Obsessions trigger discomfort, compulsions temporarily relieve discomfort, and the awareness of this relief triggers further sensitivity to the unwanted thoughts and greater urges to engage in more compulsions. Kelly, Daniel. What this means is that nobody wants to be the cautionary tale or the first person made famous by getting a terrible disease from casual contact with blood. 10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_516_18, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519704/table/ch3.t13/, mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/obsessive-compulsive-disorder/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354438, nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/index.shtml, ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/obsessive-compulsive-disorder, 10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_518_18, 10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_521_18, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4331096/, How to Manage and Treat Real Event Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Understanding the Impact of Severe Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), No, Youre Not So OCD for Washing Your Hands More Often Now, Understanding the Connection Between Depression and OCD, Everything You Need to Know About Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Glycemic Index: What It Is and How to Use It, feel disgust or fear over certain objects or substances, including dirt, illness, body secretions, trash, or chemicals, believe you or others can be contaminated by magical or spiritual means such as by saying certain names or numbers, have a strong urge to wash your hands or shower frequently, use a very specific process or ritual for washing yourself or your surroundings, avoid places or people that may have been infected, refuse to allow others into your safe spaces, damage your skin or body through excessive cleaning, experience serious anxiety if certain things are not arranged just right, feel an urge to repeat what happens to one side of your body on the other side of your body, fear that if something is unbalanced or uneven, a catastrophe could happen. Those individuals genetically predisposed to recognize contaminating objects and strongly experience the disgust affect thus had an evolutionary advantage, and would pass their inherent disgust sensitivity (as well as health and cleanliness strategies) to their children. Although not a replacement for therapy or medication (if needed), self-care strategies can be helpful for people with OCD. Magnetic fields interact with nerve cells in your brain in an attempt to lessen your OCD symptoms. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association. During DBS, doctors implant electrodes in targeted areas of your brain. All rights reserved. Learn more about the signs, symptoms, and treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). About 2 percent of the general population has OCD. With OCD, recurring and persistent obsessions result in significant anxiety and distress. This removal of the unwanted becomes something the brain naturally gravitates toward more and more through a process called negative reinforcement. The most effective treatment for any form of OCD is exposure with response prevention (ERP). OCD, Contamination, and the Disgust Affect | Psychology Today There is a further category that includes things that are more vague. Contamination OCD is a common form of OCD. Obsessivecompulsive disordercontamination fears, features, and treatment: Novel smartphone therapies in light of global mental health and pandemics (COVID-19). Mechanisms of cognitive-behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder involve robust and extensive increases in brain network connectivity. This is called contamination OCD. I believe it should be regarded as a tool to assist in doing behavioral therapy. Beyond therapy, you also might benefit from prescription medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). (2018). Although DSM-5 doesnt list subtypes of OCD, some researchers group obsessions and compulsions into symptom dimensions. These clusters of symptoms share similar anxieties and behavior patterns. Are stressful life events causally related to the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms? Other times people need long-term treatment to keep symptoms in check. By midlife, though, more women than men have symptoms of OCD. OCD sufferers can feel alienated by their disorder, or even find themselves judged by others. They also concentrate on learning to accept that there will always be a certain amount of risk in life that can never be eliminated, and that life can still be enjoyed and lived freely in spite of this fact. Changes in the stool and oropharyngeal microbiome in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Hockey player Corey Hirsch shares his story on this podcast episode. You need to start looking at bodily fluids without the disgust. My current situation: I let out some gas, but it was the type where it sometimes makes you check your underpants for "just in case". Family and friends are taught to not participate in rituals and to not give reassurance or answers to the same questions.No one is ever forced to do anything, nor is anything sprung on them by surprise. One kind of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), called exposure and response prevention (ERP), is particularly effective. Jalal B, et al. There is not only a fear of possibly harming others, but also a fear of having to live with the resulting guilt. All rights reserved. You also describe