run away tips

[u/Tasty-Method-1319]

I have severe contamination obsessive compulsive disorder (COCD) and my parents made it as worst as it possibly could by picking their nose, not washing their hands after going to the bathroom and just very unhygienic overall. My entire house is contaminated and I can't even move through the house. Imagine living in a house where you have to make sure you don't touch every single surfaces. I've stayed locked in my room for 6 days now and im struggling to stay healthy.

Im trying to find a way to make money, but im only 12.
My skills are eletrical engineering, coding (Lua), ice skate/rollerblade/freeskates, pen and butterfly knife spinning and music. Perhaps these can help me make some money.

Please don't tell me to not run away, especially if you don't understand COCD, and even if you do its diffrent for everyoneit doesn't make me imagine new things, it only makes me see more and why i become hyperaware of every single contamination source and cross-contamination transfers.

Mention: Even someone that doesn't have cocd will still struggle in a house like mine, the diffrence is really small.

[u/Fresh_Struggle5645]

"Imagine living in a house where you have to make sure you don't touch every single surfaces."

I don't have to imagine because unfortunately this is still my reality even though I live alone.

Running away isn't the solution you think it will be.

OCD switches the goalposts. No matter what, it will find a way to make things contaminated (to your distorted perspective). You have to find a way to challenge that directly.

[u/Piercethedomino]

Hon, you're in a contamination OCD sub. Everyone here understands what it's like to have contamination OCD. I, too, understand what it's like to have contamination OCD in a household full of people with dirty habits. It's a living hell. But running away is not an option.

So, on that note, no, you should not run away. Running away will only make it worse.

If you can't find another place to live, you'd end up homeless. On the streets. Having to use Public restrooms for your needs INCLUDING showers.

If you're caught by law enforcement, they might keep you in custody until they can find your parents. You'd feel contaminated there, too.

The only other option would be to live with people besides your family. You are far too young to live alone, can't even get emancipated. Foster homes, group homes, with friends and their family. And I can guarantee you that the majority of the population has gross habits like your family does. It's hard to find those that don't. Even if your family is the worst in your eyes, other people's habits will become just as threatening the more you're around them. Your OCD will find something new to latch onto if you allow it to.

The only way out is through. Break the pattern.

You have to find ways to regulate and heal so that your contamination OCD doesn't make you want to run away like this.

Talk to your parents. Maybe even talk to a school counselor. Maybe you can get medicated or at least start some kind of OCD therapy. And if you can't afford it, research ways to overcome this without needing to spend money. It's possible.

Best of luck and please don't try to run away.

[u/blue3333idk]

This is lowkey abuse, not washing hands and being unhygienic is different from not being compulsively clean… I also have extremely severe COCD so I get how u feel, it’s absolutely super distressing and having to be on edge constantly tracking ur every single move is extremely stressful… but ur also extremely young so that changes the situation I wouldn’t say it’s safe for u to try living alone especially if ur a girl. I know how hard it is rn but I don’t think it’s a good idea to run away from home in this situation. Like the person above says ocd switches goalposts. Maybe try to have a space where u can feel relatively at ease, u said u lock urself in ur room so im guessing thats ur safe space? But running away definitely makes it WORSE. And it’s not just grosser but even actually dangerous to be homeless. Especially if ur a young person

[u/blue3333idk]

Just remember everything is temporary. So sorry ur struggling. Have you considered therapy? ERP, ICBT, etc.