Hey guys, I need some advice on ERP and contamination/covid fears. My current therapist is working on some other items with me first as she feels I'm doing well enough guiding my own ERP. I have been doing well and made some good steps but I cant think of other ERP's to do that arent REALLY scary for me. It's like in leveling up and cant bring myself to do the next level without compulsions. The next level would include touching things in my fridge without washing my hands and going for a walk without taking a shower. Both seem SO risky to me. The fridge because the covid virus likes cold temperatures and lives longer so I HAVE to wash my hands. The walls because as cars go by with their windows open, I feel like a car could have a covid patient in it and I'd breathe it in in a larger amount (cabin full of virus). I hold my breath when cars go by and come home and take a shower and change my clothes. Both of these issues were not prevalent maybe.....three months ago? I could go for walks on my work lunch and be fine. I could touch things in my fridge without concern (freezer is a different story for the same reason). How do I push myself to do something that is, according to experts, safe but truly will send me into huge spirals? Do I need to work on my current ERP's more? Maybe I do. My last set was to touch room temperature things and not wash my hands. But I still do like back of my hand touching or certain fingers for certain things. I leave so many doors open to not touch their handles. Do I dive further into my current ones before I tackle the next level?

I super struggle with this even being ocd or just being smart. Recently researchers found surface contamination on froze chicken wings shipped from brazil. My immediate reaction was "well DUH". Like I know the cdc has to wait for research but theres some things we can use common sense for. Such as, viruses do well when frozen, there for we should assume you should wash your hands before and after dealing with your freezer. Like I think I would have an easier time trusting the experts if they made sense. And because I feel I cant trust them, it's hard not to go above and beyond or worry a lot.

@catattak Exactly, I think the same . For me I feel like it's being smart and safe. I struggle to say/ think that it just my ocd . It a a pandemic and a real threat .. I'm very conflicted

@bonjess I'm not sure if I've shared this with you, but this is what I've used to help me with contamination ocd during the pandemic. https://youtu.be/zoXXRRC3opk It makes sense that they use the cdc guidelines to develop a method of ERP. And there are some obvious things I do that are ocd and not pandemic related. Today I was scared to touch a lap desk that's been sitting in my garage for a month. That's ocd and I had to push past that. But there are lots of things I do and fight with my hubby on because he has watched that webinar with me and wants to encourage me to do cdc and no more. But I had an argument with him this weekend about that new research and how the cdc is too lax for me. I explained that I really believe there are additional measures I take that I believe are above the cdc but are reasonable and not just cdc. But theres definite grey area where I just really dont know what's what. And that's the hardest part. Wondering how crazy I actually am.

I guess the idea is sitting with the unknown and remembering nothing is guaranteed but I feel like that's such a blase attitude to take when theres a pandemic.

Like that makes sense when I'm battling with myself in a regular cold and flu season, but not during a pandemic

@catattak Exactly , I'm with you on that.. When the unknown is a pandemic it is very hard to just sit with it and what will be will be

@bonjess It's really comforting to know others are in the same headspace and can see what I'm thinking. Definitely try out that webinar. It's long and of course a bit tough to TOTALLY get on board with but really helpful none the less

@catattak Yes I'll check out that webinar 😊 It's just so hard , why did we have to have a bloody pandemic in my life time 🤪

@bonjess Hahaha! Every generation needs its traumatic experience. Our grandparents and great grandparents lived through two wars. This is our time to live in hard times.