Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is often characterized by time-consuming rituals that can have ripple effects throughout a client’s life.  While many people find comfort in the cleansing experience of a shower, for those of us with OCD, it is a common area to be gripped with compulsions.  Here are the top 6 ways I see our daily showers get taken over by OCD:

1. Sequencing

Many people with OCD have a specific order that they feel they must clean their bodies.  If the order is broken, some will feel the compulsion to restart the shower.  The sequencing is thrown off if a certain product has run out and thus, it is common for showering compulsions to be accompanied by hoarding of certain “needed” items.  

1. Contamination 

Some individuals with OCD utilize showers to decontaminate – especially after contact with certain feared contaminants, for example, after every bowel movement.  Others utilize showers directly upon entering their homes to create a contamination barrier between “outside” and “inside.”  

Similarly, after the shower, some have an order for drying their bodies, especially to avoid contamination from “dirty” zones of the body to “clean” ones. Some may excessively dry to avoid moisture, for sensory reasons or because moisture is correlated with bacteria. Others may drip dry because towels are considered contaminated.   

1. Skin-Picking

The shower is a common place to zone out and skin-pick for comfort.  While the most common spot for active skin-picking is usually the bathroom mirror, skin picking as a mindless compulsive habit often happens in bed or in the shower.  Similarly, some individuals may utilize the showers to practice compulsive masturbating (note: OCD Masturbation is distinguished from healthy masturbation by following either a strict routine or a binge cycle).

1. Avoidance/Delaying

Showers may be utilized by OCD individuals as a place to “check out” of the sensory and anxiety overload that is life.  Excessive showering can lead to chronic lateness, inability to get out of the house, and routine absence from the family system.  

1. Counting

Many use shower time to do compulsive counting or perform tasks in “lucky numbers.”  For example, individuals may feel the compulsive need to wash certain parts of the body three times.   

1. Moral Scrupulosity

Some individuals may excessively avoid or limit showers due to moral scrupulosity with the environmental damage caused by humans’ overuse of water.  While certainly conscientious, this may become a point of contention in a family system, or a socially problematic limitation for a person’s hygiene.  This form of OCD can increase the barriers to leaving the home, a common struggle for individuals with severe OCD.  

In summary, while the presentations of OCD in the realm of showering are multiple, the common theme is that these compulsions are all behaviors that are meant to temporarily soothe anxiety and relieve uncertainty.  Like all OCD presentations, the best solution is usually ERP.  

After just a few months of exposure therapy, especially if there is a home-based practitioner available to coach, most of these compulsions can be eliminated, and showers can go back to being a place of calm.  

If you want to learn more about Treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, please contact us today to get started!