- Date posted
- 6y ago
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Can you try a different chair for a minute?
- Date posted
- 6y ago
^like Meg above, I happen to think that is an amazingly opportunity to use this for an exposure. Try it! I’m super excited for you :)
- Date posted
- 6y ago
d-man that sounds like a really good plan! Tonight before my shower I’m going to try and sit in a contaminated chair for 1 minute :) hopefully I’ll be able to perform an “ultimate boss” ritual in no time! I’m really scared but I know I’ve got the support of this community and I know you guys know exactly what this fear is like. Being able to talk is a complete game changer!! Thanks for the advice Maxie! I use antibacterial spray and hand sanitizer to clean contaminated objects! Thank you guys so much! I hope I can help you like you’ve helped me :) d a i s y
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Hi d-man! I completely agree :)) I tried sitting on a contaminated surface last night and had to change my clothes straight away because I was so anxious. I’m going to try again this morning with a chair that’s less petrifying. I’ll let you know how it goes! Thanks so much for you support! :) d a i s y
- Date posted
- 6y ago
You’re so wonderful! I’m so excited to say tonight I managed to put on some pants that I thought were contaminated from a chair. I’ve told myself I’m allowed to cleanse in a few minutes. I didn’t have the best experience with a contaminated t-shirt however, I had to change it and sanitise straight away. I’m happy with the little progress I’ve made though. Any step forward is a good one. Thank you so much for your help and encouragement! Is there anything I could help you with? Thanks again d-man :) d a i s y
- Date posted
- 6y ago
I have the same thing but i tend to avoid chairs and will only sit on a specific couch on a specific side because noone sits there
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Me too! I have a section of the couch that no one else is allowed to touch. d a i s y
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Wow, that’s a lot of chairs.
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Aw thank you Meg and d-man for thinking of me. This truely is an incredible community. I’m worried when I sit on a contaminated chair that I’ll be contaminated for the rest of the day and unable to touch any “safe” objects without contaminating them. Then I panic I will no longer have any safe places. This is so hard but I’m definitely thinking about it! Thank you so much for your kindness and thoughtfulness. d a i s y
- Date posted
- 6y ago
I’m so excited :) Aw I hope you’re feeling better soon! I’m always here to help! Let me know how :) Thanks again d-man, you’re so fantastic. d a i s y
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Yeah, I can relate. I am limited too as far as where I can sit. OCD is a bizarre disorder, no doubt!
- Date posted
- 6y ago
I can relate! contamination ocd is so strong
- Date posted
- 6y ago
A piece of advice I’d give u so that you dont panic and dont have to avoid maybe social situations, is using anti bacterial wipes or sprays, it’s definitely not a solution but personally it helps me not panic so much about it!
- Date posted
- 6y ago
You could possibly break down the exposure into steps. If let’s say you can ‘restart’ the contamination by doing certain things like showering, you could first start by sitting in a contaminated chair for x minutes, then taking a shower. Then lengthen that time with each exposure, challenging yourself but not overly so. You can set the exposure of sitting in a contaminated chair and then in a safe chair as an ‘ultimate boss’ exposure, and reward yourself when you eventually work your way up to that level of exposure!
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Research also shows that holding yourself accountable really helps drive results, so if you don’t mind, you could update us on how you’re going with it :) no pressure!
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Sounds great! Keep breaking down the steps till it’s manageable... even 15 or 30 second progressions matter! Hang in there :)
- Date posted
- 6y ago
Oh boy, that’s awesome! Yes you’ve got a clear path of progression. Now it’s breathing easy and taking it gradually. Super happy for you :) I’m not sure. A little in the doldrums, but that’s life isn’t it!
- Date posted
- 6y ago
It sure is! I’m sitting on one of my “safe” chairs as we speak haha. Oh well, we’re gonna get through this. d a i s y
Related posts
- Date posted
- 21w ago
I have contamination OCD that causes me to excessively wash my hands/clean items with disinfectant wipes. I know I just need to start with small exposures but how do I do that without spiraling? I tried a while back by just touching the outside of my dishwasher and not washing my hands after and it led to me being unable to even exist in my house. I basically lived on my couch for three weeks as it was the only 'safe' space that I had not touched with my dirty hands. I had to take a week off work to clean my house to make it somewhat liveable. I still haven't got round to cleaning everything though so things like my kitchen are still no-go zones that I don't enter. I just don't know how to start ERP without it making everything worse. Any advice would be appreciated. I am not seeing a therapist at the moment due to financial constraints.
- Date posted
- 13w ago
back in october i made my first post about my specific type of ocd, how it mixes in with my day to day and how i “deal” with it. i talked about the starting point, how it gradually got worse, and then how it was going just a few months ago. i always think it’s insane how much can change in just the course of a small to a large amount of time. right now, i honestly feel like garbage. to be quite sincere i really want to give up, i’m barely holding on by a thread. and if i cut that thread, i really doubt anyone would care. i’ve never considered myself to be a suicidal person, and i still don’t consider myself that right now. it just gets to a point where it’s just, a lot to deal with. i don’t really enjoy things a lot nowadays. sure i have good days like everyone does, like today, when i was just enjoying my day without worries. but then it all comes crawling back twice as bad the following days. i take online college so i’m usually just stuck at home most of the time. but, when i do decide to actually go out and leave my house, my ocd just explodes because i have this whole routine i need to do or else i feel like i’ll contaminate wherever i end up going. i’m not going to go really deep into my compulsions because it’s hard enough to live with them, much more having to type them all out in detail. but when i go out my compulsions go from wiping down all my stuff i’m going to use after showering, to washing my clothes/cleaning the washer + dryer. i also have separate things (or two of the same thing) i use specifically in my house, and items i use when going out. such as shampoo/body wash, deodorant, lotion, hair curler, etc. as if that’s not draining enough, i also feel the need to fast a couple days prior to any plan i make because i’ve forced myself to believe i need to feel empty in order to be clean. i’m not sure if that’s my past eating disorder talking, or my ocd, but my brain can’t help but think any food in my house is utterly and completely contaminated. i’m so tired of this feeling, feeling like nothing will ever be clean again. feeling like my ocd is trapped in my childhood home. feeling that wave of diseases rushing through my veins the moment i step foot into what’s supposed to be “home”. and i’m so scared of therapy because what if i do get healed, and then everything comes rushing back the second i step into my room. i’m planning on moving somewhere far from my current house in this next coming year, so sometimes i feel like just waiting it out. but it’s insufferable when going to hangout with someone. i miss my friends, my family, and my partner. it’s crazy to me that i’m dealing with all this at the young age of 18 but, i’m sure lots of people have it way worse. i just want to find a way out, any possible way. but i keep pushing myself deeper and deeper that when i finally find a way, it will no longer exist.
- Date posted
- 8w ago
Hi, I’m new to this app and newly diagnosed. Question for you all, What things did you normalize and do without a second thought that when diagnosed, you realized was actually your OCD? Mine was how concerned with germs I am. I hold my breath when I open a door so the rush of wind doesn’t infect my lungs from whatever is in the room. I thought everyone was really careful and concerned like me. But Ive learned it’s not normal the lengths I go to. What was yours?
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