A growing body of research is now showing that contamination OCD based on disgust ("I can't stand feeling gross", "I'll never feel clean enough again") is processed in a different part of the brain than COCD based on fear ("I'll get sick from germs or poisons, or will get others sick"). More importantly, it doesn't respond to traditional exposure therapy the same way. I recently published a proposed treatment protocol for disgust-based OCD based on emerging literature, involving rapidly learning to practice functioning better, as a clinical article in the IOCDF Spring 2023 Newsletter (see page 13).
This article has already generated a great deal of positive feedback from OCD sufferers and clinicians alike, many of whom have shared that it has helped in cases where people previously felt stuck with existing treatment approaches. I have also recently discussed this on several major podcasts in the field, including Kevin Foss' FearCast Podcast, Stuart Ralph's The OCD Stories, and Kristina Orlov's The OCD Whisperer (coming July 2023).
More to come on this - stay tuned!
