FUCK i really REALLYneed help. Been overthinking. My fucking cousins have lice and they’re contagious right? Well I contracted and I’ve been doing everything to get them out but my cousins are lazy and won’t exert the same effort. I thought I was free from if, turns out I still have it bc I found a big one. I’m FREAKING out. My friends and I are close and I just worry I might have given it to them too and I’m gonna cause an outbreak. I feel so guilty and like i have to confess to them incase they do have it so they can take precautionary measures so we wont be passing lice to each othef but at the same time i kind of dont want to because im so scared they’ll avoid me or not be as close much I’m 19, lices are for kids. I feel so ashamed and embarrassed i dont know what to do

What a pain. So sorry. I was 21 when I first got lice so it does happen to adults. I remember how ashamed and embarrassed I felt. And it’s *super hard* telling your friends about it so they can get treatment if necessary. All you can do is just be straightforward, tell the truth, apologize and move on. You didn’t do anything wrong; your apology is more an expression of empathy. If they get upset with you just acknowledge their frustration and steer the conversation off blame and toward action. Best of luck to you. Btw, the 2 times I’ve had lice, none of my friends caught it from me.

Lice is generally treated easily

Find a therapist on the ocd foundation site, if none are in your area, call some therapists that are not close by and ask them to recommend someone in your area.

I also had lice when I was 23 or so. Remember it has nothing to do with hygiene or cleanliness. I don't know if you have to tell your friends though. Would it be a compulsion to confess this? Can you try to speak to your cousins so that they take the treatment seriously? Maybe explain to them that they need to do their part too, so that you can all get rid of the lice.

Accept the uncertainty: maybe you’ll get lice, maybe not...even the worst case scenario isn’t so bad, you buy the shampoo, I know the OCD can catastrophize things and make them seem impossible...I’ve been there, but lice are very low stakes so rest easy, I’m sorry you’re upset!

Having lice doesn’t mean you’re not a clean or hygienic person. (: maybe just be honest with your friends, I think they’ll understand!

I remember recently, I bought a hat at a secondhand store for Halloween. I washed it good, but my head was itching for days after it. I panicked I had life! I called lice treatment experts, washed all m stuff obsessively, etc. Turns out I used too much detergent and it irritated my head. No lice! It might be worth calling some experts though. I dont think that would could as reassurance. They might be able to point you in ways to treat it, have your cousins treat it.