Guest JC86 Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Haven't posted for a while but was wondering if anyone has experienced something similar to what I'm currently suffering from. The best way to describe it is that somehow germs are being transfered from my private areas to the lining of the trousers I'm wearing meaning whatever is in my pockets is being 'contaminated.' For instance it could be my mobile, then I would have to disinfect it with a wipe and any other item I've handled after my phone be it a door handle, videogame pad etc. Its got to such a point where I'm refusing to put things in my pockets for fear of contaminating something or someone. I'm really struggling with this, and I'm not sure how to tell my therapist about the problem. Any thoughts guys? JC Link to comment
Guest sophie13 Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 JC, I don't have contamination fears, I have other stupid OCD fears and I know what fear is. You have to work on your fear of getting contaminated... by anything and in anyway. Your therapist will know how to help you... Link to comment
Enjay Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 My therapist was explaining to me at my last session how germs have a limited lifespan, so perhaps that little piece of information might help on some level. My contamination worries didn't instantly disappear of course but it helps a bit to have that information at the back of my mind. Link to comment
Guest JC86 Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 That is helpful. Thank you. Its crazy because I've had therapy on and off since March and I know a lot my fears are completely irrational. I just want a fresh start, the amount of clothes I've put through the wash lately is incredible. Link to comment
Enjay Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Oh I understand, I'm the same with constantly feeling the need to put clothes in the wash as well ^^ Link to comment
Guest PaulM Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 (edited) Hi JC86, I've had similar thoughts. My therapists have said the same thing as Enjay's. Armed with that information, can you pick out instead what OCD is doing? Paul Edited October 30, 2014 by PaulM Link to comment
Guest JC86 Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 I do have an irrational fear of sperm and have I feel dirty after masturbation/sex. I think this may have something to do with the pocket thing Link to comment
taurean Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 (edited) JC Its all an exagerrated response to an irrational fear over something of little importance and absolutely minimal risk. You will guess from that I have no contamination OCD! To you that threat seems massive and incredibly disturbing and overwhelming- to me I say What threat? You need therefore to try and look at how this is fuelling your anxiety and ease it down by gradual hierarchical ERP. Edited October 31, 2014 by taurean Link to comment
PolarBear Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 The only way to get over fear of contamination like this is to live with the possibility that things are contaminated and not perform compulsions. That means not washing clothes any more than normal and keeping things in your pockets like anyone else. Link to comment
whitebeam Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 I used to find using money from my pockets very difficult - I felt i was passing over germs with each purchase. In the end though you just have to do it and eventually it becomes something you can do without the ffear. (I did use to wear 4 pairs of pants though to make sure germs didn't get out!!) i only wear one pair at a time now! Link to comment
Guest JC86 Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Thank you for all the responses guys. I'm gonna try really hard not to act on any thoughts of uncleanliness today, its the only way to beat it. Its getting so bad. Its at the point where I'm thinking my wash towel is contaminated from the last time I used it so when I clean with it the next day I'm just wiping germs on to my body. That in turn means in my head that lying on a bed for example is transferring the germs from my body to the bed and then any object on the bed is subsequently being contaminated. How the hell do I break this cycle? Link to comment
Justine Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 To get over the fear of urine I had to think of it as harmless, so I didn't care if it was anywhere or not. You don't believe it at first and get very scared but when you see nothing happens week after week you start to calm down and now 8 years later I still don't care that much as we've never got ill. Obviously we wash the sheets when my son wets his bed and wipe away urine but I don't stress about it or worry it's 100 per cent. Link to comment
PolarBear Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Thank you for all the responses guys. I'm gonna try really hard not to act on any thoughts of uncleanliness today, its the only way to beat it. Its getting so bad. Its at the point where I'm thinking my wash towel is contaminated from the last time I used it so when I clean with it the next day I'm just wiping germs on to my body. That in turn means in my head that lying on a bed for example is transferring the germs from my body to the bed and then any object on the bed is subsequently being contaminated. How the hell do I break this cycle? You break the cycle by breaking the cycle. You use the wash towel anyway. You sit on your bed regardless the alarm going off in your head. You have to go against that alarm. Link to comment
Guest lizinlondon Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Polar Bear is right. I have contamination problems and the bottomline is that we have to stop reacting to these irrational thoughts. Alot easier said than done but it is the only way out. While it is early days still in my therapy, when I have repeatedly resisted cleaning something contaminated and repeatedly used the contaminated object, the anxiety has decreased and in some cases I have completely stopped seeing it as contaminated. Repetition is they key because what we are aiming for scientifically is to retrain the brain to no longer associate an object with anxiety. It takes a long time, afterall we did not develop OCD in one day! Link to comment
taurean Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 (edited) Great post Liz There are no "good" forms of OCD and contamination seems a really tough nut to crack but is however "tailor made" for the therapeutic method of exposure and response prevention . ERP is also the standard choice to treat a phobia. There are no overt threats in my life from contamination (although I do take great care to use the hand gel on my trips to hospital currently as there is a risk there) because I have a normal response to what I know to be a very low risk. The ERP is effectively a long behavioural experiment to prove this to actually be the case. Edited November 1, 2014 by taurean Link to comment
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