Health and Contamination OCD
Health concern/contamination OCD is a subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) characterized by intrusive thoughts and fears about becoming sick or contaminated, or spreading contaminants or disease. Compulsions may be obvious to others, like repetitive hand washing, or invisible, like compulsive prayer.
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Do you think you might have Health and Contamination OCD?
Our therapists are trained to treat every OCD subtype.
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
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.
Do you think you might have Health and Contamination OCD?
Our therapists are trained to treat every OCD subtype.
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.
Do you think you might have Health and Contamination OCD?
Our therapists are trained to treat every OCD subtype.
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