I’m interested to know what the root of people’s contamination OCD is? Is it the fear of sickness, the fear of giving someone else a sickness, or a general feeling of disgust from being exposed to something ‘dirty’? I feel like i might actually be the latter - I don’t fear illnesses as much but more the fear of being exposed to something considered disgusting. I’m not sure which is easier!

For me it’s definitely mostly the fesr of giving others an illness. I also have moments in which I worry for myself, but these are rare. I also fear being exposed to something dirty, but compared to the other two it’s a mild feeling and may stem more from the fact that I was raised to always consider hygiene ( wear slippers ar public swimming pools etc)

Same!! Disgust. For example. Public bathrooms I know you cannot catch much there but seeing other people’s substance disgusts me to no end. It’s a big deal and I feel like seeing any small minor trace of bodily fluid makes me feel like I swam in a pool of dirt and anything I encountered that day. It has caused me hours of my life and have made me sooo upset

I’m terrified of sickness. Mine is mostly with toilets and food. I can’t eat cause all food could be contaminated and I have to use almost an entire roll of toilet paper cleaning the toilet seat before I can use the toilet. Second to that is the fear of getting another person sick from not washing my hands (mostly when preparing food). Contamination with food (that would result in food poisoning) is my biggest and worst one right now. I have almost completely stopped eating.

I'm scared of giving others a sickness. I think my contamination fear is actual part of my harm OCD where I fear accidently hurting others.

The first and last for me. And the general feeling of disgust is so hard to explain to a therapist!

Before I feared germs and didn’t fear bathroom. So if someones family had the stomach bug I would avoid anything this person came across even standing next to them. Even if they are not the ones who’s had the stomach bug. But now I care less about this. But if I see a dirty toilet and just see it with my eye now anything I wore that day or touched that day is now fully contaminated. Along with where I sit. Like my car is also contaminated. Etc. I need some tips to help fight this because I know it makes no sense but the disgust is sooo strong. I cannot stand seeing public bathroom and traces of gross bodily substance

I fear being contaminated with STDs from toilets, sitting on public transport when I have a skirt on, touching “dirty” objects etc because I’m scared of my partner leaving and thinking I cheated So fear of abandonment made me suffer contamination ocd