4. Fear of Contamination
When non-OCD people read about new diseases, plagues, or sicknesses, they may feel worried for a minute. Then there are hypochondriacs, who start suspecting that they themselves have every kind of disease imaginable.
However, OCD patients react in a somewhat different manner. They’re actually terrified of getting any disease or being contaminated by an infection, unpleasant substance, or illness.
In response to such a fear, we may find OCD patients compulsively washing and rewashing their hands. They may also be particular about the soap and towel they use.
In fact, they may wash their hands and themselves so often and so aggressively that their skin starts to peel off.
In many cases, such patients also tend to wash their surroundings before touching them. This leads to a lot of wasted time, water damage, and other problems. This would create difficulties for those living with the patient too.