How do I deal with OCD and Germophobia?

Question

I think that my germophobia caused me to have OCD. I ritualize because of my fear of germs. It's become an everyday thing now, and it's so annoying. I feel like Jack Nicholson in As Good as it Gets. How do I stop ritualizing??

Today kinda opened my eyes to my problems..I had to go to the doctors for a check up and had to do the dreaded urine sample. I NEVER use public bathrooms..even if I'm dying to go. The whole time I was in the public bathroom I felt anxious..my hands started shaking too. Why did that happen to me? I had to wash my hands a few times but it really didn't relieve my anxiety. How can I stop this??

Are there any alternatives to medication and psychologists? I don't really like either.

Thanks in advance for any help I may receive.

Answer 1

If you find "the right" therapist you will be happy about it.

The right therapist is going to help you help yourself which is what you want.

You need to find a therapist that is experienced with OCD and cognitive behavior therapy / exposure response prevention (shown to work!).

The wierd thing about CBT / ERP is that it is often very counter-intuitive and so professional guidance is needed to help you really do it effectively. For the compulsions / rituals you will be taught how to "boss back" the ocd. For the obsessions you will be shown a way to make them soooooo boring that they will no longer be distressful to you. Imagine watching a really scary movie. The first time you watch it you get really tense, right. Watch it 10 times in a row and it starts to seem just plain silly and boring .... yawn.

Now, I bet you would like your response to thoughts to be "oh brother... yawn ... " instead of "oh no!!!!" If your response is SNOOZE, then they will not get stuck in your mind.

You will find some "alternative" stuff on the web. In my opinion all of that stuff is just snake-oil medicine being sold by people who are terribly taking advantage of people's pain and desparation. Don't fall for the miracle cures.

I can point you to a directory of good links that will help you but don't want to be a spammer. If you are interested e-mail me.

Answer 2

Listen calmly as I tell you from experience.
You will find the best answers for your problem are therapy and meds.
I'm not saying it's impossible to cure yourself but remember.
While OCD sufferers tend to be intelligent, and analytical, making us feel we should be able to reason it out. Our OCD brains are wired a bit different from the average person. This makes us perceive contamination with a skewed priority. So much so it can take over our lives. If you can't quite trust your perception of the situation, how can you know you're making the right choice to cure it?
The therapist serves as a person of reference that you can confer with about your problems, feelings and stress. The doctor gives you the meds to help blunt some of the symptoms so you can get things under control.
I have been where you are, and in most cases untreated OCD (as mine had been) gets worse.
Seek GOOD medical help. They have to know about OCD. I've had a few doctors and social workers until I found the right ones.
If you have a good therapist, you'll always feel better after a session.
Your doctor has to be willing to listen to you about your reaction and effects of the meds, and be flexible if necessary.
If this isn't the case you need different people.
You don't have to have to live with the anxiety, shakes and limits OCD can saddle you with. Getting help was a huge step for me, as I know it will be for you. But the longer you wait the more ingrained the rituals will become. A happier future awaits if you get help.
All my luck and best wishes go with you. Charley

Answer 3

There's really no way to do that without becoming a parody of someone suffering from OCD. If your parents aren't stupid they'll know you're faking. If you were to ramp up the obsessive behavior over time it might work but it would take a lot of effort. My parents have always harped on my untidiness and I just ignore them. That might be a better solution.

Answer 4

I have OCD myself, but I've been on medication for it, which really helps. But if you don't want that, the only thing I can think of is to try your own behavior modification. Talk yourself through it. Ask yourself, what is going to happen if I don't wash repeatedly? Tell yourself, I'm not going to do this. That's OCD telling me to do this and I'm not going to listen. Things like that :)

Answer 5

Maybe you should use your phobia as an asset, and become a microbiologist.

Answer 6