your obsessive thoughts and your compulsive behaviors to your therapist. (2017). This means that there is no cure. Not everyone with OCD needs SSRIs in order to improve, though. People dont get Hepatitis C from hugging. SSRIs would have to be prescribed by a doctor or psychiatrist. Depression and OCD can occur together. Discomfort related to contamination and infection is universal and has deep roots in human evolutionary psychology. People may even fear that theyre contaminating others. As with other kinds of OCD, contamination OCD is treatable. Contact contamination OCD is when an individual is triggered when they are touching and/or around physical contaminants, such as dirt, bodily fluids, or garbage. You only need to be infected once to get sick, so you always need to be actively protecting yourself. While symptoms of OCD may be grouped based on similarity or dimension, a diagnosis of OCD isn't generally divided by. For people who do benefit from medication, their OCD symptoms can reduce by 40-60%. On the surface, the contamination fears associated with OCD dont seem to be a very complicated subject. For example, ERP for contamination OCD could include avoiding your usual washing rituals or allowing yourself to get dirty. (n.d.). Sufferers will sometimes repeatedly ask others to check parts of themselves they cannot reach or see, or things they cannot go near. Having briefly covered this very complex topic, the next question would be what can be done about these problems? In fact, some people might experience one OCD theme or multiple themes, and those themes can change over time. Research from 2017 noted the symptoms of OCD can be managed effectively. What is most interesting about the obsessive fear of HIV is that for all the handwashing and avoiding, HIV is not an environmental contaminant. Its not considered a separate disorder or diagnosis. Compulsions are the usual responses of sufferers to these fears. It can also include such things as: This list is by no means complete. There may also be a clean car which can only be driven when clean. Managing exposures to blood and body fluids or substances Obsessions and compulsions intertwine in OCD, and they can drive an overwhelming desire to repeatedly clean things. And if they accidentally ingested a toxic substance, they developed nausea, gagging and vomiting to eject the substance from their bodies. You shouldnt stop taking your medication suddenly, because in some cases it can cause: Your doctor may recommend deep brain stimulation (DBS) if more conservative treatment methods arent working for you. Contamination: Body fluids (examples: urine, feces) Germs/disease (examples: herpes, HIV) Environmental contaminants (examples: asbestos, radiation) How is OCD with compulsive cleaning treated? (2020). Genetics seems to play a role in whether you develop OCD or not. Course and outcome of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Some dangers, like predators or harsh weather, were easy to recognize, and our ancestors evolved straightforward behaviors to manage themsuch as the fight or flight response. Fear of germs, bodily fluids, and dirt: Doctor explains contamination A major clue is how much of your life you are willing to sacrifice for your fear. Challenging distorted beliefs and ideas about blood can help reduce the reliance on compulsions, so long as these challenges are not used as a ritualized form of a reassurance. Psych Central does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Heres a brief look at the symptom dimensions as currently described in scientific literature: Some people have an extreme fear of becoming contaminated by germs, bodily fluids, or other substances including abstract contaminants like evil or bad luck. Alcohol preps and disinfectant hand wipes are also popular. Your therapist can then help you learn to restructure these thoughts in productive ways. Genetics of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Ekman, Paul. A long time ago, it was probably a good idea to get far away from it before it attracted saber-toothed tigers (or vampires). Since it is not possible to know anything at all times, it is unreasonable to set a rigid guideline that involves a requirement to know such a thing. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): Symptoms, causes, and treatment The prevalence of obsessivecompulsive disorder in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: A cross-sectional study. However, this actually enables their OCD, which makes it worse. I have a OCD fear of body fluids, especially sperm and blood. This type of therapy encourages patients to gradually encounter increasing doses of that which is contaminated, while resisting washing, checking, avoiding, or conducting magical rituals. The Nature and Moral Significance of Disgust writes that the disgust response is equippedunderstandably, given the nature of the adaptive problemwith a bit of a hair trigger. When you feel sick, it is very easy to become disgusted by anything that might have caused it. This involves a gradual process of identifying with your therapist what your triggers and compulsions are, then working to overcome each one from the easiest up to the hardest. (2019). Your first port-of-call is to find a therapist with experience treating OCD. