Contamination ocd

@Dani.c Was your erp therapy in person?

@Anonymous nope it is all on video calls!

@Anonymous my therapist is amazing here in NOCD, she even went as far as going and touching the faucet handle and eating a snack after without washing hands in her own space wherever she was, while i did the same in my own home as an exposure. (this was after baby steps of course getting to that point of a big exposure like that for me). but even online there were ways i felt that support to do a physical exposure when she did that with me

@Dani.c - I’m not comfortable bringing my device to contaminated areas.

@Anonymous that is fair! i didn’t bring my device- i walked away from the computer and then came back to sit with the discomfort and eat the snack. but this is just an example of how my therapist did it, there are so many different ways therapists will work with individuals and their needs, it could be a completely different approach for you! :)

@Dani.c - Well, my Nocd therapist was really being forceful in me bringing my device…my last therapist who wasn’t from Nocd never forced me to do a trigger during our sessions. We discussed which triggers that I would approach for the weeks, discuss the anxiety around it and how best to sit with it, and then we de-briefed the next session. I made so much progress that way and felt so amazingly understood, heard, and supported…but she had to go on leave…..I keep telling the member advocates here abt how this is best for me and asking if anyone can work like that for me, but everyone is still talking abt bringing my device with me! Meanwhile, the Nocd website says that obsessions can be worked on during sessions or for homework. Feeling pretty down abt all of this.

@Anonymous well dang i’m so sorry to hear that. i agree with you that if that’s how you made progress then that’s important for them to pay attention to! i hope you find someone soon- with NOCD or beyond- that listens!

@Dani.c - Thank you ❤️

@Cinnamoroll I searched above and there are hardly any posts about it…and others even saying that it isn’t talked abt much here

@Cinnamoroll I don’t get your comment…the first half you say you agree, then in the second half you say that you disagree. ???

@Anonymous I agree with you! I just didn’t realize there were barley any posts on it

@Valentina.Amelia777 How have you been addressing the contamination ocd? If using ERP, who is helping you (if anyone)?

@Anonymous I have really addressed it in many ways, I tried many psychologists but honestly no one really came to me with anything new. I'm a challenging patient, since I'm a psychologist too. The last "psychologis" I had really was a horrible one, it gave me such a bad time. It never helped me anything, but just gave me more fears, depression and anxiety, so after all I decided doing things by myself. I was scared to death to fly, being at airports and being put without any mask. So you know what did I do? I actually took a short flight, I didn't wear any mask, I didn't wash my hands a single time being put during those hits of flight and waiting in the airport for the flight back, there was extremely much people coughing and sneezing, I was so upset, the seats of the plane were gross and extremely disgustingly dirty, but... I did it all, we all (my child, me and my husband) got a very bad flu, first my toddler and then me (I got the worst, very very ill) I still haven't fully recovered, but I can say, I DID IT. And yes, it changes you because I was just at home I could wash my hands up to 200 times a day, not able to open or touch almost anything. Since I did that to take the plane, my OCD has dramatically decreased. But I'm not free from it.