“So with OCD, can you like, not have sex and stuff?”

Oh that’s right, we’re gonna talk about the S-E-X word this week! Don’t be alarmed though, I won’t be going into Cosmo detail here. Heck, you can find racier stuff in Women’s Weekly. There may come a time when I try my hand at porn (sorry, couldn’t resist that one)

And not on this blog. 😉

Okay, so here we go. The title of this entry is an actual question someone asked me once. And it’s a fair one; if merely shaking hands is a stressful ordeal for someone, how could they possibly handle physical intimacy? Indeed, there was a time, when I was 18-19, when I genuinely wondered if I would ever be able to kiss someone.

The easiest way to explain it is that it comes down to how comfortable I am with someone. It’s the same as how hugging a close friend is more comfortable than hugging a complete stranger. I have to really trust and like someone for physical contact not to be frightening.

I’m sure a lot of you without OCD would cringe at the thought of kissing certain people, but be far more willing to kiss others. It’s the same principal really, except with maybe a little more cortisol in the hormonal mix.

I can’t speak for others with OCD, but for me the fears associated with it are surmountable when outweighed by positive feelings. Trust, love, and yes, lust, can make for a heck of a liquid courage cocktail.