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC, Psychology and the Mystery of the "Poisoned" Schoolgirls. Anxiety Disorders, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Federal Financial Conflict of Interest Policy, Forms, and Training, Contamination OCD: Blood, Fluids & Bodily WasteOh My! When you live with OCD, some people don't believe you because you don't fit the stereotype. I have even worked with several people who poured straight bleach on their hands and bodies, resulting in chemical burns. If they get the disease, they will resent me for ruining their life and I will live in terrible shame knowing it was all my fault. Life is dangerous and funny and interesting and beautiful. Commonly identified contaminants the context of Contamination OCD include (but are not limited to): Dirt Germs Animals Insects Bodily excretions and fluids (urine, feces, vomit, sweat, tears, mucus, blood, semen, saliva) Bacteria and viruses Raw or spoiled foods Plants Chemicals Cleaning products Radioactivity Sticky substances High traffic areas Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association. Common Contamination OCD obsessions: Fear of getting AIDs or other serious diseases. Contamination OCD involves a lot more than simply being diligent about cleaning, and the symptoms can differ from person to person. (2019). Is there a type of OCD that focuses on cleaning? OCD is not so much an amusement as it is a private hell. Get the help you need from a therapist near youa FREE service from Psychology Today. You could also join a support group for the loved ones of people with OCD try the IOCDF OCD in-person support groups list or the IOCDF online or telephone support groups list. Once attached, it reprograms the cell to start attacking other cells and creating copies of itself that set out to attack even more and so on and so forth. Obsessions can revolve around the fear of: These obsessions might center on the feeling of uncleanliness. Similarly, if a thought about blood is present in the mind, mindfulness enables you to see it for what it is, a thought about blood. Some people fear that these substances may cause harm or even death. The gut microbiome and inflammation in obsessive-compulsive disorder patients compared to age- and sex-matched controls: a pilot study. Take time to decompress and reach out for help if you need it. Although people with this symptom cluster generally have no history of violence, they spend a lot of time and energy trying to suppress or erase these thoughts. People fear blood because they associate it with being sick, contagious, unlovable, incapable of being around others, ashamed and rejected from society. The best outcomes happen when people are diagnosed early and start a robust treatment program right away. Antibacterial soaps, peroxide, and disinfectants, such as Lysol, can be used to excess by some, causing further skin damage. bottom of shoes), Avoidance of people associated (accurately or inaccurately) with blood contact or blood-related illnesses (i.e. . It can also include such things as: bodily excretions (urine, feces) bodily fluids (sweat, saliva, mucus, tears, etc.) The idea that all blood is dangerous because some blood can carry a virus makes resisting compulsions that much harder. So, the urge to do compulsions continues to go up over time while the obsessive fear of blood never abates (and actually worsens over the same period of time). Many people also develop OCD around bowel movements or urination. a red mark on a wall), Checking for blood or for cuts in the skin (on self or others), Reassurance seeking online (or elsewhere) regarding blood-borne illnesses and how they are contracted, Reassurance seeking from others that they have not come in contact with blood, Mental rituals, such as mentally retracing what could have touched what or mentally repeating reassuring statements, Scrutinizing the behavior of dentists, doctors or any other professionals who may be exposed to blood (yours or others), There are no documented cases of contracting HIV through environmental contact (i.e., touching infected blood), There are essentially only two ways to get HIV the use of shared hypodermic needles in which blood from one person is literally extracted and put into the bloodstream of another person, and unprotected sex with an infected person in which semen or vaginal secretions are essentially pushed into the bloodstream of another person through tears in the skin of the mouth, vagina, anus, or penis (other ways of contracting it include transmission from pregnant mother to fetus and transfusions of infected blood [which is no longer an issue due to testing standards]). If you suffer from food poisoning, it might have been caused by your most recent meal, or the one before that, or anything you ate in the past forty-eight hours. Contamination OCD often focuses on the bathroom because bathrooms are an area where you can easily be exposed to others bodily fluids. But when OCD puts all the focus on dangerous, all of lifes other qualities become obscured. Turna J, et al. Brain scans also reveal differences in estrogen receptors and in the amount of white and gray matter in the brains of people with the contamination and cleaning symptom dimensions. From my own experience, I would guess that the fear of certain illnesses may still the leader. St. Martins, New York, NY, 2007. If a feared substance or situation is too difficult to confront in one whole step, it is approached more gradually. You have obsessions or compulsions that take up at least an hour of your day. Obsessive-compulsive disorder: When unwanted thoughts or repetitive behaviors take over. Contamination OCD usually revolves around the fear of dirt, germs, and illnesses. However, this stereotype does not illustrate the correct image of many sufferers. Domnech L, et al. Its not clear why this is the case. We look at 5 tips that may help. How Psychologically Conditioned Rats Are Defusing Landmines, The Innate