Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that involves distressing obsessions and compulsions.
Obsessions are thoughts or images that are highly distressing and disturbing. Compulsions are behaviors that attempt to soothe or calm the obsessions, no matter how unrelated the compulsion actually is to the obsession.
For example, “If I touch every lamp post, my family won’t die.”
There are many different subtypes of OCD, but one of the most common ones is Contamination OCD. An upwards of 46% of people with OCD struggle with fears of contamination and excessive washing behavior.
This article will cover what contamination OCD is and its symptoms, causes, and treatments.
Do you think you might have OCD? Take this free, online OCD test to find out.
Contamination OCD symptoms
Like all forms of OCD, contamination OCD has obsessions and compulsions. Some examples of obsessions and compulsions in OCD include:
Obsessions (Intrusive Thoughts/Fears)
- Intense fear of germs, dirt, or illness
- Worry that touching objects will cause contamination
- Fear of spreading illness to others
- Belief that household items, clothing, or even people are “unclean” or “tainted”
- Distress about being in “unclean” environments (public restrooms, hospitals, public transport)
- Fear that one’s own body is contaminated (sweat, saliva, blood, etc.)
Compulsions (Behaviors/Responses)
- Excessive handwashing or showering (sometimes until skin becomes raw)
- Overuse of cleaning products, disinfectants, or sanitizers
- Avoid touching doorknobs, handles, or other frequently touched surfaces
- Avoidance of physical contact with people or animals
- Repeatedly washing or replacing clothing, bedding, or personal items
- Cleaning the home or personal spaces for hours at a time
- Excessive use of gloves, tissues, or barriers to avoid contact
- Rituals around entering or leaving the home to avoid "bringing in contamination"
As a result of these obsessions and compulsions, people may experience:
- High anxiety or panic when encountering feared contaminants
- Feeling compelled to perform rituals until things feel “just right”
- Guilt or shame about potentially contaminating others
- Exhaustion from time-consuming cleaning rituals
- Skin irritation, dryness, or injury from frequent washing
OCD will be very unique to every person, so if you experience symptoms different from this, that’s okay! Talk to a therapist about how to best treat your unique challenges.
What Is Contamination OCD?
At its core, OCD is about the fear of illness and disease, but that doesn’t mean everyone who has OCD has the same obsessions or compulsions.
For example, one person might obsess over dirt and have intense cleaning rituals for their shoes/feet whenever they come back inside. They may also clean obsessively to keep dirt out of their home. But, they might not have any obsessions or compulsions related to bodily fluids.
Someone else might obsess over the possibility of throwing up. (The fear of throwing up is called emetophobia, which is its own separate phobia that may have some overlap with OCD, but doesn’t have to.)
Contamination OCD isn’t an official diagnosis; you’ll still be diagnosed with simple OCD. But knowing your subtype can help you and your therapist build an effective treatment plan with the proper rungs of ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention therapy), which we’ll talk about in depth below.
What Causes Contamination OCD
The exact cause of contamination OCD is unknown, but it’s thought to be influenced by these three factors:
- Genetics: It’s thought that OCD has a strong genetic cause. If someone in your family has OCD, you’re more likely to have it, too.
- Biology: Abnormalities in brain structure and imbalances in neurotransmitters like serotonin can also cause or trigger OCD.
- Trauma and Upbringing: Our environment plays a big role in our mental health. Someone who experienced a trauma, like a loved one dying of a sickness, might develop contamination OCD as a result of that trauma. Other times, environmental triggers like a parent who cleaned obsessively and taught the importance of cleanliness could be the trigger.
The causation of OCD is likely to be a combination of all three of these.
How to Treat Contamination OCD at Home
It is highly recommended to talk to a therapist if you have OCD. While mild OCD could be treated at home, more severe OCD can be very difficult to manage on your own without the help of a medical professional.
Even with a therapist, you’ll need healthy coping mechanisms to help you manage OCD symptoms at home. Here are some ways to deal with an OCD flare-up:
- Make a list of things you wish you could do but that OCD is stopping you from doing. (Going to the gym, dating, hanging out with friends, eating out, taking a walk, riding public transportation.)
- Rank those things from most scary to least scary.
- Do the least scary thing without giving in to your compulsions.
- Cope with the distressing feelings that follow.
- Repeat the process until the least scary thing on your list is no longer scary. Then, move on to the next scary thing.
This method is a very shortened version of ERP, or Exposure Response and Prevention. ERP is the most effective and recommended way to treat OCD. It is considered the first line of treatment for OCD, and most OCD therapists will use it.
Doing this on your own can be dangerous and triggering, making your symptoms worse instead of better. It’s recommended that you talk to a therapist before attempting ERP at home.
Can Therapy Help with Contamination OCD?
Yes, absolutely. Although OCD is a chronic disorder, it can get better through therapy. Therapy can help OCD symptoms go from unbearable to manageable.
Slowly, through therapy techniques like ERP, you can get your life back.
Virtual therapy has been proven just as effective as in-person therapy for OCD. To talk to a virtual OCD therapist near you, contact Lifebulb. We have therapists who take your insurance and have little to no waiting times.
