Hello, I have recently been dealing with lots of handwashing and having trouble using the bathroom or showering due to feeling dirty or contaminated after touching things. It’s made me quit my job, isolate, not eat, and not wanting to use the bathroom. Has anyone gone through this? If so has anything helped? Hope everyone is doing well <3
Hi . I have contamination ocd and one of most common things excessive hands washing it's part of this ocd. You should help yourself and start in somewhere, I recently use"12 week Program of Matt Codde" that helps me to overcome anxiety and Doing ERP step by step. But remember if you do nothing for yourself this cycles get smaller and smaller. We haven't like now we stuck step by step and didn't realize until so much life get harder. The good news is we can change our habitation. If you need any more details I can share you about that program. And in my opinion try not over think about all things and trust yourself and your body
@Anonymous here Hi I have struggled with contamination ocd and excessive handwashing where are you doing this programme and are you able to share any of it to help
@Anonymous here Okay thankyou and is the podcast on Spotify aswell
@Anonymous here *first we should agree with mind ( not contain of mind just mind )
@Anonymous here thankyou so much it’s so difficult
@Anonymous here I don’t I’m gonna have a look on Spotify
@ambermayx You're welcome. I know but step by step you can get through this .I have contamination ocd and I know how much is hard. By listing to his podcast maybe know better him and later decide to get further step and use "12week program" Jut remember we have to be strong and hav to believe that we can recovery and take back our life. I remember those days wasn't stuck on ocd and step by step Stuck. Now we can take back step by step Also I read his book From Stuck to Unstuck. It's available in his platform or Amazon and someone said available on Spotify but I didn't check this .
@Anonymous here that’s a good idea to listen to the podcast first and then I’ll look into the programme Oh I love reading so gonna see if I can find the book and gonna check out his YouTube Thankyou this is very helpful
@ambermayx You're welcome. I hope you find your way and start your journey as well
He is available on YouTube too
If you like reading books. "Let it go of Dr David Hawkins" is great book also The Power of Your Subconscious Mind" was written by Joseph Murphy
@Anonymous here Thankyou so much gonna search for those
You're welcome.
I still go to the bathroom with gloves. It eases my anxiety of feeling contaminated. Switch to raw sugar hand soap. It’s plant based
For the past couple of months, I’ve had a really big fear of like my hand basically going down there or objects going down there and like being contaminated. This basically leads me to be scared of being on my own and doing things without people near (because if I do everything in front of someone they would tell me if I did something), also tucking my shirt. This started last October too and I remember crying for like hours everyday. Now I’m better but I do compulsions like tucking my shirt in a specific way so I know my hand couldn’t reach there. I’m scared to even get ready for the day, brush my teeth, etc with my shirt untucked because I’m scared those objects will be contaminated or I’ll do something to contaminate them. I’ve been trying to stop this compulsion of tucking my shirt in for a while but I’m not really going anywhere.
Sorry if this is tmi. In advance, I know some germs are fine - I'm all for that, and it definitely does ease some contamination anxiety. But I have lots of anxiety surrounding going to the bathroom, specifically number two. Again I'm so sorry if this is tmi. I went yesterday, and obviously my hands were contaminated because well, they are when you go to the bathroom. But also because I accidentally brushed the back of my hand against myself. When you're done in the bathroom you obviously put underwear back on, and trousers or whatever, but I wash my hands before touching my trousers but not underwear. So I do that bit before I wash my hands, but my hand, the very contaminated part, touched like a bit of my skin at my waist. At the time, I brushed it off, thinking that my trousers will cover that anyway for the time being. But then today, I wore leggings that are kind of small on me and they weren't as high waisted. And then I got in my bed, and had a t-shirt on, and probably touched so many things. I changed my t-shirt, meaning it touched my hair as I took it off. So now I'm paranoid I have poop particles all over me. I'm convinced I need to have a full shower again and wash my hair. I'm okay with having a shower, but I barely have enough energy for that let alone washing my hair too. I don't shower every day, so with my schedule, I'm not due to have one until tonight. I just want to be able to get up, get dressed, and go about my day. But how do I do that when my bed feels contaminated and I feel like I need to change the bedsheets. How do I cope when it feels like poop particles are in my HAIR. And that could totally be possible. I know some germs are fine. But I just don't know what to do.
For many years I’ve had contamination OCD. I wear many layers of plastic gloves when awake. Take off a layer when needing to do things. Early last year it started getting worse when I began ERP. Much worse. Showering took 1 hour before, now 3-4h or longer. I always have to shower before bed because the bed is a clean safe place. But showering didnt feel clean enough anymore and took so long. I would get stuck repeating things over and over. The humidity was ruining my walls and ceiling. I’d stay awake up to 40 hours avoiding showering and sleeping. So one day I started wearing clothes covering all skin, plastic gloves, sleeves taped, hoodie on. That way I could easily just sleep still on my back on the couch. No more awake 40 hours or stuck in the shower up to 4h + bedtime rituals. But then slowly I found myself unable to do… anything. Stopped going outside, stopped talking to people, can’t even get up some days so I just lay on the couch. Fall last year was very stressful I think it broke something in my head. I don’t change clothes and I make sure the gloves last many days. My hands are suffering. The skin blisters and comes off. I think my nails are now separating from the nail beds, for real. I’ve also spent so many years holding pee when outside the home that now the pelvic muscles are weak and I’m becoming urge incontinent. Can’t do physical exams at the doctors. Can’t seek help. Can’t get out of the couch. OCD is ruining my physical health. ERP did not work. Has this happened to anyone else? What did you do if so?
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