- Date posted
- 7y
- Date posted
- 7y
I’m not entirely sure how to answer this. Because on the one hand which feminine hygiene product one chooses to use is a personal choice. If someone prefers not to use tampons for whatever reason then there are other options so there’s no problem with that. BUT is this part of your OCD? If it is then my suggestion would be different and it would be maybe it is a good idea to try to use them if that’s your personal preference, because if you use them it will help for exposure. When you are able to use them and realize that nothing bad happens when you do, you’ll be able to rid yourself of this obsession.
- Date posted
- 7y
I am always really concerned about TSS as well. But it is extremely rare, and if you use the lowest absorbency necessary and change it every 8 hours at most, that decreases the chances even more. When I’m particularly worried about TSS, I avoid wearing tampons at night but still wear them during the day. It just makes me feel more reassured.
- Date posted
- 7y
Not sure if this would help you, but looking at the treatment for whatever illness I’m afraid of often helps me. Like, if my brain is pretty dead-set on the idea that I’m going to develop xyz, I might as well plan for worst-case-scenario, you know? Anyway, from a quick Google search, apparently TSS is very, very rare. Even if you leave it in too long, the people who have had TSS got it from leaving tampons in for a week or so. Even if you do leave it in for a week or so, and then are the one out of 100,00 people (actual statistic, very rare) who’ve gotten TSS before, the symptoms are very flu-like and noticeable. If you suddenly become dizzy and feel sick, you’ll know to go to the doctor. And, not to scare you, but only 2-3 people die from it every year, out of the 110 million-ish women who use tampons regularly. If your anxiety gets really bad, you can always use pads. Hope this helps.
- Date posted
- 7y
Thank you so much, these are so helpful.
Related posts
- Date posted
- 24w
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.
- Date posted
- 24w
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.
- Date posted
- 22w
Something I haven’t shared on here is that when I get anxious and my OCD is really bad, I end up spending a lot of time in the bathroom. My family isn’t supportive when it comes to mental health, and I don’t have any privacy at home. So, when I realize my butt is numb for the I don’t even know how many times today, I know I’m not doing okay. :( All my panic attacks happen in the bathroom. Even when I’m out shopping or doing something, I run to the bathroom. It’s like I have an emotional support toilet instead of a support system. I’m crying, feeling so anxious, and I can’t stop doing compulsions that I thought I had gotten past more than a month ago. My streaks are broken, and I feel broken. I want to get out of this bathroom, be normal, and be productive, but I just can’t. I can’t stop crying, and I can’t even breathe properly. I didn’t even realize what time it is, the day is nearly over and I’m still in here :(
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