Username: lily_07

Date posted: 1y ago

Showering

Anyone else’s shower routine take forever?like I don’t know if it’s related to OCD or not but this is my routine,so I get in the shower wash my hands rinse the bottles under the shower so there’s no stuff on it then I shampoo my hair and condition,use a wet cloth to wash my ears very thoroughly which takes like a minute 😭then I wash my hands again then I wash my face and then I wash my hair bobble then tie my hair up and wash my body and I have to get every crevice like inside my belly button in between my toes,scrub under my nails with a clean brush which I soak in bleach so it’s 100% clean every time I use it 😭I use a loofah and I wash it after every use and then I exfoliate not every day, and then I wash my body again and then I wash my hands again and then I get out the shower and make sure I don’t touch any door handles or anything and then I do my skincare and put deodorant on and that takes forever too because I spend like a minute doing it to make sure it’s fully applied and then I wash my phone then wash my hands again then dry my hair and get into bed,I don’t know if this is part of OCD or not but saying this out loud sounds very excessive 😭

Username: SpecklesSpeckles

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y ago

I'm having a hard time just getting in the shower. My hygiene has gone down the tube. I'm opposite I have to force myself into the shower. I wish I was as thorough like you.

Username: lily_07lily_07

Date posted: 1y ago

@Speckles I’m so sorry I’ve been there before :( infact the past 3 days I have only been washing the essential parts of my body because I’m so exhausted mentally and physically

Username: SpecklesSpeckles

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y ago

It really stinks. I want my old self back, showering, walking, cooking. Just being normal. How long have to been suffering with this,? I was good 2 months ago and went downhill again. Intrusive thoughts disgust, depress me and make me anxious

Username: lily_07lily_07

Date posted: 1y ago

@Speckles I’m so sorry about this :( , maybe you could try a little thing each day even if it’s just a cloth wash or cooking little fairy cakes are you working with a therapist?

Username: SpecklesSpeckles

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y ago

@LiIac I am working with a therapist. About 3 times now. Doing ERP. Not sure it's working. How are you doing? I need a shower!! LOL. Sometimes I have to just laugh bc this whole thing is so unreal!!

Username: lily_07lily_07

Date posted: 1y ago

@Speckles I know, I use humour to cope 😭,maybe you could try just using my a soapy cloth to wash essential parts as a start or even just rubbing your face with water d

Username: glevalleyglevalley

Date posted: 1y ago

Yes! Samesies! I actually take my contact lenses out beforehand because if I see any hair or icky (it's generally very clean), then I'll HAVE to clean it and it'll take me 5 hours to finish the damn shower. I have to shake the bath mat in the tub to get rid of whatever, put it down just so, then adjust the shower curtain so each wrinkle is about the same. Always wash the bottles off after I'm done. Move my body under the water in certain ways. I don't like my right shoulder so I avoid it. Good lord. I'm exhausted after taking a damn shower. Don't get me started on how long it takes if I'm sleep deprived.

Username: lily_07lily_07

Date posted: 1y ago

@glevalley Same I will move my body in certain ways under the water, I know I probably look so weird 😭😭

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 1y ago

It sounds like it could possibly be OCD? My shower routine used to be approx. between 1-3 hours, washing in a specific order 2x, hand washing between steps. If I went out of order accidentally or forgot if I did something, I’d have to restart. 2 wash rags each time, washed at least once between certain steps, changed daily. Hair/body towels also changed daily. Water heater would run out part way through. I dreaded having to take another shower same day.

Username: lily_07lily_07

Date posted: 1y ago

@Anonymous Yes same I will use a separate towel for my ears a separate towel for my face, a separate towel for my body and a separate towel for my hair, and they have to all be washed after one use, and I have lots of washing to as I change my shirt after one use even if I’m just sleeping in it,and I can’t touch anything before I do my skincare routine, and I also have a separate towel for down there and wash it after one Use, it’s honestly so annoying 😭and I also spend like 3 minutes scrubbing my hair 😭

Username: tinyspeckstinyspecks

Date posted: 1y ago

That sounds like it could be ocd related, especially if deviation from the ritual makes you worry something bad will happen

Username: cdtscdts

Date posted: 1y ago

I have contamination ocd and take showers a specific way before bed.

Username: dustdust

Date posted: 1y ago

This routine is unreasonable. This would be the time to do mindfulness and erp

Username: dustdust

Date posted: 1y ago

@graydust It is OCD, fr fr

Username: lily_07lily_07

Date posted: 1y ago

@graydust How would I do an exposure for this?

Username: tinyspeckstinyspecks

Date posted: 1y ago

@LiIac Maybe you could take a shower, cutting one thing out of your routine, or intentionally don’t do it perfectly (whatever’s least distressing) and then avoid doing any other compulsions to compensate. If you get used to that, you could make it harder by eliminating more aspects of the routine until you have a shower that feels reasonable to you

Username: dustdust

Date posted: 1y ago

@LiIac Anonymous1123 gave a good answer for how to do it. But also get to the bottom of what’s motivating you to have a routine like this. What’s driving you to do it? All the best :>

Username: lily_07lily_07

Date posted: 1y ago

Takes me like 2 hours 💀

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

User type: OCD Conqueror

Date posted: 1y ago

guys if your rituals based on " fear of getting HIV or c virus" then don't worry because those viruses die quickly once they are out of the body and in case they are alive, they won't make it because they are already more likely unable to go anywhere" you can say they are dying"

Username: Lulu_20

Date posted: 1y ago

Contamination OCD

Does any one else really struggle with contamination ocd? For me I struggle with laundry and feeling like it’s not clean enough, and taking a shower. My showers go on for close to an hour because I feel like I didn’t wash enough or it needs to be a certain amount of times. I also struggle when it comes to the bathroom and compulsively wiping. The hand washing and the anxiety just take up so much of the day and it really drains me. I have been struggling with ocd for years and have been working with a therapist with it but it still feels so consuming. I started taking medication, but everything still feels so overwhelming, and dreadful. I was wondering if anyone could relate, because I’ve been feeling really alone with the severe contamination ocd.

Username: Aalexander7

Date posted: 1y ago

How not to shower for so long?

I take really long showers that cause so much stress cause i get obsessed to make sure every part of me is covered in soap and then repeat the process on certain parts/have to reapply the area if i touch the curtain. And i worry about what wil happen and that the house will be filhly and germ ridden if i miss a part or touch the curtain. I shower as soon as i get home and wait on the porch cause i dread the shower. Any advice on how to not be so obsessed or get over being so concerned about it? I want to shower and get clean, but cant bring myself to shorten the shower/go over the top. I dont like anytning in thr house that isnt sealed before hand and i can open it and drop it so no on3 else has touched it. It is causing alot of trouble for me. Thank you.

Username: Anonymous

Date posted: 49w ago

how do i shower like a normal person

on the daily i shower for 2-3 hours. i dont understand why but i spend so much time being paranoid of being dirty or touching something dirty in the shower that i constantly keep washing nonstop. i spend like 20 minutes washing my hands in the shower before i even touch my shampoo, then after i finish my shower i spend 20 more minutes washing my hands. i also developed a bad habit of cleaning the knob that controls the water because i believe it is very dirty. this is very exhausting and hard to live with, so can anyone share some advice?

Contamination OCD

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Showering

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