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OCD Project

OCD Project

I was watching the psychology based reality show called, "OCD Project" and what was familiar with most of these cases is that they were once sexually abused when they were young and developed some compulsive action to try and deal with it.

Project OCD

I am watching it as well but I just saw something I found repulsive and extremely unhygienic. One of the ladies had a fear of germs, so one of the doctors took her to a tea place where they got different small little pastries and then took her with the food to the bathroom, they made the woman RUB the pastries in the toilet seat and eat it, then rub it inside the toilet bowl and eat it and one of the pastries actually FELL inside the toilet bowl and one of the doctors ate it and wanted the lady to eat it too!

I understand the need to face the fears but heck I would never even try to do something like that and I don't have OCD!

OCD Project Health & Special Psychology

The toilet was likely new or sanitized. The idea was to get rid of the mental conflicts by getting them to face their fears.

Project OCD

The toilet was a restaurant's toilet that happen to be unisex AND they were commenting how there was "old" urine in the side of the toilet bowl.

Now out of curiosity, if that toilet was like you mentioned new or sanitized and you are in the exact same situation and a piece of food falls inside that toilet bowl, you would eat it?

I would like to know that because most of the things they wanted people to do in that show, I couldn't do it such as shaking hands with homeless people, touch water drain and rub it in your face and hair, etc.

Project OCD

There may be a use of psychology here but there is also the element of TV reality, keeping the viewer interested and ratings. Since we are dealing with television anything can be created. That toilet can be brought in and made to look like anything but it is most definitely sanitized. You can die from e-coli and other things which I'm sure they are not trying to do. I do not think they wish to be sued either and then show the evidence of it on cable. The yellow is probably just some food colorant. The fact that they point it out is just to speak to the mind of the patient(s). The idea is if you have a fear then you must face it and essentially shock your own self into the reality of not only doing it, but going beyond doing what you fear - that way 'normal' life procedures do not seem to be a big deal anymore. For instance if you have a fear of lifting 50 pounds then if you lift 100 pounds lifting 50 will not even be a thought.

OCD Project

You still not answering the questions of what would you do if you was in the exact same position? I am trying to figure out if it's me or others think similarly but based on the show I could not:

1. Eat anything that was in the toilet seat (inside or outside)

2. Shake hands with a homeless person.

3. Touch drain water and rub it in my skin.

OCD Project

I do not see anything wrong with shaking the hands of a homeless person so long as they did not have open sores or anything like that, but the other two I definitely will not do. I won't do it because I know the consequences of those actions. Those who have OCD it is the 100 pound example I gave earlier. I believe he is trying to get them to do it so that if they can do that then seeing a bit of dust on the counter top is going to be the 50 pound no big deal. In other words to overcome their fear they have to go beyond their fear. You cannot treat a fear by just playing around with it sometimes you have to go to the extreme, remember we are dealing with mental health issues which can't be solved by just talking or saying to them you shouldn't do that.

OCD Project Psychology Special & Health

Let me clarify that I don't have issues with homeless people, it's just that I dislike to shake hands generally with people. Homeless folks because of the fact they don't bathe often (most of them) they become open gates for all sort of germs which now you will pass to other people.

Having said that, the show seems quite staged to me.