after all attracted to boys. If I notice a beatiful girl, I get really uncomfortable and start to think I have turned lesbian and lost all my interest in boys.
I repeatedly google coming out stories, things like "can a straight person question their sexuality", "how does it feel like to become aware of your sexuality", and doing different sexual orientation related quizzes and analyzing results. Sometimes what I read relieves my anxiety and makes me feel better for a while, but then all the doubt and guilt comes back. I hate it and it is starting to affect my concentration skills and I become more distant with my friends, because I'm constantly analyzing am I attracted to them.
Sometimes I get weird thoughts, for example today with my female teacher who is about 50, I just thought "what if I kissed her, would it be so bad", and sometimes I get that with my friends too. It freaks me out and I immediatly start to think I am lesbian.
I deliberately create scenarios in my head of sexual encounters with girls, and if I don't find it repulsive and my reaction to is is neutral, I get shocked and I feel like bawling my eyes out. I imagine those same acts with boys, and if I don't notice any signs of attraction, an instant wave of anxiety hits and I am feeling very down again.
This is driving me insane, because I don't want to self-diagnose any mental illness for myself, and I have never really thought about having OCD in the past. I have had anxiety issues before and I used to talk to a therapist, but I stopped going there a while ago. I am starting to think I am just a closeted lesbian or bi, and I am just in denial. It feels wrong and frightening and I can't bear this anxiety anymore.
Hey, thanks for sharing the post.
This is super normal.
And I’d even go as far to say I don’t know anyone that hasn’t had these feelings at some point.
Us guys and girls aren’t that different when it comes to dna. I think society makes us feel far different than we really are
who says pink is for girls blue is for boys bar some marketing guy at the barbie factory
I recall many friends at school and college, worried and having these conversations. Like you said being gay or bi is normal as is being straight. But no one I knew that had those thoughts became Gay and I’m in my late 30’s now I have many gay friends and there stories seem different, but I’m no expert. I’d say this is just ‘thinking’ at this stage. it’s not real until you fuse it with real emotions, i see my mind like a newspaper just full of stories some real and some false. A good book to read I’ve found on over thinking is the ‘happiness trap’, may be useful.
What may or may not help; when your a bit older, you really won’t care or be bothered by thoughts like this, as it’s such a popular thought to have.
And the plus side is you can relate with so many people about so many things, which is a real gift.
Sounds like your mind is functioning well.
Don’t know if that helps but from my experience, what your saying is super normal thinking and behaviour.
Thank you for your answer. I am trying to be okay with having the thoughts and convincing myself that they are just thoughts and they don't define me.