Fear and Guilt

Hello again. I'm having a bit of a struggle today... I worry about contaminating others with my "bathroom germs", and I know ERP would involve carrying on as normal say, if my shirt gets in my lap when using the washroom and touches an area of my body where there's been waste, but while rationally I know that that kind of thing isn't horrible and there's already "bathroom germs" EVERYWHERE... I am stuck. It feels morally wrong to PURPOSEFULLY go about my day despite knowing I'm "contaminated". I get lots of people don't even wash their HANDS... I don't want to participate in the germ spreading. I don't like knowing that MY grossness could be on someone. It's probably not harmful, but I feel like I don't have the right to do this, like it's disgusting and amoral somehow. A vent, I suppose. I want to start meaningful ERP but I can't get over this. Any advice? (Tagging as trigger just in case.)

Username: strawberry cupcakesstrawberry c...

Date posted: 2y ago

Not washing your hands after using the bathroom is just plain gross and unsanitary. OCD or not is just common sense to wash your hands every time after using the bathroom

Username: Ancient-1Ancient-1

Date posted: 2y ago

Which of course I always do... too many times in fact. It boggles my mind how some people don't do it and see no issue!

Username: strawberry cupcakesstrawberry c...

Date posted: 2y ago

@Ancient-1 Yes I'm sure you do wash your hands after using the bathroom! Im talking about the people that don't, they're gross

Username: strawberry cupcakesstrawberry c...

Date posted: 2y ago

@strawberry cupcakes But like someone else said you can't never be 100 percent clean but is always common sense to wash your hands after using the toilet!

Username: Martin1Martin1

Date posted: 2y ago

Unless you feel guilty about another reason behind this then there is no issue my friend. Some people don't wash their hands after toileting etc, but if you do then great. There's germs everywhere, swimming pool areas for example, and so on. I've had similar issues but because of a guilt I may be contaminated because of Groinal which is my guilt thing! But no going to the toilet etc and your shirt getting on any waste areas is no problem. This is OCD bringing out a problem when there isn't one. There's 7 billion + humans and not all 7 billion are so clean or wash their hands etc. Of course easier said but OCD including mine does keep us trapped in the thought,guilt,fear etc! Don't overthink it, if your shirt touches anywhere so be it. It happens. Just wash your hands and off u go.. you can never be 100% clean in all ways.

Username: Ancient-1Ancient-1

Date posted: 2y ago

I've a similar guilt to yours, perhaps. It feels like if any germs from "that" area aren't 100% contained that I've done something horrible and am contaminating a space for others with germs they would ideally never come into contact with (or SHOULD). I realize that this is definitely overblown and... while I'm not diagnosed, the thoughts and reactions I've developed after three decades of doing the same hygeine definitely smack of this. Thank you for your insight, friend!

Username: BillieD

Date posted: 5y ago

TRIGGER WARNING-Contamination OCD Today started with a crazy amount of stress due to the intrusive thoughts. Have a huge issue with the toilet in general, especially the flushing without the cover on. My brain believes that bacteria and microbes in general will fly from there to me and my things, and causes a big amount of distress. I am trying to be logical with it and understand that nothing will happen. But even the thought of being covered in that makes me wanna clean everything I have and shower. Let’s be clear mum’s bleaches it every day, but still when she does and gets out to continue her chores I’m afraid she carries something that will get on me. I am sorry, this is gross to everybody, but I need to listen to voice of reason, as this is getting every day more difficult to handle.

Contamination OCD

Username: silverfire

Date posted: 4y ago

(How can you do ERP when there is a legit concern?) Trigger warning for Contamination OCD/coronavirus. For instance, I’m pregnant right now and have had a resurgence of contamination OCD. (I also have GAD, so I’m never sure which tactic to take with a thought.) Health really is a legitimate concern here, and I’m told I should be more careful. Of course I overdo it, yet ERP seems to be the exact opposite of being more careful and that seems very, very unwise. How do you do exposure for something that your doctor says to not do? How do you do exposure for something like, for another unrelated example, not wearing a mask around other people right now in the time of the pandemic when you’re absolutely required to wear a mask and it’s dangerous to not? ERP basically doesn’t make sense to me. By that thinking I should be changing the litter box and not washing my hands and *I definitely should not do that*. How do you do ERP when there is a legitimate aspect of an actual concern?

Contamination OCD

Username: catattak

Date posted: 4y ago

Question around contamination ocd and ethics. If you can give feedback I'd so appreciate it. I have a fear right now that over touched something in my house contaminated with covid. Rationally it's so unlikely its contaminated. Just the side of a bookshelf I may have touched yesterday when I felt my hands were contaminated. Realistically i never should have had the concern to begin with. However, i feel guilty doing erp to ignore it, because by not washing my hands and continuing to touch common surfaces in my house, I feel i am spreading it. Is it unfair to my husband to push past and keep going because then hes exposed to what I've touched? ERP gets a lot more confusing when addressing fears that you yourself are the one spreading contamination because you have independence and dominion over yourself to say "I agree to this exposure". When you fear you are the person doing the spreading, its other peoples dominion. Thoughts? Help? Any philosophers out there? Lol

Contamination OCD

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