Came across this and I just had to comment because this is dangerous advice. I have Pure-O myself and I have been in recovery for 10 months after completing intensive therapy at one of the best OCD clinics in the country.

It is a common misconception that those with Pure-O do not have compulsions. Compulsions are mental and involve repetitive thought processes, two of the most common compulsions being avoidance and reassurance. I know you mean well, but advising OP to reassure themselves could actually make their OCD worse in the long run.

Pure-O exposure therapy involves the patient confronting their intrusive thoughts and resisting reassurance of any kind. OCD makes you think of things that are anxiety-provoking, like how a bully teases you with things that get a rise out of you. To conquer OCD, you essentially force yourself to sit with the anxiety of the thought, don't react by reassuring yourself, and eventually "desensitize" yourself to the intrusive thought.

I compare it to a drug addiction, with the obsession being the "craving" and the compulsion being the "drug." The compulsion (drug) - in this case reassurance - temporarily relieves the uncomfortable feelings of the obsession (craving), but the obsession (craving) will return after the calming effect of the compulsion (drug) wears off. Similar to a drug addict building up a tolerance and needing more of a drug to achieve relief as time goes on, those with OCD develop stronger, more time-consuming compulsions the more they give in to them. The only way to escape the grip of addiction (OCD) is by going through withdrawal: resisting the drug (compulsion). After withdrawing, the cravings (obsessions) pop-up less frequently and are easier to resist.

I hope all of that makes sense. Also, this article is a perfect explanation of Pure-O and how to successfully treat it for anyone interested in educating themselves: http://ocdla.com/obsessionalocd