- Username
- BillieD
- Date posted
- 5y ago
This was the first ocd issue I had! My ocd has changed over the years to other fears, but I still do not like bathrooms esp public ones. I had a co-worker tell me how when you flush, it all flies up onto pretty much everything around, and I was in panic mode too having to de-contaminate everything. But yes, the comments above on how your body should work to prevent you from getting anything, seems like that mindset would help the most.
Guys I have major issues with this and trying sooo hard to break through as I now have a crazy feeling contamination routine. I know I can’t get sick from the toilet but it’s still disgusts me esp seeing used products In the female bins. Nct2010- I like you have diff forms too. For awhile I had a fear of viruses and sickness. I’m trying to do erp but it’s been slow and hard.
it would be reassurance, i guess, but there are scientific studies on this - especially on the toilet flushing issue but also on aerosol generation in general (which is basically unavoidable when dealing with water - happens also in the shower or when washing hands). there is only acceptance of the fact that traces of stuff which was in the water will be in the air and as a consequence also on you and your stuff.
and, cleaning is always just a dilution process, that is, what you want to get rid off via wiping and especially rinsing will get less and less per round but there is no certainty that every last bit (cell or even molecule) will be removed.
if your issue is 'just' about microorganism you can trust your immune system. it exists for exactly this reason - and it is an amazingly capable and complex system.
Cfs: sorry if I seemed looking for reassurance, I didn’t expect no one replying but I guess subconsciously that’s all I wanted, facts, logical facts that would break the train that are my intrusive thoughts. Thank you so much for sharing a sense of knowledge. How do you know about this? Can’t thank you enough!!!!
i am dealing with the same issues - however, not bacteria but other 'germs' ...
Same, even when I’m logical about it, I’m disgusted that would go into my eye, etc..
How is it going with it? Do you manage to ignore thoughts and find logical knowledge to break the vicious circle?
haha, no. i am preaching water and drinking wine. actually, i am currently housebound. ... because I can't accept the fact that i HAVE TO bring 'my contaminants' into the environment. so, in my case 'i am spreading stuff'.
Learning about our bodies’ defence mechanism helped me a lot with this kind of acceptance!
yeah. but to me it is still just disgusting what enters bodies all the time...
Are you dealing with this still. ?
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.)
Hello everyone, I'm new here and have severe contamination ocd that has been happening the past four years since I was 20. I'm 24 now and it seems to be getting worse. I don't want to be around kids because I know they're germy little gremlins and carry the main thing I fear that caused my ocd to worsen. I shower whenever anything above my chest has been touched (neck, face, hair). I wash my clothes after one wear because they feel contaminated after the use. I refuse to let people touch my bed or clean clothes. If I hear that anyone in my family is sick I freak out intensely and have to stay away from them. I also shower if I've been in public and people were coughing near me. If I don't feel like showering and that my above triggers aren't contaminated I just wash my arms up to the elbow and go to sleep because I sleep in short sleeve shirts and my arms touch everything all day. I refuse to touch my face, neck or hair after touching my phone or anything else. I bring a travel blanket with me but have to wash it after every use. I use my shoe to open doors and press the cross walk button. If I can't use my shoe I use my pinkie and immediately handsanitize sometimes twice just to have my hands feel clean. I have to use a utensil to eat when in a restaurant and would ask to change it if I see it touch anything. I work at a place that requires me to use a phone so I have to shower and wash my ear. I hold my breath when walking past people. I can't sit back in the car or on the couch because it'll contaminate my neck and hair. I also have to do a double wash with my hands to feel clean. I used to do it for 20 seconds but I do the hand wash for 20 the 1st time then 30 for the second. I can't wear purses with straps that touch my shoulders, same with back packs. And I use so much soap and lotion that don't help keep my hands moisturized. And if I get triggered by anything I sit there in a quiet rage and ramble in my head because I know saying anything out loud will have me look crazy. There are times though that I get angry and close to tears when it feels like I've been contaminated and when my family makes fun of me for things I feel I have no control over especially the intrusive thoughts, emotions, anger, fear, and tiredness I feel on a daily basis. I'm scared of doing exposure therapy because I know they'll have me touch something contaminated and have me touch my face and not wash it how does that help it'll just make me angry.
My contamination ocd has gotten so bad over the last 6 months. My roommate moved in with his girlfriend and I’m living in my own now, which makes it harder for me to suppress the urge to wash my hands. It makes me not want to do anything but stay at home. I’ve gotten to the point where I can’t even rationalize it anymore. Today for example, my girlfriend got out of the shower before me and wanted to get a new towel so put the towel on the floor. I didn’t have any clean ones except for the one that I use to wipe down my dogs feet after she steps in poop or mud or something. The towel has been run through the wash, but after using it I see that there were some brown streaks still on the towel, making me think that the towel didn’t get fully clean in the wash. It’s completely killed my mood and now I’m sitting here feeling anxious because I can’t do anything about it without feeling weird in front of my girlfriend. She’s very supportive about things like this, but I’m worried she’ll feel bad. Just wanted to vent, hoping it’ll make me feel better until I can go home and shower again
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