Mold

That sounds hard. Can you come up with an erp with your therapist? Or try to let the thoughts and feelings be there and engage in value driven activities? Or response prevention statements?

I sympathize with your fears, because OCD makes it very, very challenging to handle problems with more or less ordinary solutions. Mold is tricky. Try to find a way to navigate the problem without going into compulsions, by going for reasonable solutions. Since you have an apartment, do you have a property manager who can hire someone to take care of the issue? Like cleaning your vents, investigating, etc. Or perhaps consult a professional for their opinion and solutions. There are so many kinds of molds and associated problems, and from personal experience, it’s kind of tricky to understand it when it’s so varied. Perhaps take a break from being in your apartment to journal, or come up with a plan to address it. I also second the idea of discussing it with your therapist. Try to also remember that OCD can cause you to underestimate your ability to cope and handle stressors. You are strong enough to navigate this bump in your OCD.

Oh gosh, I’m so sorry to hear you are going through this! I went through something similar, but my responsibility ocd kicked in. I did research and took steps to contain it too, I probably didn’t go about it the best way as far as compulsions go. But after taking some steps I had to trust that I had done enough and accept certainty about how the mold would affect the rest of my house. The anxiety died down quite a bit (and latched onto something else instead… as it usually does 🙃)

Mold is a huge trigger for me. I lived in a home for about two years that was overtaken with black mold. When my OCD symptoms kicked in for the first time, I was living in a new home that had previously been treated for mold. The stains were still present. I found myself sick over it every day, looking, picking, poking, and scrubbing. Will the wall be so covered and wet, that it will just crumble, next time I inspect it? I spoke with my therapist and we did some exposures with the mold. I am so sorry that you struggle with this, though I do feel less alone. Hope you heal.