Mental Contamination: Causes and Effects

Mental contamination is a phenomenon where individuals experience feelings of internal dirtiness and distress without physical contact with a contaminant. It is common among women who have experienced sexual trauma. Symptoms include fear of imagined contaminants, ritualistic acts to neutralize them, avoidance behaviors, and overwhelming feelings of shame and guilt. Emotional violations such as degradation, humiliation, criticism, and betrayal can trigger mental contamination. The source is human interaction, not external contaminants like blood or dirt. After sexual trauma, individuals may feel an urge to clean themselves and describe a sense of dirtiness and doom. This type of contamination cannot be cleansed through hand washing.

• Mental contamination
• Trauma
• Emotional violations
• Shame
• Guilt

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1. Mental contamination occurs when individuals experience feelings of internal dirtiness and distress in the absence of physical contact with a contaminant. Women who experience sexual trauma frequently report mental contamination.

2. Fearing imagined contaminants such as words or phrases that may Fearing imagined contaminants such as words or phrases that may trigger the memory of a situation that caused mental harm trigger the memory of a situation that caused mental harm Fearing people who have caused harm or done wrong by the individual Feelings of great personal responsibility for the internal contaminant such as a memory or scenario and experiencing great shame or guilt such as a memory or scenario and experiencing great shame or guilt. Fearing people who have caused harm or done wrong by the individual Feelings of great personal responsibility for the internal contaminant

3. Ritualistic acts performed to neutralize mental contaminants. Ritualistic acts performed to neutralize mental contaminants. Avoidance of people, places, memories, words or images that the individual believes to cause mental contamination. individual believes to cause mental contamination. Inability to name people, objects or thoughts that cause mental contamination. contamination. Avoidance of people, places, memories, words or images that the Inability to name people, objects or thoughts that cause mental

4. The source of mental contamination is not an external The source of mental contamination is not an external contaminant such as blood or dirt but human interaction. contaminant such as blood or dirt but human interaction. The emotional violations that can cause mental The emotional violations that can cause mental contamination include contamination includedegradation, humiliation, painful degradation, humiliation, painful criticism, and betrayal. criticism, and betrayal. In the aftermath of sexual trauma, people are more likely to In the aftermath of sexual trauma, people are more likely to report an urge to clean themselves in response to the traumatic report an urge to clean themselves in response to the traumatic memory being triggered, as well as an overall sense of memory being triggered, as well as an overall sense of feeling dirty. ... They often describe an overwhelming feeling of dirty. ... They often describe an overwhelming feeling of dirtiness and doom. dirtiness and doom. feeling

5. Mental contamination leads to an internal sense of dirtiness, Mental contamination leads to an internal sense of dirtiness, rather than being localized to a particular body part, and rather than being localized to a particular body part, and therefore can t be cleansed away by hand washing. therefore can t be cleansed away by hand washing. We can all understand the math behind contact contamination; We can all understand the math behind contact contamination; you touch something dirty, your hands become dirty, you wash you touch something dirty, your hands become dirty, you wash your hands, the dirt is gone, you feel relief. The process makes your hands, the dirt is gone, you feel relief. The process makes logical sense, as the cause is visible. logical sense, as the cause is visible. Mental contamination can be seen in the same way, it just Mental contamination can be seen in the same way, it just doesn t require a visible cause, and often the cause is associated doesn t require a visible cause, and often the cause is associated with a previous psychological or physical violation. Without this with a previous psychological or physical violation. Without this visible cause for their problems, the true source of discomfort is visible cause for their problems, the true source of discomfort is often unknown to sufferers. often unknown to sufferers.

6. Imagine Imagine you re taking part in an experiment, you re asked to try on a jumper which was brought from a charity shop, and report your feelings. If you know the jumper is physically clean, you d probably feel fine, no discomfort, you might even like wearing it. Now, imagine being told that the jumper belonged to a murderer, and suddenly for no explainable reason you aren t okay with wearing it anymore. You have that disturbing, spine- tingling, and shivery feeling as if the jumper were made of tarantulas. Despite knowing the jumper is physically clean, there s a cloud of dirtiness hanging over it, and you feel mentally contaminated. Imagine you re taking part in an experiment, you re asked to try on a jumper which was brought from a charity shop, and report your feelings. If you know the jumper is physically clean, you d probably feel fine, no discomfort, you might even like wearing it. Now, imagine being told that the jumper belonged to a murderer, and suddenly for no explainable reason you aren t okay with wearing it anymore. You have that disturbing, spine- tingling, and shivery feeling as if the jumper were made of tarantulas. Despite knowing the jumper is physically clean, there s a cloud of dirtiness hanging over it, and you feel mentally contaminated.

7. Mental Contamination OCD is found to be effectively treated using Mental Contamination OCD is found to be effectively treated using Cognitive Cognitive Behaviour Behaviour Therapy with an emphasis on Exposure and Therapy with an emphasis on Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). ERP involves exposing clients Response Prevention (ERP). ERP involves exposing clients gradually to anxiety gradually to anxiety- -inducing situations or memories and phrases inducing situations or memories and phrases and engaging in a process of desensitization. This allows clients to and engaging in a process of desensitization. This allows clients to attribute new meaning or interpretation to intrusive thoughts attribute new meaning or interpretation to intrusive thoughts about mental contamination and contaminants such that the about mental contamination and contaminants such that the imagined contaminants are no longer perceived to be harmful. imagined contaminants are no longer perceived to be harmful.