I didn’t realize how much avoidance I do as a result of OCD. There are simple things I want to do throughout the day, such as laundry or other tidying up things, and because I’m worried an OCD thought will happen while I’m doing xyz, I don’t do them. Anyone else have this experience and wouldn’t mind sharing?

Thank you for sharing!

I don’t like cutting up chicken due to my contamination fears and I will have to wash my hands 10-15 times. So I will get my mum to do it. I get ezcema on my hands due to my hand washing.

@hanajade I’m sorry! I definitely understand and now how that goes. Sometimes I can practice ERP and only wash once but others I have to keep washing until it feels right... gosh, we deal with a lot!

@Sabrina Yes we do

Thank you for sharing! For me it’s contamination. I think I’ll have to wash my hands after touching something and will likely think I didn’t wash them “enough” which leads to excessive washing. My hands are so cracked and dry.

@Sabrina That’s so rough, I’m sorry you’re dealing with that!

@babbie I’m sorry too! Do you try ERP? Sometimes I can limit the amount of washing and other times OCD wins. It’s a daily battle.

@Sabrina I think I was sort of accidentally doing ERP around certain chores before I even knew what it was. I asked my housemates to handle some of the tough ones, which means they definitely aren’t being done according to my brain’s specifications, but social grace means I can’t ask them to do a chore and then micromanage, so I kind of have to let it go. It’s one of ways I trick myself. 😜

I hear you. Or I find myself rushing to do something quickly before a thought can happen. Ugh... letting the thoughts be there without reacting to them is way easier said than done!!

I’m sorry! That’s so much of your time that I’m sure you’d like to be devoting to something else you enjoy. Have you been able to cut down the time? Done any ERP? It’s hard. It’s worth it, but very hard!!

@Sabrina I have moved in with my fiancé now and we do the housework together, he does some tasks while I do others and it has helped hugely just to have someone else to do it together and nudge me along to get started, then it’s usually okay as once I’m started on a task I see it through!