Fear wearing items touching things things falling off me and never being able to retrieve them when out. Feel like I have ashes all over me but I know it’s just ocd but can’t move last just feels immoral to carry on bern stick in house for nearly 2 months struggle to go toliet due to contamination fearsvrestrict food water also please help some one
Estrid thanks so much for all your response so far it’s nice to know I’m not experiencing this alone and sharing you suffer with the same means you understand and get me
You are welclme. Yes, I really know it from the inside. Be careful with "just face it"- it's easy to get overwhelmed. A better way is to write down what rituals you are doing and step by step diminsh them. You need a plan. If you want inspiration, check Jenna Overbaugh, great content, Instagram, website, pod.
Oh thanks so much! Been super helpful. Are you from America what help is available to you? Basically this one thought is making me do all these compulsions but if I stop one then there’s no point doing any of them as my minds telling me what ever I touch drop on it has the contaminate on and someone might come walk then spread it about uncontrollably
I live in Sweden, Europe. Yes, sometime, when we let go of one thought the whole thought pattern including rituals seems to be unnecessary and we can try to let go of it alltogether.
@Estrid How old are you if you don’t mind me asking I’m 29 been battling this for a long time now But contamination seems the worst as it’s affecting every aspect of my life
@Ashleyjashleyj I feel like 35, but I am 50😊 I agree, I have had many themes during my life, and contamination is so, so hard, it destroys so much in your life. When you make progress you'll really enjoy the freedom!
@Estrid I’m 29 but feel 90 😂 would you say it’s the hardest it’s definitely been my hardest as I have suffered for a long time now
I will check Jenna out
Been watching Nathan Peterson if you heard of him?
Yes, I have watched a lot of his videos. A lot of good stuff! What I like with Jenna though, is that she has OCD herself and know it from the inside.
@Estrid I watched her this morning and yes I agree the way she was talking you could tell she knows how it feels
@Ashleyjashleyj Just watched Jenna really helpful so thank you
Oh that’s great I hope to continue to speak to you as I hope we can help each other through this illness. Can I add you on Instagram?
Sorry, but I don't add people on Instagram, and I am not always available here, I write when I can. Hang in there, and if you need some support partner maybe you can find one in for example Nathans fb-group. Take care and do whatever you can to fight this disorder!
Oh ok no worries you just seem to understand ocd very well so I thought I could add you as a friend but I understand. Thanks for all your help so far been nice speaking to you yes I will try and sane to you it’s a horrible illness but if we talk fight I believe we are stronger than the illness ever can be
Thanks! Yes, that's true, we are much stronger than we think! Also: if you need hope I also recommend Ethans Smith's tedtalk on you tube!
I’m going to watch it now ❤️ thanks so much
I’ll let you know what I think
😊👍
@Estrid Sorry I get it wrong, no ted talk but "key note speech at IOCDF conference 2014"
Really good thanks I like the way he makes a joke of it as he can see now how ridiculous it can make you believe things
Yes😊!
I’ve started fighting back still doing compulsions but not avoiding things but some things harder than other feel like chest tight like panic attack coming
Where do you live? Is it posdible for you to seek help? You need therapy, help by therapist with knowledge about OCD.
I’m trying atm but so hard to get any help I’m in the Uk been trying for about 8 months
Do you have contamination ocd?
I am sorry to hear. Have you checked the OCD uk forum? There is a lot of good advices about help. What about NOCD? Yes, I have had contamination OCD, and still have some. Blood, germs, chemicals and so on... The good thing is that this is treatable. I'm surprised by how far I have come with the help of ERP. I really hope you'll get help.
Really I’m trying to get that help but struggling atm no I haven’t I will have to try and find it
I’m rethink myself but failing a lot
How does it work like I know you expose your self to the fear but say your scared of germs how does it actually work to expose you gradually I suppose
Think about it as going to the gym, you take step by step, challenging but not overwhelming. You can do ita
Yer I guess it’s knowing where to start although I’m waiting for help jts down to me to do it so I need to just face it I feel but it’s so immoral to me i can’t even face it
How long have you coped with ocd?
30-35 years...
But trying to bring it down meditation good I hear so downloading app now
Hope your ok? How are you coping?
