Living with OCD in a Pandemic

For those who with obsessive-compulsive disorder and a grave fear of germs, COVID-19 is a special nightmare.
 
It also gave a sense of validation: For the first time, reality matched their fears.
 
But for many, this validation only made treatment more challenging and walked back years of progress in therapy for, say, an obsession with washing one’s hands.
 
“I’m in deep circles of hell basically all the time,” says Frank, who’s struggled with OCD for decades. “When the rest of the world is acting like me, that’s a big problem.”
 
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