Common Fears & OCD Subtypes
OCD subtypes can help people to find community with others who share similar experiences, and they can assist therapists in designing targeted treatment plans, but they don't tell the whole story. If you can't find your subtype, that doesn't mean you don't have OCD—everyone's experience is unique, and many people's OCD symptoms don't fit neatly into any specific theme.
Health and Contamination OCD
Health Concern/Contamination OCD is a subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) where a person experiences obsessive thoughts around fears of becoming contaminated, contaminating others, or contracting and spreading a disease. These obsessive thoughts drive people to engage in various compulsions aimed at alleviating their anxieties about contamination (e.g., showering for hours or until they feel clean).
It’s normal to experience a bit of an “ick” about less-than-clean environments, but people with mysophobia—aka germophobia, sometimes spelled
By Fjolla Arifi
Reviewed by April Kilduff, MA, LCPC
Picture this: You’re enjoying a nice brunch with friends, but you realize you need to excuse yourself for a moment—”nature calls.” It happens to everyone.
By Taneia Surles
Reviewed by April Kilduff, MA, LCPC
Everyone has a bit of health anxiety from time to time—like when they’re riding a crowded bus and everyone around them is coughing. But if you regularly
By Jenna Demmer
Reviewed by Patrick McGrath, PhD
There’s nothing like worrying about your health to keep you up at night. You feel an abdominal cramp and fear your appendix is bursting. You hear about a
Reviewed by Patrick McGrath, PhD
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder categorized by excessive intrusive thoughts (obsessions) that lead to repetitive — and
Reviewed by Dr. Keara Valentine
Contamination OCD is a subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) where a person experiences obsessive thoughts around fears of becoming contaminated,
When a friend, family or loved one is struggling with contamination OCD, it can be difficult to know how to help them. Of course you want to support them,
Contamination OCD is a subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) where a person experiences obsessive thoughts around fears of becoming contaminated,
My first experience with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) came at the age of 7 years old, with severe intrusive thoughts. As I got older, my OCD
By Rebecca Horsfall
Learn about the differences between OCD, Agoraphobia, and Specific Phobias that can cause a fear of leaving the home and how they can be treated.
By Melanie Dideriksen, LPC, CAADC
Reviewed by Patrick McGrath, PhD
Strong, persistent fears about infertility, worrying about becoming pregnant and/or making a partner pregnant may be a sign of OCD.
By Melanie Dideriksen, LPC, CAADC
Reviewed by Patrick McGrath, PhD
Someone experiencing fear of drug overdose in OCD may worry about dying from ingesting, inhaling, coming into contact with harmful substances
By Melanie Dideriksen, LPC, CAADC
Reviewed by Patrick McGrath, PhD
Fear of concussions in OCD involves recurrent, persistent, unwanted, and intrusive thoughts related to head trauma/concussion.
Fear of spit in OCD involves repetitive contamination fears and worry about contracting illness by coming into contact with saliva or spit.
A fear of sunburn associated with OCD involves recurrent, persistent, unwanted, and intrusive thoughts, images, or urges related to sunburns.
An intense fear of boogers or mucus is common in Contamination OCD, and can be very debilitating interfering with many areas of life.
OCD fear of HIV is a focus in Contamination/Health OCD where individuals fear they will contract, or may have contracted, the HIV virus.
Reviewed by Patrick McGrath, PhD
In the era of “clean eating,” orthorexia is a commonly misunderstood eating disorder.
An intense, persistent fear of poison can be a sign of OCD. People may fear being poisoned themselves or that they could poison others.