I feel like my OCD motivates me to clean and be clean. My therapist doesn't think my complex rituals in order to avoid germs is healthy - but my biology professor did think it's healthy! Most of my behaviors started after taking microbiology, virology, parasitology classes and working in labs, learning proper handling techniques.

I'm thinking that my therapist just doesn't get the importance of these rituals as she's only trained in psychology. She's working with me on exposure therapy but I don't want to be exposed and honestly don't think I want to learn bad habits that she's trying to tell me I need to learn!

Example: to get a glass of water
I pick up the cup from the end so I won't touch the lip area and usually from the back row of cups so it has a lower likely hood of being touched by others. Then I turn the knob to the left, away from the cup so that in case there is invisible debris on the top, it won't fall into the cup as I pour the water.

The therapist says this is all too exhausting to think about while getting a glass of water but I feel it's natural now. I don't "think" about it the way she thinks I think about it.