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- 6y ago
I have contamination OCD. It’s a tough one. Does anyone have a “clean” world and a separate “contaminated” world? I am hoping clinical trials will help bring some relief.
I struggle with this! I carry hand sanitizer wherever I go! I wash my hands so often they bleed. I also have to wash my belongings ALL THE TIME. It’s so embarrassing and no one quite understands the level of discomfort caused when you encounter a triggering thought/situation. Delaying works in some instances with my contamination fears. I try and cope with the subsequent panic caused by triggers by delaying my washing rituals for a couple of minutes. It’s really, really hard but hopefully it’ll get easier :)) Hopefully you’re feeling better soon! d a i s y
for me, it got worse before it got better. i tried a lot of things because i was washing my hands for too long and too many times each day. my doctor told me to count how many each day and try to get the amount of times down by one each week. she also showed me the back of soap and it says to use two pumps for 15 seconds. that worked with me because i knew that if the packet said that was the right amount then it will be safe. it was hard but i got there in the end and i’m much better now. never give up, good luck and i’m here to talk.
NoleGuy...yes i have ‘safe’ and ‘non safe’ objects. Good luck with the trials!!!
I am sure there are more people out there that have separate worlds-clean and contaminated. Goal is to merge the two and always feel that nothing is contaminated. Or if things are dirty, that’s okay.
It would be so amazing for the two worlds to be able to interact. Hopefully we’ll get there some day! d a i s y
Do you see therapy for ocd?
@NoleGuy Yes!! I’ve never found anyone that can relate to that! It’s really hard living between “clean” and “contaminated” worlds, because if they collide it’s sends me into a frenzy of panic. d a i s y
Thank you guys for replying! I also have the clean world and the contaminated world and it is so frustrating to always avoid things every where I am, including my own room. Thank you guys for your help!
Hi everyone. First time here. I suffer from Contamination OCD. I have a good support group in friends, family, and my boyfriend, but I have not met anyone else with OCD and I needed to reach out to others to find help. I first got OCD when I was 17 (I am now 33) and was able to go into remission, but COVID brought it back. I was struggling at work (which was outside with the public). I found a therapist and she wrote me a doctor’s note suggesting I be allowed to work from home. My work was not accommodating at all and only offered me FMLA leave, so I took it as my only option and eventually got on Short Term Disability. The whole process took forever and was incredibly stressful. My leave was supposed to be a time of healing and it just made my OCD symptoms worse. My employer basically treated me as though I was trying to get out of work and proved to me that though they talk about the importance of mental health, they don’t take mental health seriously. I ended up having to leave my job “involuntarily due to health reasons” as they would not grant an extension nor let me return with any restrictions/accommodations. My therapist seemed good at first, but it became clear that she wasn’t really helping me. She would often use our sessions to vent about the insurance company and in one session, she basically called me a hopeless case and kept saying “I don’t know. I am concerned. I don’t know how you are going to be able to function” and threw out the word hospitalization, though she did backtrack on that one. I struggle everyday. I am worried that something from outside of the home touched something clean and is now contaminated. I need help working through this. I am constantly looking for reassurance, question if things are clean, wash my hands, use too many disinfectant wipes, and take showers upwards of 50-60 mins. I feel like my mind is being taken over by my OCD, I’m losing time, and it’s straining my relationship. For anyone who is struggling with contamination OCD brought on by COVID - any tips? My therapist never gave me anything specific to work on with this - to help me focus on something else. I am in the process of finding another therapist, but until then - any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Anyone else struggling with contamination OCD more than usual since covid? I have contamination OCD that has spiraled out since covid which causes my anxiety and panic disorder to spiral out too. I was checking my temperature 6 times a day, my hands are raw from washing them so much, I have only been able to go to work then I have to rush home to shower, etc. I am just starting out on my exposure therapy journey, so hopefully it will really help. I feel like everything has covid and I can't rest until I have sanitized EVERYTHING! Does anyone else feel this way? What is one thing that has really helped you?
Does any one else really struggle with contamination ocd? For me I struggle with laundry and feeling like it’s not clean enough, and taking a shower. My showers go on for close to an hour because I feel like I didn’t wash enough or it needs to be a certain amount of times. I also struggle when it comes to the bathroom and compulsively wiping. The hand washing and the anxiety just take up so much of the day and it really drains me. I have been struggling with ocd for years and have been working with a therapist with it but it still feels so consuming. I started taking medication, but everything still feels so overwhelming, and dreadful. I was wondering if anyone could relate, because I’ve been feeling really alone with the severe contamination ocd.
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