HOCD morphed into TOCD.

Gay people are people that have a baseline sexuality that makes them attracted to the same gender. HOCD is literally just over-worrying whether or not you are gay. Some people who have HOCD are mostly straight and have some arousal to the same gender, but most people with HOCD have a straight baseline sexuality, and are fixated and worried over how their porn tastes have been warped and escalated.

 

While I don't think there is a consensus on what HOCD is by any group, whether it's the NoFap community, medical establishment, politicians, or any other group, there is a very common trend among porn abusers that goes like this:

1. People who identify as straight men (and usually are wholly so) begin using internet porn at a young age.
2. Over time, the porn they watch escalates in volume and content.
3. Eventually, these men begin watching gay and/or transgender porn and find it much more stimulating and alluring than the old porn they watch. These feelings may even start to appear with similar individuals in real life.
4. These men begin to question their sexuality, thinking they are either gay or attracted to transgender people. This questioning and confusion can be very distressing and anxiety inducing for these individuals. The thoughts can be very consuming and intrusive, even in basic interactions and activities.

Here are articles from YBOP to back up all this information, numbered by relevant point:

1. 1. Adolescent Brain Meets Highspeed Internet Porn.
   2. Your Brain On Porn: How Internet Porn Affects the Brain
2. 1. Why did my porn use escalate?
      
   2. Why is the idea of sexual variety so enticing?
      
   3. What are the symptoms of excessive Internet porn use?
3. 1. I’m straight, but attracted to transsexual or gay porn (or gay attracted to straight porn). What’s up?
   2. 'Straight Men, Gay Porn' and Other Brain Map Mysteries (2010 ...https://www.yourbrainonporn.com › straight-men-gay-...
4. 1. Am I Gay? Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Takes Many Forms
      
   2. searching "your brain on porn HOCD" or "NoFap HOCD" on Google and just reading the numerous accounts is evidence enough of the likely millions of men who have experienced the same behaviors and feelings

Personally, I don't like the term "HOCD" as a general definition to describe this phenomena. I think "porn-induced homoerotic anxiety disorder" is a much better term, since that's exactly what's going on: overconsumption of porn induces homoerotic feelings in straight men, giving them acute and general anxiety. Alas, PIHAD is apparently a much less catchy and easy-to-understand acronym, so I'm not sure if it will catch on. Regardless, this trend is objectively real and documented, so saying it is made up and false is wholly incorrect.

While there are many people who suffer actual OCD that manifests in obsessive thoughts related to sexual orientation, this amount is small (even when you account for all genders/sexualities) and more easily handled by traditional OCD recovery methods. Additionally, calling anything "[adjective] OCD" also represents a general misunderstanding of actual OCD in the US, and labelling this problem as such is counterproductive. The more common issue (especially for users of these forums) is what I call PIHAD, and its cause is most likely porn. While there have not been enough scientific studies in the long term to solidify the problem as porn, I can anecdotally say for myself and the countless guys on the forum that have been able to stop PIHAD that quitting PMO for substantial periods of time seems to work, so I encourage others to do the same.

@op let me know if you disagree or want more information

Some caveats before I leave.

• There is a huge problem with homophobia, transphobia, anti-gayness, and anti-transness in American culture. For some reason the association with being LGBTQIA is often denoted as bad/weak or even used in place of those words, expressing traditional masculinity is often seen by professing dislike, hatred, or disgust of anything related to LGBTQIA individuals, and people are often afraid that they themselves or the people they care about are not straight. This is a terrible, terrible problem with a large chunk of American culture. I try to go out of my way to confront friends, family members, and any others I encounter that engage in these types of behaviors. I would not call myself an ally of any marginalized group, but I find it abhorrent that being LGBTQIA is considered by some to mean weak, immoral, and generally bad. I also hate bullies and stand up to the ones I see, no exception here.
• American politicians are very good at sensing the cultural fears Americans have (especially ones related to LGBTQIA people) and co-opting their language for political gain. I personally have not heard any politicians talk about HOCD, but make no mistake, they are using buzzwords and catchphrases for political gain and don't really know what they're getting into, just like politicians who make big deals about CRT or systemic racism, rising communism or fascism, cultural Neo-Marxism or the white Christian patriarchal elite, etc. They really don't give a shit, they just wanna get reelected.
• Those recovering from porn addiction often internalize their struggle by seeing the idea of porn and any co-conspirators as "the enemy". It makes rebooting easier, gives moral support, and is used effectively to quit porn consumption by some communities and influencers. However, this is problematic on many levels. Many users begin to hate the specific people in the porn they watch, especially the female porn stars (even though many are under-compensated, taken advantage of, and often get into the industry due to past abuse). This can start off as harmless comments on NoFap expressing dislike of certain porn stars, but can culminate in death threats and attacks on real life people. Many users see the communities that align with the porn they watch as "co-conspirators", such as the gay, trans, or fetish communities. Again, this hate of "the enemy" starts as online chatter but can evolve into real world attacks, threats, and danger. This type of thinking of anyone involved with porn or related to it as "the enemy" often sprouts conspiratorial and bigoted mindsets. It is obviously harmful for the communities under attack, but it also undercuts efforts by those pushing forward movements and organizations advocating for reduction of porn use and recovery methods, it brings doubt and scrutiny to scientific research being done on porn addicts and those in recovery, and it isolates and stigmatizes porn recovery communities even more than they already are. It is important to understand why those in recovery from porn often feel and act this way, but it is also our duty to call out and stop this type of behavior whenever and wherever we see it. It is paramount to the success of the anti-porn abuse movement that we do not let our communities members harm other in any way, especially under false pretenses, which is increasingly common.

 

You won't "become" a woman of you choose to live as a man. It's just the porn brain scaring you

 

This post compresses a lot of fundamental truth into two short sentences. [Applause emoji].

 

You're making the classic, natural mistake of trying to beat water flat (saying courtesy of Suzuki, the Zen monk). Every time you engage with the thoughts to try understand them, you're actually feeding them with your attention, but you feel as though, if you turn your attention away from them, they'll blindside you. The trick is to accept the possibility so that it doesn't trouble you and, like the bogeyman under the bed, I'd be very, very surprised if it didn't stop bothering you that very instant. The trans people I've met want that for themselves - they're not torn up about it. That doesn't seem to be your case, and I'm not an expert, but from my own experiences, I'd say for you to transition would be the wrong thing, because it doesn't look like it aligns with who you actually are.