- Date posted
- 6y
- Date posted
- 6y
Its hard to explain but I will try my best. Where you dont won't to go to a place where someone a person place or thing that bothers you may have been. You could look it up and it would explain it better to you but its called emotional contamination OCD. The OCD website has some info on it. Hope that helped some
- Date posted
- 6y
This was my biggest issue actually. My therapist called it "Creative associations". It ruled my life. I was so scared of associating something I loved with domething that I hated, that I started avoiding the thing I loved because I was scared I they'd get "contaminated".
- Date posted
- 6y
What is that?
- Date posted
- 6y
I think I defiantly have dealt with and deal with aspects of this!
- Date posted
- 6y
Yaaaassss!!!
- Date posted
- 6y
Ohh okay so there are others. Lucius so in your opinion was therapy hard to do for the "Creative Associations"? I have trouble doing the erp for this part.
- Date posted
- 6y
Kinda yes. What worked for me was putting the triggers (names for example) on cards and shuffling them with cards that had the name of the thing I wanted to "preserve". Then you just pick random cards and repeat until you get "used" to it ifbthat makes sense. It was really hard but in the end forcing myself to do the things I didn't want to contaminate while forcing myself to think about the triggers took away the power of the triggers.
- Date posted
- 6y
Were you ever scared of becoming contaminated yourself? Sorry so many questions I'm just trying to figure out the best approach to this. I don't really have much help near me for OCD so I only get to see my therapist every so often and I'm kind of trying to figure it out in between sessions.
- Date posted
- 6y
Don't worry about it! In my case no, it was all about ruining the things I loved. I was actually in a really similar situation when I found out about mental contamination. It took almost 2 years before I got real ERP for it. But once I started really challenging it, it didn't really take that long to get past those thoughts. It was miserable at first but once you get the ball rolling it becomes much easier.
- Date posted
- 6y
Thank you so much for the advice. It really helps to hear your story. Not in a reassurance way but I was just curious how therapy worked for this part of OCD
- Date posted
- 6y
I'm glad I could help. It's not really common and it's hard to talk about.
- Date posted
- 6y
I know that's what's so hard. It is hard to talk about. My therapist knew it was emotional contamination and I know she can help me get the right help I just don't get to go as near as much as I would like to.
- Date posted
- 6y
Its just hard work and I know I have to do it. I just don't have the nerve to go against what I feel keeps everyone around me safe. Uhh this condition sucks!
- Date posted
- 6y
It definetly is really hard work and it was super scary for me when I started but it gets much easier once you get past the initial anxiety.
- Date posted
- 6y
Any other suggestions on this topic from anyone else?
Related posts
- Date posted
- 23w
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
- 20w
Sometimes I had some relationship OCD and then I didn’t qualify for contamination OCD however I know in relationships partners like to be close and drink out of each others cup. My partner was thirsty and getting very hot and he asked for my drink and I gave it to him he felt better and I am so beyound happy he did! I feel a lot of shame admitting this, he told me I could have my drink back and I said thank you! 😊 He noticed I didn’t drink it because in my mind it says it is contaminated and I felt extremely bad that he noticed so I got a piece of gum to distracte us I then had to spit out the gum because it wasn’t a good flavor then my brain told me well… ( Ms.OCD) said if I don’t drink it it will hurt his feelings and then that means I don’t like him and then I drink it then I spiraled from there lol 😂 I am so sorry it wasn’t a weird funny story I was wondering if anyone else can relate? I was wondering if there is any advice I can please have? Thank you so much!! Please write down something in the comments if you are struggling because I want to help you all as well!! Thank you!!
- Date posted
- 19w
all morning i have been feeling like there is dirt and grime on my skin. i showered last night. i washed my hair on tuesday night and i will wash it tonight. but i feel like there is dirt in my scalp and in my hair and i feel like i haven’t showered in weeks. i don’t want to feel like this anymore. every day i am anxious about how clean i am and its taking over my life. any tips?
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