Vit
- Date posted
- 2y
Clothes
Does anyone else throws away their clothes because you think they are contaminated, and washing them up wouldn't help?
RobbinRobbin
- Date posted
- 2y
Yes I definitely have! What I do to stop myself is to think, if I’m able to pick this up and throw it away and wash my hands and carry on with my day- then why can’t I do the same by washing this in the clothes washer? If something is truly gross/potentially dangerous (for instance animal blood) then I’ll put laundary sanitizer in the wash with it and then wash it a second time.
VitVit
- Date posted
- 2y
I'm adding a bottle of Lysol to each wash, I'm messed up.
RobbinRobbin
- Date posted
- 2y
@Vit That stuff makes my skin itch with just using the recommended h proper amount! That’s one of the big reasons I wash a second time! It’s not that you’re more messed up than others, we just all have different focus’! Even within the contamination theme we’re all going to be so different in our obsessions and compulsions. Laundry isn’t as big a trigger for me as other things which is why I’ve been able to get to a pretty decent point with it through practicing ERP. It definitely didn’t happen overnight though! Are you doing ERP at all? Anything you can do to reduce, postpone or otherwise disrupt the OCD cycle will help. So like for me at first I sometimes would take the item and double wash with sanitizer then throw it in a bag and leave it for a week or so before I brought it back out and washed it again before actually putting it away and wearing it.
VitVit
- Date posted
- 2y
@Robbin I'm not doing any therapy at the moment. Nobody from my family understands what I'm going through, I got many obligations lately and I'm feeling so freaking lost. I got to start therapy again. Thank you Robbin. Be strong whatever works for you.
RobbinRobbin
- Date posted
- 2y
@Vit I’m so sorry! I can definitely relate to feeling like family and friends can’t understand. I think sometimes the more overwhelmed we get even more sucked into the compulsions and OCD because it feels easier to just give in even though in the end it makes it worse. Even if you don’t start therapy again, just start practicing ERP where you can even though it’s tough. Like with the laundry start with only using the directed amount of sanitizer instead of the whole bottle when your washing “non contaminated” items. It’ll feel uncomfortable but wash/dry and put it away anyways. Or maybe laundry’s too big for you and you need to start with something more manageable but just start disrupting the OCD where you can. It’s so tough but I know when I’m not actively fighting against it my world so quickly becomes so small. You’re welcome! I hope things start going smoother for you - and for all of us!
VitVit
- Date posted
- 2y
@Robbin Thank you Robbin for your time in response for my messages, I really appreciate that. I used to feel much more guilt and was blaming myself for my thoughts, but one thing that definitely helped me was listening podcasts with Joe Dispenza, Gabor Maté and others, over time I've realized that unintentionally I'm addicted to stress since my childhood. If you haven't heard of them yet, give them a minute or two. Thank you
VitVit
- Date posted
- 2y
@Robbin https://youtu.be/hnOJ46uGWZM
RobbinRobbin
- Date posted
- 2y
I always wash all my clothes in hot anyways. Things that are “actually gross” I do wash by itself at least the first time. This also helps if something is too triggering I won’t have made a whole load feel contaminated and if I really can’t stop myself I can always run the dishwasher cleaner before doing more loads. As far as things that just feel contaminated but are unlikely to actually be dangerous I just chuck into the washing machine and deal with the discomfort.
VitVit
- Date posted
- 2y
I think I have to stop focusing on that, it's insanity. Thank you Robbin for your point of view.
[Deleted][Deleted]
- Date posted
- 2y
Comment deleted by user
VitVit
- Date posted
- 2y
But you still have it, you didn't throw it away?
VitVit
- Date posted
- 2y
@bmark231 Ok. It's just making me realize that I'm more f up than others.
AnonymousAnonymous
- Date posted
- 2y
Yes and I have no clothes anymore! All my favorite stuff is long gone. I know it’s a washer and it’ll wash the clothes but I can’t get over contaminating the washer!
VitVit
- Date posted
- 2y
Exactly, I've thrown away all of my clothes at some point 😕
VitVit
- Date posted
- 2y
How are you handling it right now. Do you work?
AnonymousAnonymous
- Date posted
- 2y
@Vit I’m not handling it well at all. I’m not working right now cause I was dealing with cancer and I am in such a bad place. Are you doing ERP? I see my new counselor the 25th.
VitVit
- Date posted
- 2y
I started therapy on this app but I barely have gotten to the ERP part. I didn't feel like my therapist was involved much. I'm sorry to hear about you health situation. If you feel like you want to talk to somebody I would love to talk to someone I could relate to.
AnonymousAnonymous
- Date posted
- 2y
@Vit Is there a way to message on this app?
VitVit
- Date posted
- 2y
@Anonymous Other than just like right here on the chat, I don't think so. Have you ever tried meditation?
VitVit
- Date posted
- 2y
@Vit Or Wim Hof breathing technique? I always feel calmer after that.