Intelligence Observed in the Dying Process. Obsessions can revolve. Yet it also includes the fear of being infected with them. When confronted with something offensive, they adopted behaviors such as flaring nostrils, curling lips, and stepping backavoiding the danger and visually signaling others to avoid it as well. Contamination OCD is simply one kind of OCD. Finding a therapist can be a great first step in learning to manage your symptoms. Washers as they are referred to are probably the most visible among those with contamination obsessions. Author of Triggered: A Memoir of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (St. Martins Press), named one of Booklists Top 10 Science & Health Books of 2012.. You might use certain washing or cleaning rituals to get rid of those thoughts. Davarinejad O, et al. There is no easy answer, but there are clues. Michael VS, et al. It is what it is. Last medically reviewed on August 4, 2020. If you have or think you may have this condition, consider looking for a therapist who is experienced in treating OCD. It is also true that at some point, we draw a line in the sand and we say, enough. They may also be able to live freely in their clean world as long as they themselves are clean when they enter it and also stay that way. You may feel stressed in circumstances where you feel out of control or uncertain. For example, individuals with OCD may think, If I dont line up my toiletries exactly this far apart, someone is going to harm me today, or if I clean my sink five times this morning, my brother wont get sick today.. Blood pours out, not in. Your therapist then helps you practice gradually facing stressful situations both in your imagination and in real life without using your compulsions. Contamination OCD: Signs, Symptoms & Treatment Talkspace Your obsessions and compulsions cause significant distress and impact your day-to-day life. It asks you to sacrifice all the same things. Though it's commonly associated with illness and germs, contamination OCD can cause obsessive fear of a variety of contaminants, including: Blood Bodily fluids like saliva, sweat, tears, or mucus Bodily excretions like urine or fecal matter Garbage Mold Chemicals Semen Radioactive chemicals or fluids Household chemicals or cleaning supplies The two worlds may exist side-by-side like parallel universes that are never allowed to meet. Obviously, washers go through large amounts of soap and paper towels (used in preference to cloth towels which can only be used once and create laundry). OCD that focuses on germs and cleanliness is called contamination OCD. For example, your therapist might challenge you to touch a dirty shoe and resist the urge to wash your hand immediately. Traditionally, germs have been the focus of attention when it comes to contamination obsessions, with the emphasis on health anxiety and fears of getting ill or causing others to get ill. Knowing what you value will help you build the most meaningful life possible. People with mysophobia may also suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Some people choose to hide their symptoms, often in fear of embarrassment or stigma. While there are many treatment options for OCD, ERP and SSRIs are the most effective. Talk therapy, also called psychotherapy, is one of the most common and effective ways to treat OCD. Hirschtritt ME, et al. Other common compulsions include repeating mantras, prayers, or safety words to ward off danger or reduce anxiety. OCD can affect your time management by making you overthink, strive for perfection, or have trouble focusing. What is Contamination OCD & How to Overcome It | TAG (2016). Contamination Someone may fear coming into contact with bodily fluids, such as urine or feces; germs or diseases, such as HIV; or environmental contaminants, such as asbestos, radiation, or household chemicals. OCD Contamination Fears: What Is It? I Psych Central Among the more common manifestations of blood-focused OCD is an obsession with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). To break the cycle, the OCD sufferer has to remove the only removable element. (2020). ), Checking, reassurance seeking, or analysis of items that may or may not be blood (i.e. Perhaps the most visible of all OCD symptoms are those related to the fear of disease. Fletcher Wortmann is the author of Triggered: A Memoir of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Doctors, psychiatrists, and psychologists have found a number of treatments that can decrease your symptoms and improve your daily functioning. What Are Common Obsessions and Compulsions? | Everyday Health Contamination from germs, bodily fluids, chemicals, dirt, and environmental pollutants is an extremely common obsession. Common obsessions in contamination-related OCD include the fear of getting sick with a serious illness like rabies, ebola, H1N1 (swine flu), Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, mad cow disease, hepatitis, or avian influenza. In addition to emotional reasoning, black-and-white thinking and magnifying can play an important role as well. They could also include doubt about whether something is really clean. Use this brief screening measure to help you determine if you might need to see a mental health professional for diagnosis and treatment of OCD, Can Stanley Cup-Winning Goaltenders Have Anxiety and OCD? One of my favorite OCD therapists & writers, Jon Hershfield, has put together a series of articles exploring the common contamination triggers of various bodily fluids. We. It often includes fears around dirt, germs, or illness, and it can involve excessive cleaning and washing rituals.