Contamination OCD and the Holidays: Why Symptoms Spike and How Intensive Therapy Can Help
The holidays bring twinkly lights, cozy gatherings, and… a noticeable spike in Contamination OCD symptoms. If you’re someone who already feels on high alert around germs, sickness, or anything even potentially “dirty,” the holiday season can feel like a minefield.
As an OCD therapist serving teens and young adults in Roslyn, I see this pattern every single year. November hits, and suddenly my clients are navigating crowded stores, shared serving utensils, travel hubs, and family members who don’t exactly share your same hygiene standards. (We all have that one uncle.)
If you’ve been wondering why your contamination fears feel louder this time of year, and how to actually get ahead of them, let’s break it down.
Why Contamination OCD Gets Worse During the Holidays
1. More germs, more people, more uncertainty
Between office parties, family gatherings, airports, malls, and cozy indoor hangouts, you’re suddenly exposed to far more people in confined spaces. More contact = more triggers. And for a brain wired to worry about harm and responsibility, this creates the perfect storm.
2. Higher pressure to “be normal”
Many people with Contamination OCD feel a pressure to hide symptoms during the holidays. You may try to mask compulsions, avoid looking “too anxious,” or force yourself into situations you’re not yet ready for. This internal pressure adds another layer of stress.
3. Cold and flu season isn’t helping
Holiday season overlaps with real, actual increases in illness. For someone with contamination fears, this can make the anxiety feel justified, even though OCD exaggerates the threat.
Let me repeat: your OCD exaggerates the potential threat.
4. Disrupted routines
Your mental health thrives on structure. Holidays, on the other hand? Not exactly structured.
Your schedule, sleep, meals, and exercise routine often shift dramatically and OCD loves to creep into that open space.
How Therapy Intensives Can Support You During the Holidays
Sometimes weekly therapy isn’t enough, especially when symptoms spike sharply around specific seasons or stressors. This is where OCD therapy intensives can be incredibly helpful.
Therapy intensives allow us to work together more deeply, more quickly, and with greater momentum so you can actually feel better in time for the holiday season, not months later.
What is accomplished in a Therapy Intensive Session:
Build a personalized ERP plan for the exact holiday triggers you’re facing: shared bathrooms, warm chairs, hugging relatives, shopping carts, airplanes, you name it.
Identify your top compulsions and create realistic exposure goals you can start practicing immediately.
Learn grounding and regulation tools to help your nervous system settle before, during, and after gatherings.
Strengthen your resilience around uncertainty so you can move through the season without feeling constantly on edge.
Prepare scripts and boundaries for navigating family members who may unintentionally fuel your anxiety.
Create a holiday survival plan tailored to your schedule, social dynamics, and specific fears.
Intensives give you the space to make meaningful progress quickly, so you can experience the holidays with more ease and less fear.
You Don’t Have to Get Through the Holidays Alone
Whether you’re already feeling the mental load of the upcoming season or you’ve noticed your symptoms getting harder to manage, support is available.
I provide Anxiety Therapy in Roslyn, New York with a specialization in OCD, and if you’ve been looking for an OCD therapist who understands the nuance of contamination fears, you’re in the right place.
This is your invitation to get the help you need before the holidays hit full force.
Ready to Feel More in Control This Holiday Season?
My OCD therapy intensives are designed to help you break out of the cycle quickly and enter the holiday season with confidence, clarity, and a solid plan.
Schedule a consultation for an OCD therapy intensive today.
Let’s help you navigate the holidays, not just survive them.
Dr. Rose Taveras, is a licensed psychologist on Long Island specializing in OCD, anxiety disorders, and therapy intensives for young adults. She uses evidence-based approaches, including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), CBT, and mindfulness-based treatments, to help clients break the OCD cycle and reclaim their lives. At RIT Psychology, she offers both in-person and virtual sessions for clients across New York.
