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).
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.
Sometimes people who struggle with OCD also struggle with maladaptive daydreaming to escape the anxiety caused by their obsessions.
If you’re experiencing fears about coming into contact with sperm and becoming contaminated or feeling dirty, it may be Contamination OCD.
By Stacy Quick, LPC
For people with OCD fear of toilets anything involved with restroom contaminants can become an issue that is hard to manage.
Fear of needles in Contamination OCD is characterized by intrusive thoughts about coming into contact with a needle that may be contaminated.
Reviewed by admin
OCD with a focus on the fear of aging is characterized by unwanted and intrusive thoughts about aging and the potential difficulties or issues associated with it.
A constant or repetitive fear of drugs can be a sign of OCD, likely falling under the OCD theme of health or contamination fears.
Reviewed by Patrick McGrath, PhD
OCD with a focus on the fear of urine is characterized by intrusive thoughts or worries about possibly coming into contact with urine.
Reviewed by Patrick McGrath, PhD