Im having a OCD specifically contamination OCD flare up all month and I don’t want to feel this way going into March, I’ve thrown out clothes, towels, stayed up for hours doing compulsions, washed my hands till they crack and bleed, I have washing pilling up cause I’m so overwhelmed by all the extra things I’ve added cause I thought it was contaminated. It’s completely draining me to the point where I’ve become sleep deprived and are avoiding part of my home because they are deemed contaminated to me…I only moved in a few months ago, I had a roach problem and using baits and insecticides really messed with my ocd too. anyone have any tips or tricks to make this easier? I wasn’t doing this bad in January :( thankyou in advance :)
If anyone has beaten or gotten a lot better with contamination ocd how long did it take and how did you do it? I don’t see myself getting over this theme for a long time but I’m worried for my future like getting a job , I’m scared I won’t be able to cope with bacteria in a workplace and stuff like that. Just feeling lost in recently :(
(long read ahead, sorry lol) I’ve struggled with ocd for as far back as I can remember. I find that it gets worse with stress, and recently I’ve really been struggling with the contamination aspect of my ocd. I’m worried about it becoming unmanageable and negatively affecting my relationship with my partner. I’ve been living with my boyfriend since January (got kicked out of my house a week after I turned 18, it’s for the better though my house is toxic as hell) and I love living with him, but him and his family aren’t as concerned with cleaning as I am used to. My boyfriend and I have been together going on 2 years and there’s been many times throughout our relationship that his struggle with depression severely impacted his ability to keep up with cleaning his room. This is something I completely understand because I’ve struggled with it too so i’ve often helped him clean, and since i’ve moved in he’s done so much better at keeping up with cleaning (especially because he knows about my issues with clutter, mess, germs, etc.) He is really good at being accommodating towards my needs (not overly so, i’m aware that recovering includes accepting being uncomfortable), but it’s so hard for me to differentiate between what is the normal standard for cleanliness and hygiene and what’s excessive and unhealthy. I get so stressed out every single day over the thought of how dirty everything is. He has 3 cats that mainly stay in his room (he has a catio attached to his window/side of the house) and dogs which stay on the opposite side of the house and backyard, so there is fur everywhere constantly (i’m also allergic to cats but it’s not severe). I can’t stop thinking about how they are getting germs from their litter box all over everything. They also used to piss under his bed and in his closet when his room used to be a mess and it’s soaked into the floor so no matter what it stinks. It’s so hard to bring myself to walk around the house without slippers because my feet will get visibly dirty and my socks would get covered in hair. I always think about how my boyfriend sometimes walks on the rugs in the bathroom in shoes and all the germs that spreads. There’s so many more things but this is already getting long and I am shaking just thinking about how unclean everything is. I want to deep clean the entire house myself so I can get it to where It’s not like psychological torture everyday and it’s easier to maintain but I have been so busy I don’t have the time. I am worried about my boyfriend thinking I don’t like living with him or that I think that’s he’s dirty but i don’t. We have had several conversations about this and he’s reassured me that he knows none of my obsessive thoughts are personal but I still feel so bad about it. I would like to get therapy to help work through this but currently that is not an option for me. I know things will get better once I get through the main things in my life that are causing a lot of stress and therefore making my ocd flair up, but I need advice on what to do in the mean time. I keep having moments where all I can do is shake and cry and clean and I feel bad for my poor boyfriend who can only sit next to me and try to comfort me or help me clean. I also don’t want to make him worried that nothing he does is enough for me (i’ve also already talked to him about this and told him about how I can never even be clean enough for myself and that I don’t think he’s dirty). There’s been many times where I want to tell him to do things that I think might be my own unhealthy compulsions (ex. not wearing shoes in the house or in our room, not getting into bed with socks on, making sure to completely dry off before getting out the shower, put makeup and jewelry back where they belong right after using them, etc.) but i can’t tell if they’re reasonable or not and i try to not tell him unless it’s something that severely distresses me. I’m aware that everything is going to have germs no matter what and have been using NER’s to help manage my thought spirals/rumination. I know that I shouldn’t keep doing compulsions because it just offers temporary relief and makes the problem worse because nothing will ever be enough. I just feeling so overwhelmed and hopeless and exhausted and want some feedback.
Share your thoughts so the Community can respond
