Bros, I think we all may have this rare form of OCD.
Rose Bretécher, a 29-year-old from London, has come clean about her rare strand of OCD that has caused her to have hallucinogenic sex thoughts for more than a decade.
According to the Daily Mail, Bretécher, a freelance writer, says the condition hindered much of her young adult life, after her first vision of a naked 15-year-old boy only expanded to include visions of her friends making out, co-workers nude, and even strangers banging.
While watching a TV show, Bretécher claimed that a rock face wall shown on the program was replaces by the sight of vaginas plastered across the wall. She admits that parties and first dates were hampered by intrusive sexual thoughts that prevented her from being fully present.
Bretécher published a book called Pure, documenting her 10-year battle with invasive pornographic thoughts, which is scientifically known as a rare strand of OCD called ‘pure O.’
https://www.instagram.com/p/8MMAAEC5xF/
In the book, she tells the story of walking into a bar and seeing Hollywood actor Jake Gyllenhaal. As most of us would be a little star struck and move on with our night, Rose locked eyes with Gyllenhaal and was fixated as his entire face was replaced by a large, dancing vagina. (Note to self: try your best not to laugh at a disorder. I’m sorry I can’t.)
Bretécher admits that she questioned her own sexuality, as she would have sexual fantasies about both sexes.
The pornographic hallucinations became so all-encompassing that Rose underwent therapy to curb them. She underwent many forms of therapy, but the most effective was Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). This treatment involves the patient directly viewing the images that haunt them. For example, they might be asked to look at a naked man or woman while unable to act out any compulsive behavior.
Of the therapy, Rose said:
“I was exposed to sexual content of gradually increasing explicitness and encouraged to tolerate my anxiety, thoughts and feelings, without engaging in compulsions.
Slowly I found myself less and less anxious in response to the stimuli.”
Rose’s book Pure was published by Unbound and is available now.
Here’s a look at her discussing her story:
[h/t Daily Mail]