Contamination OCD post pandemic

Has anyone else’s contamination OCD just gone through the roof since living through a pandemic? I didn’t even realize that’s what it was until the other day. My themes are primarily health and existential… But now I realize it’s also contamination, or at least I think so. I avoid public places, still try not to eat indoors, and if I do, I literally go into a countdown of how many days it’s been since being around people to know when I’m in the “safe zone.” How do y’all deal with it?

StayGold

Date posted: 1y

This has been my life for the last 3 years. I relate so much. Rooting for you!

emilytravels...

Date posted: 1y

@StayGold Thank you! I’m sorry you deal with it too. Have are you managing with the holidays?

StayGold

Date posted: 1y

@emilytravelswild Holidays are difficult this year. I’m already thinking about scheduling plans and which day can be my last in-office day (I work mostly remote but go in to the office a few times a month) at least a week or more before I see family for the xmas. It takes so much extra brainpower to consider plus planning to clean everything extra before seeing them. I just started therapy on here and start ERP next week so here’s hoping it gets better. How are you doing with it all and is there anything that has been helpful for you?

emilytravels...

Date posted: 1y

@StayGold So mine doesn’t have so much to do with cleaning, but just being around people, because most things are caught from the air. My partner and I are nomads but have been staying with my dad since November because of this OCD relapse I’ve been in. When we are on our own, we can control who we are around, etc. but my dad has people over all the time and is just very social. So the OCD over getting sick is much higher than normal. The only thing that really helps is not being around people, but I feel like that’s not the best thing to do. I kind of feel like I’m in a frozen state of fear right now since every day I’m around people. The biggest thing that has helped me though is learning how to acknowledge the intrusive thought without engaging with it. Even though I still have times when it takes over, I’ve found that I’m getting a lot better at just letting it “be” in the background as I go about my day. It definitely hasn’t gone away, but that’s not the point with thoughts, the point is to learn how not to allow them to take over and spiral into something they aren’t. At least for me. Is that helpful?

StayGold

Date posted: 1y

@emilytravelswild That is super helpful. I’m glad that has been helping you and hope it continues to give you relief! I find that sometimes I can kind of do something like that and keep going with my day and other times the rumination spiral wins and the it can get really bad quickly. I can sometimes even be aware that it’s happening but it’s hard to disengage once I’ve given it any attention. It’s really nice to talk with you and feel less alone with these types of things :)

VGH

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y

You are definitely not alone with this, and absolutely the pandemic was like shining a huge spotlight on "contamination". Because I had spent so many years doing compulsions, I didn't always see what was an appropriate response to a situation or an OCD response. Additionally, if we spend too much time trying to figure it out, that can also be a compulsion. I landed on a couple of options to help me move smoothly through choosing an appropriate response. 1. What would I normally do? What would someone without OCD do (here I usually inserted my husband as he has a very healthy response to various situations). I didn't ask him what he would do as that would be reassurance seeking. I also didn't tell him what I was choosing as that, too, would have been confession, also a compulsion. 3. I then thought about what I wanted to do, how I wanted to be able to handle it and move through the uncertainty - then I did that. Another tactic I would use is I'd choose one source (for Covid the CDC) and I'd do what they said. I wouldn't spend hours researching, it would be one and done and when the doubt would come, I would accept that I couldn't be 100% certain, but I wanted to get my life back so I was following the CDC. This has worked for me for contamination and health anxiety. I go to the Drs. and I follow what they tell me to do, I don't research, ruminate or Google. Anyway, hope this helps, it would be great to hear others' tactics.

ChaoticCatte...

Date posted: 25w

Contamination/health OCD struggles

Recently, I’ve been struggling a ton with what I eat/put into my body? I’m a first year college student with a few different health issues (including IBS), and lately it’s been hard for me to find food on campus that doesn’t upset my stomach. I also have pretty severe emetophobia, and feel extremely anxious when I feel sick. The ironic thing is that being anxious makes me feel even worse, so I end up sticking myself in an impossible loophole. My OCD has taken hold of these fears over the past few months, and it’s been such a struggle. Especially since people have been getting food poisoning from various dining halls on my campus lately. My OCD has gotten so bad that sometimes I’m too afraid to eat food other than what I buy myself. I feel so trapped. I don’t want my OCD to affect my physical health or prevent me from eating, bc I love eating!! It’s the fear of getting sick that’s the problem. And it’s even harder when everything is so unfamiliar. Just wondering if anyone could relate. Advice is appreciated!

S. L.

Date posted: 23w

Contamination OCD

Does anyone have any tips on how to handle contamination OCD?

user2826728292

Date posted: 23w

how do you beat contamination OCD

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 :(

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Contamination OCD post pandemic

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