I suffer from emotional contamination OCD. Without going into details about the triggers (there are many), things such as my smart phone and clothes can end up feeling like they are contaminated, even though they are not physically contaminated in any way. I then have to throw them away or “quarantine” them somewhere to stop the “contamination” spreading to other things. I also have to wash my hands if I touch them. I can’t use my smartphone because of this and I’ve reached the point where my life is almost completely paralyzed. I’m on an antidepressant, but I don’t want to switch to another one or make any other medication changes. I know the other option is to do ERP, and I am going to see a therapist next month, but I feel that if I do ERP everything is going to get cross-contaminated and I will have no “safe” places left. I feel trapped because I can’t go on giving in to the OCD, which has completely taken over my life. On the other hand, I’m frightened of doing ERP because the feelings are very strong and I think Exposure will make things even worse. It would be helpful to hear from anyone else who might have experienced something similar and could offer some words of advice and/or support.
