Beating Contamination OCD: A Real-Life Case Study

OCD + Anxiety Resources

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Contamination OCD is one of the most commonly misunderstood forms of OCD. It’s often reduced to “being overly clean,” but in reality, it’s driven by intense fear, and uncertainty not knowing if you’re hands are actually clean; or if they’re going to infect you. This all boils down to the need to feel safe.

Contamination OCD can also express it’s self in many different forms. It might not just be the fear of germs. It can be quite specific, such as thinking you have Norovirus on your hands, or a virus such as HIV or Rabies, or it could simply being particular about dirt and grime.

This case study shows how one person would use Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) to break that cycle.