How emotional contamination OCD showed up for me

This is so under-valued and not nearly spoken of enough! This finally fit my son’s diagnosis, when so many others weren’t quite describing it, it seems!

I feel so seen lol

Omg I didn’t realize that was a thing This is actually one of my top OCD types😭 now I finally have a term for it 🙏

This definitely is a subtype I have. I don’t wear certain clothing because of what my brain has associated them with, either a bad OCD day, a thought/obsession, sickness, etc. I don’t buy or eat certain things because of what my brain has associated them with, a bad OCD day, the potential to have OCD triggered by the items, etc.

Wow that is a thing I didn't know! Very interested in discussing with my therapist.

I remember when I had a car accident at 16, I thought that wearing the clothes I wore during the accident would make bad things happen. I didn’t wear them for a long time. I also delete playlists that I made during bad times and don’t listen to songs or watch shows that I associate with bad events 🫩

I think you're on to something here! I see myself in this, starting from way back watching movies or the news when bad things happen, they feel like they infected me and I can't get away from the feeling -- it's sticky.

Would this explain why I avoid a certain song? I was singing along to it whilst I was driving and was annoyed when my mum's phone call interrupted singing along (it's very complicated with her) but this time mum called to say my nan was dying. I couldn't turn around or pull over to let my partner take over driving, so I finished singing along to the song until I was able to pull over and switch with my partner. At first I thought the news wasn't sinking in or the singing was a way to mentally protect myself as I was in charge of driving in a lot of traffic. Now, my anxiety and intrusive thoughts say those are excuses and that I'm a selfish person for responding how I did. It's so bad that the song is now an instant skip for me. Would this be an example of emotional contamination? My mum thinks I'm being silly and the news hadn't sunk in yet. My husband says either way it doesn't make me a bad person because I'm allowed to have feelings. I just want to move past it but can't

Great, now I’m emotionally contaminated because I looked at pictures of an attractive young woman who would almost certainly have no interest in me whatsoever 😭😭😭

Can emotional contamination also include me being afraid that my boyfriend is going to get ocd because I vent to him about my intrusive thoughts?