VitVit
- Date posted
- 2y
@Anonymous Do you see connection between cancer and level of stress you're letting yourself be exposed to by OCD?
AnonymousAnonymous
- Date posted
- 2y
@Vit I’ve been doing meditation lately and it’s been Susie helpful!!! Calming music and breathing techniques have been so helpful!!!
AnonymousAnonymous
- Date posted
- 2y
@Vit I actually had a genetic mutation which made me high risk to getting cancer. I do however know I need to get this anxiety and stress under control as to prevent it from coming back. In my opinion. I was high risk and have a tricky cancer subtype.
VitVit
- Date posted
- 2y
@Anonymous Good! Continue with that, meditation can be very helpful. You can beat that cancer too, you probably know to not eat sugar, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, maltodextrin and all other substitutes of sugar, right? 1 cancer loves it, 2 sugars depletes our bodies from but B1 wich is crushal in staying calm
AnonymousAnonymous
- Date posted
- 2y
@Vit I didn’t know that about B1!!! Thanks!!! Very helpful!!
VitVit
- Date posted
- 2y
@Anonymous https://youtu.be/rjVXFqiPDwE I love this guy. B1 deficiency
VitVit
- Date posted
- 2y
I meant giving my phone nr
AnonymousAnonymous
- Date posted
- 2y
Yes.
Related posts
oneday.x
- Date posted
- 24w
Really need help, can't move on from contamination
This is a long one lol but basically, a couple of weeks ago I went to the toilet (#2, sorry for the tmi). Let's just say it was messy. I remember that a speck of.. #2.. Fell off the piece of toilet paper. This was probably the worst thing that could ever happen. I can't remember clearly but I'm pretty sure my jeans were on the floor underneath near where the speck could have fallen. There was also a towel. I don't know exactly where it fell as it was so small, but I made sure both the towel and the jeans went in the laundry basket and I cleaned the floor near there. Fast forward to like the next day. My mum does most of the laundry, so she will have picked up all the towels and clothes from the laundry basket and taken them to the wash. The problem is the speck. I don't know where it went but if it was on the towel and she picked it up.... Thus, contaminated mum. And she also puts clothes away that are dry. I remember that day she put my hoodie in my wardrobe, and I haven't worn it since because I feel it is contaminated. I haven't worn the clothes that have touched the hoodie. This leaves me with not a lot of clothes. And today I finally snapped and picked up a sweatshirt that had maybe touched the hoodie. And now I'm just sat here spiralling, wearing it. What if it touched the speck? What if the speck touched my mum and then touched the hoodie which then touched the sweatshirt I'm wearing? Please I'm so scared.
ynnej
- Date posted
- 23w
Please help
I’m so scared. Part of me feels ok and part of me feels like I need to clean everything off. Basically my sweater had a stain on it from food it was newly washed but I decided to throw it in the wash again. While throwing it in the laundry basket I noticed a specific type of clothing that scares me. I quickly put the sweater on top of the used laundry and left. My phone was in the living room and I’m pretty constantly scared it will get contaminated by laundry I’m not sure why but that fear started randomly. Anyway I had to walk past the living room to wash my hands in the kitchen because someone had to use the bathroom badly and was waiting for me to just throw my laundry in to go to the bathroom. Anyway I’m scared I went near my phone or contaminated it with my hands. I can’t remember the details fully either but I just remember walking straight to the kitchen but I don’t know. I’m really scared and I want to clean everything like my phone and everything it was near. The thing is my fear is real because used laundry is so gross. What do I do? When throwing clean laundry in a basket should you wash your hands? Do most people? Even if the article of clothing isn’t dirty? Because maybe my hands accidentally went near the actual gross laundry I don’t know
flowerpetals
- Date posted
- 21w
spiraling over anxiety
contamination ocd has really been messing with me the last couple of days. usually i only struggle when i can connect something to possibly throwing up, but this time it doesn’t matter. so earlier, i took a shower and i also use a wash cloth to wash my body. after i showered i cleaned up my dirty clothes and towels. then when i came back to grab my phone, there was a soap speck on my phone so without thinking i just wiped it on the back of my crewneck i was wearing. well that then spiraled into me thinking what if the soap was from my dirty wash cloth. i know most of you are probably thinking it’s clean since you use soap to clean ur body. well i clean every inch of my body, including my bottom so that’s where my anxiety is gravitating towards. this sounds so ridiculous saying it out loud, but i just have so much anxiety over it. i tried my hardest not to change but i did. at first i just changed my crewneck, but then i had to change my shorts cause my crewneck touches my shorts. but then i changed my shorts. and now i feel like my shirt is contaminated cause i was wearing it with my other shorts before changing. moral of the story, i just have so much anxiety over it and i feel like i shouldn’t because it’s really not a big deal. and i don’t want to change again because that seems ridiculous to me. plus now i’m connecting the contamination to my bed since i was laying on my bed before i changed. i hate life, this sucks.
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