Trigger Avoidance

A compulsive behavior pattern in OCD where individuals minimize or eliminate contact with situations, objects, people, or places that trigger their obsessions. Trigger avoidance ranges from subtle adaptations (using sleeves to touch door handles, using fewer fingers on surfaces) to complete avoidance of triggering situations (refusing to leave home, avoiding all social contact). While avoidance reduces short-term anxiety, it reinforces OCD by preventing habituation and can severely impair daily functioning and quality of life when avoidance generalizes to more situations over time.