Everyone is raised with a set of values, which usually are dictated by one or more of the following: familial, cultural, ethnic, religious or societal beliefs. These values are applied to how we’re expected to carry ourselves in the world and how we engage with others. Our caregivers deliver both explicit and implicit messages to us from the minute we are born about behavior, language, emotional regulation – even sex.
When you think back to your formative years, do you remember conversations about sex? Were you welcomed by adults to approach them with questions? Was sexuality normalized as part of being a human? Or was sex seen as something taboo or shameful? Maybe it wasn’t even discussed at all (which is a message, in and of itself).
It’s not uncommon to experience conflict between the way you were raised and feelings about your sexuality. It can be challenging to reconcile the two. How you go about it is as unique as you are.