You know how there’s the concept of conflicting access needs in the disability community? Including with yourself?
Like, for example, I need background music to focus on certain tasks but I can’t put it on because of hyperacusis.
I don’t know if there’s a term for the opposite of that? Where symptoms of one illness sort of cancel out symptoms of another?
For me, this is most prominent for suicidal ideation. When I’ve been depressed or in a mixed bipolar episode etc & having strong suicidal ideation especially coupled with impulsivity, my contamination OCD has been a literal lifesaver.
How?
It’s fairly simple. Methods that would otherwise be readily available like using a knife to stab myself are simply not accessible because my contamination OCD is like “you can’t use a dirty knife to kill yourself”
Admittedly there’s some forethought here too where I don’t really have clean sharp objects in the house much. I mostly use them to open packages etc so they come into contact with dirty boxes etc. I only use plastic utensils in the kitchen for a variety of access reasons.
Anyway this is just a very short post to describe a weird interaction between my OCD & other psych issues that end up with a positive result.
She Smacks Her Forehead 