I am sure that we can collectively agree as a human race that 2020 has been bloody difficult to say the least. Everything has changed for our entire planet, and we have to live completely differently. We have had to embrace the concept of ‘radical acceptance’ wholeheartedly and roll with the constant (and perhaps in some cases, permanent) changes to our environment.
Suddenly we are acutely aware of spreading germs, and consciously make an effort to avoid places, people and situations that might put us and others at risk of contracting COVID-19. We are reminded to wash our hands thoroughly, to wear masks, to keep distance and wipe down commonly used areas or door handles. It’s a lot to remember and maintain!
I want to pause for a second to think about those who suffer with severe contamination OCD.
Even before COVID-19 decided to grace us with its everlasting presence, some of us were struggling to maintain ‘normal functioning’ lives because of obsessive compulsive disorder. COVID-19 has thrust us into a world of triggers, intrusive thoughts, compulsions and visual/verbal cues and prompts for the world to engage in the compulsions that OCD sufferers spend much of our day trying to ignore or resist.
2020 has become our living nightmare… It’s basically constant exposure therapy- only (in my opinion) with very little therapeutic advantage.
Let’ kick things off by answering questions about what it’s really like to live with contamination OCD during a worldwide pandemic, and will go on to explain more about the neuroscience behind obsessive compulsive disorders.
NeuroBundle 