Whether or not you like to celebrate Halloween, it’s a time of year that can bring about a sense of dread and anxiety for many people, including those with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). No matter what themes your OCD centers around, Halloween can be triggering.
With rumors of drugs like fentanyl, poison, needles, powders, and even razor blades being discovered in Halloween candy, it’s natural to feel anxious about your family’s safety during the holiday. The season can bring its own set of fears, whether they stem from horror movies, haunted houses, costumes, or various unsettling symbols.
If you find that you’re experiencing an increase in intrusive thoughts this time of year, understanding the potential reasons for it can help you know how to navigate it.
Intrusive thoughts related to horror or violence
Halloween can present a host of potentially triggering material. Horror movies that might normally be easy to avoid can feel plentiful and hard to ignore. News stories about Halloween and dangers surrounding trick-or-treating seem to flood the airways. Decorations in yards or costume aisles in stores may provide fuel for intrusive thoughts.
OCD wants us to be “certain” that nothing bad will happen. People who don’t experience OCD can recognize that there may be only a slight risk of something happening, whereas people with OCD will often think the risk is far greater and find themselves unable to accept that the likelihood of the obsession is low.
In addition to fears like these, it is not uncommon for people with OCD to experience thoughts around taboo themes or topics that may be difficult to talk about. Sometimes these themes revolve around violence or horror. These may be thoughts, images, sensations, or urges, but they share one important trait: you don’t want to act on them. People who have these kinds of intrusive thoughts are often deeply troubled and repulsed by them.
The reason these thoughts, images, sensations, or urges are so troubling and anxiety-inducing is because they are ego-dystonic, meaning they go against your values and morals.
Fears of contamination or poisoning
Candy is everywhere during Halloween, which is difficult when OCD latches onto the idea that we could be poisoned or contaminated in some way—or worse, that we could do that to someone else. Each piece of candy becomes a potential threat, and the joy of Halloween morphs into a landscape of worry and second-guessing.
You might have heard stories about parents finding drugs and harmful items in their kid’s Halloween candy. And it’s true, parents are concerned, says licensed therapist Taylor Newendorp MA, LCPC. “There is concern. But should we be excessively worried? Probably not.”
You might become consumed by the idea of having to clean candy or somehow wash away any contaminants or feel compelled to frequently sanitize your hands and anything else that may have touched the candy. Obsessions may even keep you from eating any candy at all.
You might also have anxiety around the thought of poisoned or contaminated candy. “A parent with an excessive and obsessive fear is going to think that their kid is going to be poisoned,” Newendorp says. “Then, their compulsive reaction would be to not allow the kids to go trick or treating at all. That’s not very reasonable.”
Other compulsions can include doing intensive research about where incidents related to drugged or contaminated Halloween candy occurred, trying to track down what candy was used to poison someone, and general stories related to Halloween candy.
Criminologist Joel Best from the University of Delaware notes that reports of contaminated Halloween candy, dating back to the 1960s, are largely based on hoaxes and urban legends. Best has documented numerous false claims, emphasizing that there has never been any substantiated cases of children being harmed or killed by Halloween treats.
The FDA does suggest that people should not eat anything that isn’t commercially wrapped, has any signs of tampering, such as unusual appearance or discoloration, tiny holes, or tears in the wrappers. However, this doesn’t mean that you should take away candy entirely or not go trick or treating. “Maybe you can taste one piece of the candy and it seems okay, then you let your kids have it,” Newendorp says. “It’s important to try and get away from all or nothing thinking that usually leads to all or nothing behaviors.”
A perceived lack of control and predictability
The horror movies, haunted houses, and frightening decorations and costumes that become common around Halloween are all intended to be shocking, surprising, and unexpected—qualities that OCD hates. OCD wants control and predictability and when it feels like these things are absent, it can cause you to experience a great deal of anxiety.
This increased stress can lead people with OCD to engage in compulsions, believing that these behaviors will neutralize their uncomfortable feelings or prevent a feared thing from happening. Knowing this ahead of time can be helpful. It’s important to understand that while thoughts caused by OCD can feel overwhelming, you can learn how to respond to them in a way that moves you towards your goals and values, instead of avoiding discomfort or getting caught up in compulsions.
