My therapist suggested I really think about which of my worries about germs are based in scientific fact, but when I look things up on the internet, it just gives me more worries. How can I do research when I have contamination ocd? Sorry if this doesn’t make sense
I’d ask your therapist why they’d ask you to do that and tell them it’s become a compulsion.
I struggle with contamination too. I’ve gone through phases where I’ve tried to research and it can be very confusing because different sources will often have conflicting information and it just makes your head spin even more! I’ve pretty much stopped reading and researching at this point and try my best to aim for what’s “normal”, if that makes sense? People you know or live with who don’t have OCD but do have good hygiene standards are a good guide. (Obviously no one can ever live up to OCD’s standards! but someone who washes their hands after the restroom and lives in a fairly clean home, etc. really they’re doing enough and you can try to do what they do). I use my partner as a role model a lot, like if I have a “dirty” feeling about something that wouldn’t worry him at all, I know that’s my OCD talking and do my best to resist doing anything about it. If I had to look at the science for myself, I’d probably pick one trusted source like CDC or WHO and leave it at that. You can find all kinds of studies in scientific journals that imply all kinds of things, but one study drawing a conclusion doesn’t mean it’s absolutely true. So you don’t need to flood your brain with everything out there, it will only leave you overwhelmed. People at CDC or WHO or other health departments actually get paid to keep up with that stuff and verify it, so I would let them do all that hard work ;)
no i totally get it, honestly id jus ask for something else because that would absolutely terrify me 🧍🏻♀️
Buy a book.
Are you seeing a therapist trained in the treatment of OCD? If not, this app is a great resource to find an OCD trained therapist. Looking thing up on the internet never seems like a good idea to me. It sounds like reassurance seeking in terms of looking things up and trying to make yourself feel better by finding out something isn’t “scientific” therefore you don’t have to “worry” about it. However, if you are doing an ERP exercise where you go to one reputable source (one time)find an answer, accept that answer and all the doubt, anxiety, fear that comes with it while not engaging in any physical/mental compulsions perhaps that’s acceptable. I’d talk to my therapist and express your concerns. Perhaps reach out to NOCD to find another therapist. Good luck.
Hello, i have ocd and find myself washing my hands after touching almost anything that I feel is unclean. I worry that if I don’t wash them then contamination could occur or it could negatively affect me somehow. It’s gotten to the point where I think so unrealistically of when I should or shouldn’t wash them, causing me to not know what to do so I just wash them to be safe. Could anyone help me with ways to fix this issue or lessen it please.
Triggering for contamination ocd potentially. I just googled something bout therapy and the site gave me an example of a contamination thought that triggered me. "What if someone with aids and bleeding hands touched it". Can anyone help me through this?
I am brand new to this app. I've been seeing a therapist for a while, but not one that specializes in OCD. I'm having a hard time recognizing when a thought about something being contaminated is just an OCD thought, and when it is rational. I mean, germs exist - so a thing can be contaminated with XYZ. I don't know when I'm over estimating how easily things are "spreading" (which because I have a diagnoses, must be an OCD thing) and when I don't need to worry about something anymore. I'm getting caught in loops with rituals until I satisfy the anxiety or I have been at it for too long to continue. Does anyone have tips for recognizing when something is indeed an OCD thought rather than an rational concern?
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