OCDWarrior17
- Date posted
- 1y
Hi
I have contamination OCD which I’ve had since 2016. Does anyone have any steps or plans to start to overcome it that I could try? I’m on medication and have had long term therapy.
A23A23
- Date posted
- 1y
I think within the general framework of OCD treatment, contamination OCD can be treated by accepting uncertainty and I'll provide some examples "Maybe this item is dirty, maybe it isnt" "Maybe I will get sick from that item, maybe I won't" "Maybe I am dirty, or maybe I am clean enough" I think acceptance of uncertainty and imperfection, as well as limiting compulsions, can help treat this theme effectively I'm sure a session with NOCD can also help if they are not your current provider and if you haven't seen OCD specialists before (because sometimes talk therapy isn't enough or helpful, particularly for OCD)
cyc1017 cyc1017
- Date posted
- 1y
My daughter has contamination OCD and is finally functioning very well. She went to a doctor who started her on Sertraline and did exposure therapy with her for a year or so. Learning to accept uncertainty (as you stated) is key. Also learning to live more in the gray rather than having everything be black or white. We are amazed and oh so grateful that our daughter has overcome her "living hell."
A23A23
- Date posted
- 1y
@cyc1017 That's amazing to hear, glad it's working out well
cyc1017 cyc1017
- Date posted
- 1y
@A23 Thank you. She has 2 precious sons and she fought through for them ❤️
JennielouisesJennielouises
- Date posted
- 1y
@A23 Yes I agree with this, although I haven’t managed it myself. I’ve done exposure and had times I’ve been able to manage my ocd but it always comes back as I haven’t treated the route cause. I can’t accept uncertainly as I don’t think I’ll cope with feeling uncomfortable. I therefore feel I need to control everything
A23A23
- Date posted
- 1y
@Jennielouises Maybe some sort of long term anxiety therapist would be beneficial?
JennielouisesJennielouises
- Date posted
- 1y
@A23 If only I could afford that. Others have learned to accept uncertainty so it must be possible
A23A23
- Date posted
- 1y
@Jennielouises Yeah some insurances also cover short term anxiety coaching, there's a program called AbleTo
A23A23
- Date posted
- 1y
@Jennielouises Long term strategies that may help also include exercise, meditation and journaling
JennielouisesJennielouises
- Date posted
- 1y
@A23 So I find for me, journaling makes me ruminate. But I do think I need to do the others. I also feel for me that doing daily mental exercise will help. I haven’t had a chance to focus on my mental health since Jan as my son has been so ill. So I’ve lost my fitness, just like you would if you stopped going to the gym
A23A23
- Date posted
- 1y
@Jennielouises Oh, best wishes for your son to recover 💙
TanyaShelby22TanyaShelby22
- Date posted
- 1y
hey, i really feel for you dealing with contamination ocd since 2016, it sounds incredibly tough. sticking with medication and therapy is a big step, and i admire your dedication to finding more ways to cope. 💪 have you heard about "unstuck"? it's an ai-powered therapy tool specifically for ocd (unstuckmyOCD.com). it's been a game-changer for me this past month, and i think it might offer you some new strategies. someone here recommended it to me, and i only wish i'd discovered it sooner!
Related posts
JCTC
- Date posted
- 24w
Help with Contamination OCD
Does anyone have any tips that helped them? Mine is due to a specific person and I work with them so it’s been really difficult. I’ve started ERP which has been reaaalllllly challenging and I would love to hear from anyone else that has gone through any type of contamination ocd and how they have overcome or are fighting their way through it. Thank you!l
Sierra01
- Date posted
- 17w
My first post
Hello! I’m new here. Unfortunately I’m not able to afford a therapist but I’ve been doing a lot of research and I think a lot of my symptoms/thoughts align with OCD. I want to share some of what I experience and see if anyone else experiences the same and what resources helped you. I think I mostly experience contamination OCD. I’m constantly worried that something I do/touch is going to make me really sick and/or die. Especially with food, I’m constantly worried that I’ll accidentally have something on my hands when I eat, then I’ll touch the food and get that on the food, eat it and get sick. So I’ll wash my hands every time my hands touch any little tiny thing again and again before I eat, same with any forks/spoons, or I’ll even think I touched cleaner a few hours ago and I’ve washed my hands several times since then and I just washed them again but they still feel dirty so even if impractical I’ll use a fork and if my hands touch the part of the fork that touches the food then I can’t eat the food any longer or use that fork. Also at work I have these thoughts that I know are ridiculous but also give me very real anxiety. Like “if I don’t finish this order before that machine beeps its a sign I’m going to die” and then I have to rush to make sure I finish fast and then I’ll be like ok that’s so stressful I’m not going to think like that any more it’s ridiculous but then the thoughts keep coming back so I have to keep rushing. This is just a little tad bit of what I experience and I would love to hear from others as I haven’t met anyone else like me before. Thank you!
random2025
- Date posted
- 13w
Have Any Of You Recovered From Severe Contamination OCD?
i suffer from severe contamination ocd and I'm starting to think i will never be "normal" again I have already done 20 sessions of ERP I've also tried 6 different medications so far The medication and ERP have so far reduced my OCD by 25-35% but i remain very limited and far from "normal". have any of you who also suffered from severe contamination/disgust OCD managed to recover fully and have a normal life? is it even possible for someone like me to ever have a normal life again after 7+ years of severe contamination OCD?
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