Yeah

Allow that feeling to be there. You need that unclean feeling to get better. Don’t engage with it in any way. Engage with your life, what you have to do today. Every time the thought pops in your mind, label it “OCD thought- moving on”. Don’t rationalize with the thought in any way, don’t try to remember what you did. Just “nope- moving on”. It’s not going to feel good☹️. It’s going to feel so hard, irresponsible etc. that ok, you need to feel those feelings (and do nothing about them). That’s how you get your life back. I’m here to tell you, if you do this( and it takes practice) you will start to feel better. The trick is doing this hard work has to come first. All the best! You are stronger than you know and there are lots of people on here rooting for you!

I think the best route would be to go the rest of the day feeling dirty without showering again.

I agree! No matter what your mind tells you. Tell yourself. I showered. I’m clean! Because you truly are! You showered for 20 mins that’s plenty of time- and you are clean.

Yes, no matter what the theme, it is ultimately about uncertainty. That was/is my theme (health). I used to think, oh I can’t take a risk with my health, I needed to know “for sure”. The truth is, to get better we have to be willing to take a risk, allow uncertainty. My NOCD therapist gave me the tools, after a lifetime of compulsions around health anxiety. Also “Needing to Know for Sure” Seif &Winston helped. As did this https://youtu.be/RPH27Z3IzNY. Take care!

Even with health OCD? ^ that’s what I’m struggling with so much right now.