It’s also good to remember that while exposing yourself to distress and seeing that you can tolerate it is an important part of learning to manage OCD symptoms, not everything has to be an exposure. Maybe you genuinely don’t like spooky things. Maybe haunted houses aren’t for you. That’s okay. You can decide for yourself if an exposure is appropriate for what you’re facing.
Superstitious or scrupulosity concerns
Halloween can also be associated with the occult, spirits, and the unknown. These aspects of the holiday may intensify intrusive thoughts around ideas of sin, morality, and divine retribution. OCD can grab onto the symbolism of Halloween, which may lead to obsessions of a religious or superstitious nature.
Those experiencing scrupulosity OCD, an OCD subtype involving religious, moral, or ethical obsessions, may feel worry or guilt around thoughts or actions related to Halloween. They may worry that participating in or enjoying the holiday is a sin, or that they’re acting in a way that conflicts with their religious or moral doctrine. Thoughts like this can become anxiety-inducing and result in compulsions such as excessive prayer, excessive confession, or reassurance seeking, in an effort to alleviate the distress they’re feeling.
How you can respond to scary thoughts
As isolating as these experiences may seem, they’re shared by many others in the OCD community, and there are things you can do to navigate what you’re experiencing. You can learn how to respond to thoughts caused by OCD in a way that moves you towards your goals and values, instead of avoiding discomfort or getting caught up in compulsions.
If you find yourself feeling triggered around Halloween, the first step you can take is shifting your perspective. Anytime we encounter an aspect of Halloween that makes us feel uncomfortable, it’s an opportunity for an exposure. Facing a fear can feel daunting, but asking yourself the following questions can help you find a way to approach it that works for you:
- “Is there a way I can turn this into an exposure?” Let’s say you’re dealing with fears of passing out contaminated candy. How could you turn that experience into an exposure? If handing candy out to trick-or-treaters feels overwhelming, maybe you can set a bowl of candy out for your coworkers. Or, if you really want to participate in trick-or-treating, you can also skip the candy and give out non-food Halloween treats instead.
- “If I don’t feel I can face all of it, can I face some of it?” Maybe you struggle with horror movies, but sitting through a whole movie feels too overwhelming right now. Ask yourself if there’s a way you can break your fear down into smaller parts, like watching a scene or two of a scary movie, or even just the trailer. You can make the experience more manageable and still get the benefit of having done the exposure.
- “How would I want to respond to this trigger in recovery? Can I still practice that now, even if it’s scary?” Consider how you would want to respond to a distressing experience in recovery from OCD. By imagining how you would navigate this situation in that scenario, you can gain insight into helpful ways to respond to it right now. Viewing this as practice is key. Changing behaviors is a process that will require time and patience. Progress won’t be linear, and that’s okay. Celebrate the effort and any small wins along the way.
It’s also good to remember that while exposing yourself to distress and seeing that you can tolerate it is an important part of learning to manage OCD symptoms, not everything has to be an exposure. Maybe you genuinely don’t like scary things. Maybe haunted houses aren’t for you. That’s okay. You can decide for yourself if an exposure is appropriate for what you’re facing.
ERP can help make OCD less haunting
If trying to use Halloween as an opportunity to practice exposures feels too difficult right now, or if you don’t know where to start for your specific fears or triggers, there is help available.
Evidence and response prevention (ERP) therapy is an evidence-based treatment created for OCD. In ERP, a specialist will help you with creating challenging but manageable exposures so that you can carefully confront your triggers while resisting the urge to do compulsions. Over time, you’ll gain the confidence and tools needed to handle intrusive thoughts long-term.
Specialty-trained, qualified, and licensed OCD specialists will never ask you to do things that go against your values or that will cause you or others harm, nor will they force you to do anything that you are unwilling to do. Instead, a successful ERP therapist will guide, support, and motivate you to gradually face the fears that are holding you back from living the life that you want to live.