leizy
Jun 5, 2006, 1:42 PM
Standard intro - i'm writing a chapter/book on alternative sexualities, and am posting sections of the bisexuality chapter for comments - i love the comments, they're great help! FYI - I started writing these as a bisexual male, who had the experience of feeling misunderstood and rejected. Had a great therapist who just couldn't understand bisexuality. It surprised me, so as a clinical psychologist, i started reviewing what the research literature says, versus what people believe and act on...
cheers.
david
Bisexuals are mentally, emotionally or behaviorally disturbed:
In the 1970's, the professional organizations of the American behavioral health professionals voted to no longer categorize homosexuality as a mental disorder. While this change came after extensive research had documented that there were no psychiatric or behavioral disorders associated with homosexuality, it reveals the political and subjective nature of behavioral health diagnoses, regardless of the science. Some activists and policy-makers have speculated that had such a vote been delayed until the onset of the AIDS crisis, or until current times, when the religious and conservative right carry so much political weight, it is likely that homosexuality might still be considered a sign of clinical dysfunction. Bisexuality emerged as a defined orientation and group after these changes had taken place, and there is no "diagnosis" reflecting bisexuality as a mental disorder.
However, many clinicians and writers have long regarded bisexual behavior as a symptom or expression of internal confusion or dysfunction. While Freud wrote that there was much to be learned from bisexuality, most psychodynamic writers have approached bisexuality as evidence of an Oedipal type conflict, with individuals seeking to resolve conflicted feelings about their mother and father through sexual contact with both sexes. Despite the changes in the approach to homosexuality, bisexuality is often described in literature and clinical presentations as a symptom of conditions such as Bipolar Disorder, with promiscuous, impulsive sex, or of conditions known as personality disorders. Borderline Personality Disorder is known for disturbed patterns of relationships, with intense sexual relationships, often involving confused interpersonal boundaries. Some studies have shown that bisexuals report that therapists often treated their bisexuality as a symptom or cause of their mental distress, and even suggested at times that their bisexuality would no longer be an issue with effective treatment.
Research with bisexuals has yielded confused results. Some research has supported higher levels of depression, anxiety, suicidality and disturbed emotions in bisexuals, compared to both homosexuals and heterosexuals. However, despite these findings, other research, such as that conducted by researchers and writers Page, Lucksted and Moss, suggests that bisexuals access counseling and psychiatric services less than others, and may receive less effective services when they do seek counseling services.
Bisexuals may be more susceptible to experiencing psychological disturbance related to their sexuality in younger years, around their twenties, when bisexual feelings typically begin to be reported and experienced, but any emotional disturbance related to their sexuality appears to subside with age as bisexuals become more comfortable with their sexuality. Bisexuals are especially susceptible to the damaging, unethical and unsupported efforts of those therapists who claim to be able to "treat" individuals for their homosexual urges. Some research regarding such efforts has documented increased social and emotional problems in people who have participated in so-called conversion therapies.
The American Psychological Association, led by psychologist-researchers such as Fox recommends that psychologists should acknowledge that bisexual clients experience unique stressors, due to the invisibility of bisexuality, and that these stressors make counseling bisexuals a situation requiring careful and accurate approaches. In contrast to the findings of disturbed mental health histories among bisexuals, other studies have found no clear support for such views, and others have even suggested that bisexuality may act as a positive force in people's lives, affecting their relationships, life attitudes and roles in beneficial, transformative ways. One fascinating recent study by Rothblum and Factor examined sisters who were lesbian, bisexual or heterosexual, and found poorer mental health in bisexuals. Other research by Rothblum suggests that if poorer mental health outcomes are present in bisexuals, they may be due to the stresses of discrimination and the “secrecy” and invisibility of bisexuality; the more “out” bisexuals are, the less likely they are to present with mental health problems.
