Is avoiding certain triggers in OCD healthy or does it reinforce the disorder?

Its a tough call. Coffee has a physiological effect that can create anxiety, so its not just the thoughts about it. So I would say its okay to avoid it. Since its not a necessity to drink coffee. Unless its a real pre-occupation with coffee specifically?

Maybe try with decaf slowly, then just a little bit. Don't overdo it, ever.

Everybody thinks something irrational at least once in their life. Normally when someone thinks something like this, they know that the thought is unreasonable so instead of dwelling on it, they ignore it and move on with their daily routine. What i am trying to say is, having OCD does not make you a bad or a crazy person. That just shows that your brain overestimates that intrusive thought. You can think of it like this; whatever intrusive thought you are having contradicts you so much that you never want to experience something like it. So thinking that possibility gives you anxiety. As for avoidance, in OCD avoiding is a compulsion. If you are afraid of something, you perform some rituels to avoid it. So in your example avoiding coffee will relieve your anxiety only for a short time, but after a while you'll see that the intrusive thought returns and you get more anxious. The best way to deal with your intrusive thoughts is to try and ignore your compulsions. Once you stop performing your compulsive rituels, your mind will gradually begin to relax as you see that nothing you afraid happens.

In my opinion that is avoidance OCD because you are avoiding drinking coffee so you won't have the intrusive thoughts/won't have to keep drinking it until you can without any intrusive thoughts. ERP I believe would say to drink the coffee and don't drink it over and over again. Drink the coffee, and even if you have intrusive thoughts, don't repeat drinking or avoid it. Obviously this is easier said than done.

It’s just difficult because my ocd always attaches to different objects and I am able to ignore it and not put to much into it. Well I’ve gotten better. But it’s really attached to coffee for some reason. And I enjoy coffee. But I was able to finish my last cup on a clean thought. And I wanna have a cup sometimes. But I’m so afraid of getting stuck in that loop. it’s easier just to stay away. So I guess I am letting ocd win. I don’t know. If I quit coffee completely it will find something else I’m sure. I’m doing therapy now. It’s hard to see a time where I can casually have a cup of coffee and not care what thoughts pop in my head. I’m just not sure if that’s how my life is going to always be this way.

Yes drinking it and not caring about the thoughts is so difficult. Especially when I can just get another cup to fix the first one. Or a third. Or try not to give in but feel like shit because my brain tells me I’m a pedophile for drinking that cup and not fixing the thoughts.

Just keep trying. Try and drink coffee and intentionally think of the intrusive thoughts. Then just feel the anxiety and the more you do it, the more you should habituate or just realize that you can tolerate the anxiety.

Omg having these thoughts is so damn difficult to not fix it. But your right If I want to have control over my life I have to face it.

I understand. I usually give in to my compulsions but am trying to change that.