Culturally Speaking

Challenging assumptions about culture, race, and mental health.

by Monica Williams, Ph.D.

Assessment and Treatment of Sexual Orientation Themed OCD

Sexual-orientation worries are a common symptom of OCD that is often misunderstood by both clients and therapists. These obsessions cause distress, confusion, and shame. Many are afraid of getting professional help because they worry the therapist will think they are really gay. Read More

Sexual Orientation Compulsions in OCD

What would you do if you thought you were becoming gay? Some people worry that their sex lives may suddenly be replaced with something unappealing and foreign. OCD can cause doubts about sexual orientation and hidden behaviors that don't make sense. Read More

Sexual Orientation Obsessions and Suicidal Thoughts

What if your brain kept replaying images that you didn't want to see? What if it kept sending you conflicting messages about your sexuality? Would you want to die? Some people do. New research describes the startling connection between OCD, sexual-orientation worries, and suicidal thoughts. Read More

Sexual Orientation Obsessions in OCD

"What if I've been gay all along and don't know it?" Sexual orientation worries are an underrecognized symptom of OCD that can cause distressing obsessions and covert compulsions. This puzzling form of OCD has been known to confuse patients and professionals alike, and sufferers struggle to find answers. Read More

Why People Cling to Racist Ideas

Racism is alive and well in American society and may even target successful people of color. Pathological stereotypes about ethnoracial groups breed racism and maintain an imbalanced social order. Learning about the values of other cultures can help heal racism and foster multiculturalism. Read More

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner: Eating Disorders in African Americans

Little was known about disordered eating in Black people until recently. Although anorexia nervosa is much less common, African Americans struggle with eating issues too. Read More

Colorblind Ideology is a Form of Racism

Racial problems are a sore spot in the American psyche. Although the ideology of colorblindness may seem like a good approach, it's only a half-measure that fosters racism. The need for colorblindness implies there is something shameful about people of color that we shouldn’t see or talk about. Read More

The Circular Nature of Pathological Stereotypes

Pathological stereotypes affect everyone, even those who consider themselves progressive and open-minded. Simply knowing about a pathological stereotype can result in responding in a pathological manner, causing the stereotype to become true. Read More

African Americans and Pathological Stereotypes

Although there are many negative stereotypes about African Americans, most people are surprised to learn that stereotypes are wrong. Social status determines the content of stereotypes, not the actual characteristics of the people in the stereotyped group. Read More

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and the “Root of the Problem”

What caused my OCD?

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is often shrouded in mystery, as sufferers struggle to understand the cause of their disorder. Already prone to "over-thinking," many believe that if they can determine what caused their brain to go awry, they can figure out a way to fix it. People with OCD have been known to spend hours ruminating to find "the root of the problem."

African Americans share the same mental health issues as the rest of the population, with with additional stress due to racism, prejudice, and economic disparities. Learn why so many in the Black community avoid therapy and what can be done about it. Read More

OCD Underground: Pure Obsessionals & Covert Compulsions

OCD is well known for its implausible obsessions and repetitive, often bizarre, compulsions. But sometimes OCD hides in plain sight by hijacking the brain with obsessions that demand covert or mental compulsions. Commonly termed "pure obsessionals" (a misnomer), these individuals have worries that revolve around sex, aggression, and religion. Read More

Monnica Williams, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences at the University of Louisville.

more...

About Culturally Speaking

This blog challenges cultural assumptions about race, ethnicity, and mental health. Popular topics include mental health disparities, ethnic differences, stereotypes, gender, and African American mental health. Other topics include symptom dimensions in obsessive-compulsive disorder and sexual psychopathology.