Anyone with OCD/contamination fears?

[Anonymous]

I think I have OCD/contamination fears. This has been going on for a year and a half, and gets worse in times of stress. I'd like to find a therapist in NoVA or DC to help me with this. Any recommendations or anyone else have this condition?

[Anonymous]

I have a mild form of this condition I'd say-- never formally diagnosed, but I have a friend who has a MAJOR version of it (hospitalized several times while we were in high school and college), so I've talked to her about it because she is now a medical doctor.

She told me that therapy for contamination fears involves gradually exposing yourself to various iterations of the scenario that most distresses you. Her fears were related to her food / water being contaminated, so her therapy over the years consisted of dealing with that.

I realized that while teaching, I was sort of forcing myself into a modified version of that therapy because I was ALWAYS surrounded by the germs that were the source of my panic. I just HAD to deal with it. Then I took time off to raise DS and I just couldn't handle it anymore because I wasn't getting my daily dose of "therapy," ha ha...

Anyway, not to make light of it-- seek out a therapist-- but I'm right there with you. It's impossible to explain to someone who has never experienced it, but it rules your freaking life. Good luck to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a mild form of this condition I'd say-- never formally diagnosed, but I have a friend who has a MAJOR version of it (hospitalized several times while we were in high school and college), so I've talked to her about it because she is now a medical doctor.

She told me that therapy for contamination fears involves gradually exposing yourself to various iterations of the scenario that most distresses you. Her fears were related to her food / water being contaminated, so her therapy over the years consisted of dealing with that.

I realized that while teaching, I was sort of forcing myself into a modified version of that therapy because I was ALWAYS surrounded by the germs that were the source of my panic. I just HAD to deal with it. Then I took time off to raise DS and I just couldn't handle it anymore because I wasn't getting my daily dose of "therapy," ha ha...

Anyway, not to make light of it-- seek out a therapist-- but I'm right there with you. It's impossible to explain to someone who has never experienced it, but it rules your freaking life. Good luck to you.

Thanks for your post. Mine only started a year and a half ago, before that I was completely fine. My OCD started as the result of a few health scares in a short amount of time, leaving me feeling traumatized and stressed. I am wondering if anyone has any recommendations for a therapist who deals with this?