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Sorting out real concerns from OCD (contamination)


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I keep coming across things that feel like a real concern but with my OCD brain, I'm not so sure. I try to think about what 'normal' people would do but not completely convinced that a given thing is not a concern. (i.e. black dog poop near garbage cans, could it be raccoon poop, did it fall on my jeans when I picked up the recycling box that was sitting where it was? Is this a problem or is it just me overthinking things)? Asking google would definitely make it worse but perhaps I could call a pest control company and put this issue to rest. But what would a 'normal' person do? I have tried thinking that if this was so dangerous then thousands of people would be affected and they aren't. One part of me feels that the worry is protective but another wonders about being blissfully ignorant.

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Thank you. That helps. It's still hard because illnesses still do exist (although most are extremely rare) but with OCD the risk is magnified so, so much. I can't remember exactly how I used to think about things like this. It may have been better not knowing so much but there's a part of me that feels that OCD is protective. How to deal with that part?

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12 minutes ago, orange said:

but there's a part of me that feels that OCD is protective. How to deal with that part?

They key word is feels.

The compulsion to take action is strong because you feel you're protecting yourself even when you know you've gone overboard in thinking about the risk. 

Try to accept that it's ok to feel a bit unsafe and to have doubt. Most compulsions arise from trying to feel perfectly safe rather than being about preventing actual risk or being safe from real danger.

 

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Thank you Snowbear. :) That makes sense even though at first it seems like a fine line. If I go with my intuition vs. my fear my intuition sort of gets it usually but the fear part of my brain is pretty persuasive!

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I have the same fears surrounding getting ill. It's almost like you feel you're playing with your health by not trying to work it all out. These are things people without OCD wouldn't even think about as the risk is too minute. 

If you think of it from another perspective. Think of something else that could happen, but is so small a risk that you just carry on with your daily life and still engage in activities that could cause it, for instance, crossing the road. I still cross the road regardless of the small chance I might get run over. I don't obsess over crossing the road, plan how to avoid crossing roads and then ultimately avoid going out so I don't have to engage or be near roads. My mind would have blown up the small risk. You could think the same for driving, cycling, even just walking down the street is a risk, what makes this one so different? When you take risks every single day :) so you can do it, we just need to learn to take these risks as we would any other risk. 

Hoping you feel better soon. I know the drain of contamination ocd. But we can get better :)

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Thank you alisando! that does help. Yes, it's weird, there is more risk to driving but am still petrified of certain things that are almost no risk. I'm fine with flying and spiders too. :)

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Maybe the thing with driving for me is that there is more certainty at the end of the day when one gets home and everything is okay. Sort of an illusion in a way as it is still more risky than many other things.

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