- Date posted
- 1y
Hi
I have contamination OCD which I’ve had since 2016. Does anyone have any steps or plans to start to overcome it that I could try? I’m on medication and have had long term therapy.
I have contamination OCD which I’ve had since 2016. Does anyone have any steps or plans to start to overcome it that I could try? I’m on medication and have had long term therapy.
I think within the general framework of OCD treatment, contamination OCD can be treated by accepting uncertainty and I'll provide some examples "Maybe this item is dirty, maybe it isnt" "Maybe I will get sick from that item, maybe I won't" "Maybe I am dirty, or maybe I am clean enough" I think acceptance of uncertainty and imperfection, as well as limiting compulsions, can help treat this theme effectively I'm sure a session with NOCD can also help if they are not your current provider and if you haven't seen OCD specialists before (because sometimes talk therapy isn't enough or helpful, particularly for OCD)
My daughter has contamination OCD and is finally functioning very well. She went to a doctor who started her on Sertraline and did exposure therapy with her for a year or so. Learning to accept uncertainty (as you stated) is key. Also learning to live more in the gray rather than having everything be black or white. We are amazed and oh so grateful that our daughter has overcome her "living hell."
@cyc1017 That's amazing to hear, glad it's working out well
@A23 Thank you. She has 2 precious sons and she fought through for them ❤️
@A23 Yes I agree with this, although I haven’t managed it myself. I’ve done exposure and had times I’ve been able to manage my ocd but it always comes back as I haven’t treated the route cause. I can’t accept uncertainly as I don’t think I’ll cope with feeling uncomfortable. I therefore feel I need to control everything
@Jennielouises Maybe some sort of long term anxiety therapist would be beneficial?
@A23 If only I could afford that. Others have learned to accept uncertainty so it must be possible
@Jennielouises Yeah some insurances also cover short term anxiety coaching, there's a program called AbleTo
@Jennielouises Long term strategies that may help also include exercise, meditation and journaling
@A23 So I find for me, journaling makes me ruminate. But I do think I need to do the others. I also feel for me that doing daily mental exercise will help. I haven’t had a chance to focus on my mental health since Jan as my son has been so ill. So I’ve lost my fitness, just like you would if you stopped going to the gym
@Jennielouises Oh, best wishes for your son to recover 💙
hey, i really feel for you dealing with contamination ocd since 2016, it sounds incredibly tough. sticking with medication and therapy is a big step, and i admire your dedication to finding more ways to cope. 💪 have you heard about "unstuck"? it's an ai-powered therapy tool specifically for ocd (unstuckmyOCD.com). it's been a game-changer for me this past month, and i think it might offer you some new strategies. someone here recommended it to me, and i only wish i'd discovered it sooner!
Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with intrusive thoughts&images. At first i had intrusive thoughts around my partner, now it’s centred around me & I can’t be around window ledges or medication due to a story I read online(it’s too triggering for me) . Sometimes I feel like I can’t leave my bed due to the thoughts being so overwhelming I just break down and want to sleep. I aren’t taking any medication or therapy yet. I worry that if I don’t give my thoughts a reaction that my thoughts are true and not OCD. I’ve had these thoughts 24/7 for 2 months.
Hey friends, I hope you all are well. I just wanted to check in and ask people's experiences about being on medication. I have had OCD pretty much my whole life, just got recently diagnosed 4 months ago and my therapist recommended that I get on meds for it so I have a psychiatrist appointment set up. I'm a little apprehensive about getting on them, but I've realized that I do have some sort of chemical imbalance in my brain that plays a part in my OCD and anxiety. I would love to hear anyones experiences or words of encouragement. Thank you, I hope you all are well.
Medication for OCD? Hello all, 19 male here, this seems like a cool community that isn’t nearly as triggering as reddit. I have pretty severe bouts of existential thinking or fear of going crazy ( psychosis ) after some pretty heavy mushroom trips a few years ago, I know logically I should be fine but I do know what it’s like to lose it and it’s scary. Currently I deal with relationship focused OCD, it’s all day from before I even open my eyes. I want things to work out with my girlfriend badly. Also I can come close to a panic attack sometimes which perpetuates everything. Anyway, I mention the fear of going crazy because the way my anxiety/derealization makes me feel is that I’m not mentally stable cause I feel out of it or unreal. I saw that a lot of anxiety and depression medication can cause psychosis and I feel like I could use some help in getting ahead of my OCD because the compulsions are had not to give into when I’m in such distress/not knowing. Plus overall I just feel like I have no idea how I feel about close to anything. Anyone relate about that ?
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