CHANGING CLOTHES

Does anyone notice they change clothes after they either touched something that brings anxiety or are in a situation that brought anxiety in.....even if yours clothes were not touched? This happens to mr and it gets exhausting and I change clothes more often than I need yo. I have been trying not to change clothes if they are not dirty. I am trying to sit with it for a while. How long does it take before your brain stops telling you to change clothes or do the compulsion you do?

Username: eggtoasteggtoast

Date posted: 7w ago

yes… because of that i must shower and change… sometimes it gets bad when i do not like being touched by other people at all when it’s a mere brush or a hug (bc of contamination). I actually recently had this compulsion really badly that I kept changing and I eventually ran out of home clothes to wear before my laundry day lol. Or even sometimes i have bad memories with certain articles of clothing and i would have to clean it a couple of times to get the memory away. it’s exhausting and brings so much anxiety so i just end up never wearing that clothing for months even years. i just change, try not to think about it and eventually forget about why i felt that way or feel “less” about it. then begin wearing it again. it could take months to years for me to though lol

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 7w ago

I have done the same. I have actually come home and it is always related to a certain memory or memories when this happens. It us exgaustingband In have also run out of clean clothes! Yestetday, I actually just want to sleep un the t-shirt and leggings I had on and wash worried about. The weird twist fir me is that I do nit always shower BEFORE changing the clothes. It depends on how much time I have, how worried or filled with anxiety I am, if I have something else to do, etc.... The bad twist on this compulsion and really just every day life is gone of the things I am worried about us my bathroom.so if someone uses them shower abd I am worried I have yo wash down the shower BEFORE I use it! That costs money for the extra cleaner and shampoo/soap....and a trip to the store! I know that then people in family who use that shower know its bothers me but they use the different bathroom in the house a well as the one I use and bringbsll their soaps, shampoos, etc they like to use so even after I clean the shower/tub, I know that very soon, someone else who brings their stuff into the other bathroom will bring it back into this bathroom. I sometimes wish I had my own bathroom! Ugh!!!

Username: eggtoasteggtoast

Date posted: 7w ago

@Anonymous i really feel you! i keep thinking to myself that I should have my own apartment, etc. when living with family. i always take my own soaps and shower items in and out of my room with every shower session because i don’t like people using my stuff. And just the other day I dropped my bar soap, so i just threw it away… it’s seriously exhausting but i think one day if i live alone and im the only one using it, i wouldn’t have to worry about it.

Username: AnonymousAnonymous

Date posted: 7w ago

True. We all have body soaps that are in bottles so maybe that would help your. But still, my one child does stuff that makes me nervous to use the shower,/tub unless I wash it out first and the tub or shower as clean. I must get nervous.

Username: canigetawitn...

Date posted: 4y ago

Just put my clothes in the dryer and my mind said "You need to put extra cups of laundry detergent in the dryer because it'd make you uncomfortable. Do it as an exposure." I tried to tell myself that I didn't need to do that, that I'm allowed to wash my clothes normally, but now I can't stop thinking about what if I followed through with my initial, intrusive thought. This is awful. What would ERP say to do?

Username: TapDrumRoll

Date posted: 1y ago

I’m a complex case. Maybe someone can relate.

I don’t have body odor (genitalia), but I had an incident when I was 19 and was on my period. I waited too long to change my napkin and I got a whiff of my scent. It gave me the OCD I have today. I’m 54 and 10yrs over with periods, and just goes to show how the brain can be your worst enemy. You see, I know I don’t smell, and I don’t spend much time showering or laundering, but when I’m public, I think people think, that I think that I can smell myself. Pretty much am fearful that I give off the vibe that I smell. It is Sooooo twisted. I bet most people can’t even understand this. I think “they” are looking at me and judging me and can tell that I am not comfortable with my nether regions. It’s crazy even typing this out. I don’t like crouching, sitting cross legged and other various positions that send me into BIG Time ANXIETY. I can’t think, I sweat, my heart races, I feel like the world is saying “You are so weird. What’s wrong with you. Ewwww!” I did some ERP for a few months, but then I’m fine for a while and then BOOM it comes back. I’m uncomfortable with my body I suppose. And my brain keeps looping on that day when I was 19. Just had to tell my embarrassing story in case someone else feels embarrassed as well. I’m trying to sit with it, haha, sit with it really. But if anyone has something similar to my type of OCD, I’d appreciate your opinions or experience or just acknowledgement. No need for detail if you don’t want to share. Thanks everyone. ❤️

Username: blueteddybear

Date posted: 1y ago

Feeling like I need to solve

Sometimes I have so much going on in my head at one time - and I have layers of intrusive thoughts one on top of another - all together and sometimes I don't know or remember which one caused my anxiety but I have to go back and solve them or reproduce the feeling that came up so that I can "disregard" it properly. It gets so exhausting because I'm always chasing after random thoughts and feelings all about similar themes - that are constantly getting triggered - by silly things. The fear is - I won't know its ocd unless i go back and solve them. I think this might be a compulsion? Does sitting with the discomfort with this Also work?

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CHANGING CLOTHES

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