Hello Everyone! I could really use some support, or perhaps advice with how to deal with this! 3 nights ago, I was at a house party and a girl offered me her e-cigarette. I rarely smoke except for a select few occasions, but decided to take her up on it. I noticed a small red bump on her lip, and politely asked if she gets cold sores. My OCD revolves around contamination and a fear of illnesses, and I also wanted to be a bit safe. She replied with a no. Later that night, she explains to me that she LIED and didn’t think it was a big deal. I met this girl through a family friend and presumed I could trust her. We even both shared something in common: OCD. She blatantly lied to me, knowing about my fears, because she hated the “stigma of oral herpes”. At my expense. At this point... I am enraged. This entire incident has me giving into my compulsions... I am terrified I have it, and I am terrified I could spread the infection to my genitals. I was wondering if any of you ever had a similar experience? Or have cold sores and have any tips on how to resist compulsions? Am I taking the contagiousness of the virus way out of proportion due to my OCD? Or is it generally pretty serious? Any advice or support would be greatly appreciated! I know the disease is common and nothing to be ashamed about! I would just love some advice from someone who may be going through something similar. Thanks!

Username: Jazmine_LeighJazmine_Leigh

Date posted: 5y ago

I am so sorry your going through this, maybe try doing this. It might be hard but let your thoughts pass by writing each thought down and think “is thought something I can change right now”? And if not go onto something you can and really try and let it pass and focus on things that really make you feel good and that you enjoy.

Username: pureolifepureolife

Date posted: 5y ago

Over two-thirds of the world has herpes. So chances are you’ve already come in contact with it many times. I’m not saying there’s no risk, but there’s a high chance you either already have the virus for another experience or won’t get it from this one. Also, I dated someone with it for years and never got it. He didn’t take anything for it. https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/28-10-2015-globally-an-estimated-two-thirds-of-the-population-under-50-are-infected-with-herpes-simplex-virus-type-1

Username: Worried_MadsWorried_Mads

Date posted: 5y ago

@pureolife Thank you so much for sharing your experience and knowledge! I appreciate it, this definitely provided me with some information to better tackle my Triggers. I am hoping that is the case for me! I have a grandparent with them, as well as several friends, and even teammates from school. Im hoping all is well. The girl herself tried to backtrack, saying that : “she never gave it to any boy friends” So I’m hoping the same goes for me! I have a really bad cold right now, so we will see. I’ve really appreciated all of the advice all of you have offered. Relenting my control and understanding the situation better has made me feel so much better! I just can’t believe someone would lie like that.

Username: Jazmine_LeighJazmine_Leigh

Date posted: 5y ago

I understand that, and that’s scary ya know. But what’s so scary about having herpes ?

Username: pureolifepureolife

Date posted: 5y ago

Well it can be quite unpleasant to deal with outbreaks, plus there’s a stigma attached to it. But I think for this person it’s also a huge trigger for contamination OCD. You don’t have to personally fear someone else’s OCD theme/triggers to understand how that likely makes them feel. Whatever your theme is, just imagine dealing with a big trigger for it.

Username: Worried_MadsWorried_Mads

Date posted: 5y ago

@Jazmine_Leigh It is more so that it is a severe trigger for me. Especially since many rumors about self contamination are out there: essentially that if I touch my mouth, then later my genitals, I could get outbreaks there aswell. My OCD surrounds contamination, and this whole situation has opened a can of worms (or more so a can of all new triggers) for me.

Username: Jazmine_LeighJazmine_Leigh

Date posted: 5y ago

I think it would really help since I don’t have the type of OCD you have. So I’m sorry if I’m not much help. But a ocd specialized therapist will help so much I just started seeing one.

Username: Doubts123

Date posted: 5y ago

Can anyone help me with contamination? One of my biggest concerns is not only becoming infected with herpes specifically but also that the germs are just hanging around on my mouth/face and can be transmitted even before I am infected if that makes sense. Basically I fear if I come into contact with a contaminated object I fear that the germs can sit around on my mouth/face and infect others if I touch my mouth and then something else. I also feel the need to extensively clean my mouth and often throw away my toothbrush after brushing because I feel whatever germs were on my mouth are now sitting on my toothbrush waiting to reinfect me or others. This is especially difficult when I come in contact with wet or oily things because it seems like they cannot dry or be rinsed off. Any advice or insight is appreciated!!

Contamination OCD

Username: danocd

Date posted: 5y ago

I have a problem that I'm scared to catch a serious illness like hiv or aids from kissing people or becoming to close to them. It makes me get away from people and I have problems in relationships because I cant trust them if they are clean and I'm too freak... this Sunday I kissed a girl I met on tinder and she made me an scar on my mouth... and now I feel terrible cause if her blood got into my scar I may have caught hiv. I have been 3 days on terrible distress and this sucks... I dont know how to not think about it and I really dont talk to this girl anymore, I checked her mouth 2 or 3 times for injuries or blood (she didn't had any and I dont know if she has hiv or not) but I'm in terrible distress just for the fact that I had an open cut while kissing her and thst kiss could have made me sick with hiv. I really hate this and I hate myself and my decisions of kissing her. And this combines qith my religious compulsions... I'm really hating myself, OCD and illness right now... I'm in big distress and just want to vent a little bit. I just hope I didn't caught hiv from kissing this girl that made me an open cut as I said before but I cant be sure and this makes me crazy.... I just hate it... and hate this thoughts

Username: waytooparanoid

Date posted: 5y ago

Really really struggling with an ongoing genital herpes obsession. I have had no serious sign that I have it and I've been tested multiple times for every other STD but herpes requires either a blood test or the swabbing of symptomatic sores and a lot of doctors recommend against it since it is so common, harmless, and just causes mental distress to know. 5 years ago I messed around with another girl (just kissing and maybe hand contact) and she later told me she had genital herpes but she was on medication for it. It's hard to function thinking I have it and may have passed it on even though I have no reason to think I do. I feel like getting blood tested while having no symptoms would be a bad idea for my recovery but I'm not sure.

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