Are bisexuals psychopathic, deceptive, sex-driven killers? Certainly, it is only popular media that presents this image, and the research regarding bisexuals does not suggest that this image is anything but an exaggeration. Based upon the numbers of individuals who engage in bisexual interactions in their lifetime, whether they self-identify as homosexual, heterosexual and bisexual, society would be awash in psycho-killer bisexual sluts, if this image were accurate. Instead, like the movies of the 1950's, that often portrayed homosexuals as dangerous, untrustworthy sneaks, the Hollywood presentation of bisexuals appears to be a reflection of society's general fears of bisexuality, responding to the beliefs that bisexuals are deceptive, untrustworthy and sex-driven, rather than reflecting the reality of those who live bisexual lives.
cheers.
david
Bisexuals are mentally, emotionally or behaviorally disturbed:
In the 1970's, the professional organizations of the American behavioral health professionals voted to no longer categorize homosexuality as a mental disorder. While this change came after extensive research had documented that there were no psychiatric or behavioral disorders associated with homosexuality, it reveals the political and subjective nature of behavioral health diagnoses, regardless of the science. Some activists and policy-makers have speculated that had such a vote been delayed until the onset of the AIDS crisis, or until current times, when the religious and conservative right carry so much political weight, it is likely that homosexuality might still be considered a sign of clinical dysfunction. Bisexuality emerged as a defined orientation and group after these changes had taken place, and there is no "diagnosis" reflecting bisexuality as a mental disorder.
However, many clinicians and writers have long regarded bisexual behavior as a symptom or expression of internal confusion or dysfunction. While Freud wrote that there was much to be learned from bisexuality, most psychodynamic writers have approached bisexuality as evidence of an Oedipal type conflict, with individuals seeking to resolve conflicted feelings about their mother and father through sexual contact with both sexes. Despite the changes in the approach to homosexuality, bisexuality is often described in literature and clinical presentations as a symptom of conditions such as Bipolar Disorder, with promiscuous, impulsive sex, or of conditions known as personality disorders. Borderline Personality Disorder is known for disturbed patterns of relationships, with intense sexual relationships, often involving confused interpersonal boundaries. Some studies have shown that bisexuals report that therapists often treated their bisexuality as a symptom or cause of their mental distress, and even suggested at times that their bisexuality would no longer be an issue with effective treatment.
Research with bisexuals has yielded confused results. Some research has supported higher levels of depression, anxiety, suicidality and disturbed emotions in bisexuals, compared to both homosexuals and heterosexuals. However, despite these findings, other research, such as that conducted by researchers and writers Page, Lucksted and Moss, suggests that bisexuals access counseling and psychiatric services less than others, and may receive less effective services when they do seek counseling services.
Bisexuals may be more susceptible to experiencing psychological disturbance related to their sexuality in younger years, around their twenties, when bisexual feelings typically begin to be reported and experienced, but any emotional disturbance related to their sexuality appears to subside with age as bisexuals become more comfortable with their sexuality. Bisexuals are especially susceptible to the damaging, unethical and unsupported efforts of those therapists who claim to be able to "treat" individuals for their homosexual urges. Some research regarding such efforts has documented increased social and emotional problems in people who have participated in so-called conversion therapies.
The American Psychological Association, led by psychologist-researchers such as Fox recommends that psychologists should acknowledge that bisexual clients experience unique stressors, due to the invisibility of bisexuality, and that these stressors make counseling bisexuals a situation requiring careful and accurate approaches. In contrast to the findings of disturbed mental health histories among bisexuals, other studies have found no clear support for such views, and others have even suggested that bisexuality may act as a positive force in people's lives, affecting their relationships, life attitudes and roles in beneficial, transformative ways. One fascinating recent study by Rothblum and Factor examined sisters who were lesbian, bisexual or heterosexual, and found poorer mental health in bisexuals. Other research by Rothblum suggests that if poorer mental health outcomes are present in bisexuals, they may be due to the stresses of discrimination and the “secrecy” and invisibility of bisexuality; the more “out” bisexuals are, the less likely they are to present with mental health problems.
Are bisexuals psychopathic, deceptive, sex-driven killers? Certainly, it is only popular media that presents this image, and the research regarding bisexuals does not suggest that this image is anything but an exaggeration. Based upon the numbers of individuals who engage in bisexual interactions in their lifetime, whether they self-identify as homosexual, heterosexual and bisexual, society would be awash in psycho-killer bisexual sluts, if this image were accurate. Instead, like the movies of the 1950's, that often portrayed homosexuals as dangerous, untrustworthy sneaks, the Hollywood presentation of bisexuals appears to be a reflection of society's general fears of bisexuality, responding to the beliefs that bisexuals are deceptive, untrustworthy and sex-driven, rather than reflecting the reality of those who live bisexual lives.