Ants and inscets

[Salma20]

Hello since two years my ocd begins to be triggered by ants and inscets for some reason and it increased when I Googled that those can cuz a dang diseases so I find my self in infinite loop and can't get outside of it, I have got a good job last summer and left it because there was ants in the toilet and I couldn't use it even after they cleaned it and this summer I found myself going crazy because I have the same issue with my bathroom.. I keep imagining that ants or inscets can get inside me from my ear, nose or even my vagina and if it couldn't get in it might then bite me and lie eggs under my skin and the worst thing is that when I Googled it I found that it might happen!

[LuvSun]

Sorry to hear about your fear of insects. All I can offer is that as far as I know many insects can bite but I’ve never heard of anyone having ants get inside their body and causing any harm. I know the OCD will tell you otherwise but try not to waste too much time worrying about it.

[MothFir]

Hi Salma 20, I have some contamination OCD but it does not involve insects (which is good because I work with insects in an entomology lab!). I do however fear contracting a certain disease that in reality I am really unlikely to get.

I found it helpful to talk to a nurse who knew a lot about the disease I worry about. I told her right away that I had OCD and anxiety about the disease, and she helped me figure out what was really a risk and what wasn't. Of course with OCD we will worry about everything anyway, but at least she gave me some facts to remember when I was trying to figure out what were normal precautions and what was OCD. When I am triggered by something it is now easier for me to recognize it as OCD, because I know in reality there is no danger, even if my OCD says that there is.

It might help you to talk to someone who knows about harmful insects in your country. DON'T get too caught up in this because it can easily be a compulsion in itself. But I think it is reasonable to get a basic knowledge of what is really a risk from someplace other than the internet. Then you can have more confidence to tackle your OCD.

Then your best help will be from therapy and/or medication. The OCD is not really about the topic, so if you get comfortable with insects your OCD could easily move onto another topic if you don't learn some therapeutic skills to deal with it. Do you have a therapist? If not there are many good self-help materials that can help you.

[JoeS00]

Hello Salma. I absolutely understand what you feel being an OCD sufferer myself. The odds of ants getting into you are extremely slim. The things we obsess about in OCD can happen but we can never be certain of anything. Just seek out exposure response therapy it's highly recommended. And try by yourself that whenever that anxiety hits you occupy yourself with something else. Make fists with your hand and squeeze so anxiety lessens a bit. Believe me it can be cured. Good luck to you