Does Cleaning Addiction Exist?

The Earth is surrounded by microorganisms invisible to the human eye that allow the stability and development of ecosystems in the long term.

It is estimated that the mass of carbon (organic matter) on the planet amounts to 550 million tons (Gt) and bacteria contribute about 70 Gt, that is, 15% of the total. These microorganisms are crucial for the conversion of matter and chemical reactions in the environment, so without them, life would not be possible.

You also don’t have to go very far to see the importance of those misclassified as “germs.” Without going any further, 100 billion bacteria live in our intestine (Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and other genera) that help us digest plant cellulose, activate our immune system in the first stages of life and protect us from the colonization of pathogenic microorganisms. It is estimated that there are 10 bacteria in our body for every cell in the body, so we are not lying when we say that we are our microorganisms.

Unfortunately, all these concepts can be overwhelming, difficult to understand and even dangerous for people who cannot fully internalize the role of prokaryotes in the ecosystem and in the body of living beings. Based on these premises, we ask you the following question: Does cleaning addiction exist? Let’s see what this discomfort associated with the dependence on cleaning behavior that many people suffer consists of.

Is it possible to be addicted to cleaning?

We will be direct: although this postulation requires nuances, the answer is no, these types of problems They are part of a set of psychopathologies separate from addictions, as we will see. Addiction is conceived as a chronic and recurring disease at a physiological level that is characterized by the search for relief and/or reward through the ingestion of substances or carrying out certain activities (such as gambling). As we will see below, compulsiveness when cleaning cannot be included in this category.

What is an addiction?

To clarify all the issues on the table, we are going to use as a reference the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), published by the American Psychological Association (APA) in 2013. This Psychological diagnosis book provides a lecture on what is or is not considered a pathology and what its limits are.

In the addictive mechanism, there is a clear physiological response that is described in all classic cases: the dopaminergic circuit. For example, when a human being consumes nicotine, the cholinergic nicotine receptors are activated, producing the release of neurotransmitters dopamine, GABA, serotonin, norepinephrine, opiate peptides, vasopressin and endorphins. The release of dopamine produces a state of temporary euphoria that, unfortunately, only lasts a few seconds.

As the substance is consumed, a clear resistance to that psychoactive element develops. (or activity) to which the patient is addicted. The nucleus accumbens and the neuronal reward circuit play essential roles in this mechanism, but in summary, we are left with the fact that “the more you consume, the more you need to feel the same peak of euphoria.”

According to the APA, you can develop addiction to 10 different types of substances, such as alcohol, nicotine, muscle relaxants or more famous drugs, such as cocaine or opiates (heroin, among others). As far as activities are concerned, the only one that we have found to be truly classified as an addiction is gambling addiction, since the reward circuit for winning a cash prize in these patients is similar to that experienced by an addicted patient with a dose of cocaine.

Left out of this classic definition are compulsive shopping, excessive consumption of video games, pathological exercise and many other acts that we could consider as “addictions” and that are part of separate psychological disorders (and that also imply needing to attend therapy). Of course, The obsession with cleanliness cannot be included at a clinical level within the addictive mechanisms, and the underlying psychopathology is of another type. which we will see below.

The real answer: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

What can be mistakenly conceived as “cleaning addiction” is, in many cases, another clinical sign that the patient has obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD or OCD). This is a type of psychological disorder characterized by the appearance of recurrent, intrusive and persistent thoughts that cause the patient restlessness, fear, worry and repetitive behaviors (compulsions) focused on reducing anxiety.

A patient with OCD presents with obsession, compulsion, or both. Obsession is established with the appearance of recurrent and persistent thoughts, in the form of urges or impulses, which are perceived as unwanted and cause a great deal of anxiety in the patient. The key to this pathology at a conceptual level is that the person with OCD tries to suppress these unwanted thoughts and sensations with repetitive rituals, that is, compulsions.

Compulsions themselves are the way to channel obsession, through the execution of rituals with a marked controlled procedure that is carried out meticulously. The objective of its performance is to reduce the load of anxiety that the person is experiencing, but these acts are not actually correlated with the real source of distress in any reality. As you can imagine at this point, excessive cleaning of the hands, nearby surfaces, or body can be a compulsion in a patient with OCD.

At a neurological level, it has been observed that People with this disorder show abnormal activity in various areas of the brain, such as the caudate nucleus and the orbital gyri. Hyperactivations and hypoactivations of certain neuronal groups occur during the performance of these compulsions, but clearly, the goal is not to reach a peak of euphoria (as happens during the addictive mechanism).

In any case, it is worth noting that some treatments with positive results have been associated with a greater amount of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, a structure that also participates in the reward mechanism of addicts. This evidence could indicate that differences in dopamine signaling could partly explain OCD, but of course, the correlation is much more diffuse than in the previously described mechanisms.

Washers and OCD

Although we are reductionist (due to the complexity of the pathology), various sources classify patients with OCD as washers (cleaners), checkers (controllers), doubters (distrustful) and accountants (obsessed with symmetry). As you see, many patients with this disorder channel their anxiety and stress into absolute neatness are obsessed with the idea of ​​presenting germs on their surface and fear becoming infected with any pathogen that exists.

In conclusion, Rather than talking about addiction to cleaning, we can affirm that this behavior is a typical compulsion in patients with OCD. , the realization of which aims to immediately reduce anxiety (caused by a traumatic thought/event). The mechanisms of addiction are very different from those of OCD and, therefore, compulsive cleaning cannot be considered addictive, although it is still a problem that must be treated with professional help.

If you are looking for psychotherapy services or psychiatric assistance for these types of sources of discomfort, contact us. In CITA Clinics We have been helping patients with all types of disorders related to addictions and poor impulse regulation for many years.