Emotional Contamination in OCD

Emotional contamination is a form of OCD that falls under the contamination subtype. In this presentation, individuals fear they may become "contaminated" not by germs or dirt, but by a person, place, object, or even an idea. This often involves a feeling of internal or mental contamination that is deeply distressing.

Triggers for emotional contamination can vary widely. Some people fear they might take on unwanted personality traits, like laziness, or physical characteristics, such as a disability. Others may feel contaminated by thoughts related to death or bad luck, such as attending a funeral, walking through a cemetery, or encountering certain "unlucky" colors or numbers.

In some cases, emotional contamination is linked to past painful or traumatic experiences. Individuals might avoid people, places, or items connected to those memories. Sometimes, the contamination is experienced as a vague negative feeling, and the person fears spreading this feeling to things or people they care about. For example, they may avoid their favorite video game, TV show, or important life events out of fear that these will become "ruined" with a negative association.

Common compulsions can be repetitive behaviors or mental rituals—to try to get rid of the contaminated feeling or "essence." These compulsions might look like traditional contamination behaviors, such as frequent hand washing or changing clothes after being near someone or something they associate with contamination. Other common compulsions include trying to "neutralize" a negative thought with a positive or neutral thought, or repeating specific rituals to undo the distressing feeling.

Emotional contamination can be especially confusing and distressing because it’s often invisible to others and difficult to explain.