Contamination OCD or Culture?

Have you ever had a moment where you were showing up for someone else but felt like the message was for you?

Last fall, I attended a training about OCD within the BIPOC population. This training focused specifically on contamination. As a listened to the speaker define contamination OCD and contamination rituals, my ears perked up.

Excessive handwashing

Hypervigilance around hygiene

“Inside” vs “outside” clothes

Yikes.

Growing up, I learned an elaborate ritual for using public restrooms:

Step one: Avoid them altogether! If not, proceed to Step two.

Step two: Line the toilet with a seat cover or toilet paper.

Step three: Hover over the toilet but DO NOT SIT. And if you have to sit, make sure your skin doesn’t directly touch the toilet seat. Let the liner be a barrier.

Step four: Don’t touch anything!

Step five: Wash your hands thoroughly. If there’s no lather, you’re not really cleaning anything.

Step six: Use a paper towel to turn off the faucet and open the door.

I can’t recall anyone directly teaching me this. They didn’t present the rules, line by line, and quiz me for comprehension. Yet, I knew them by the time I was in high school, and so did my close friends. It seems like they were learning the same lessons.

I don’t follow all of the steps anymore. As a parent of three who are close in age, I learned quickly that public bathrooms cannot be avoided. Especially when you’re trying to potty train.

Let me be clear- I still follow some of these steps. For example, I still firmly believe in handwashing! But I’m not losing sleep if the toilet doesn’t get lined.

When it comes to contamination OCD, some people remain undiagnosed and untreated because the ritual looks like good home training. For example, in some households, the quickest way to be publicly chastised is sticking an unwashed hand into a community snack bag without announcing to all, “I washed my hands before this!” In fact, they might not invite you back!

How do you know if it’s OCD or social/cultural norms?

A big indicator is the level of your distress if you’re not able to do what makes you and those around you feel clean. Can you still eat the sandwich if you ran out of hand sanitizer and there’s no soap and water nearby? Can you get back to your daily tasks after touching a mysteriously wet door knob? Can you not wash your bedding and go to sleep right after knowing that you or your partner sat on it in their “outside” clothes? An OCD therapist with specialized training can help you determine whether your symptoms are clinical OCD or culturally sensitive hygiene practices.

If you resonated with any of this and have some questions, reach out.

Disclaimer: This is not intended to be an exhaustive list and does not take the place of working with a licensed professional.