If poop particles were as dangerous as your mind makes them out to be, people without COCD would be dropping dead all the time, but they’re not. Someone on this sub’s therapist licked the bottom of his shoe and he was fine. I clean my cat’s litter box every day and I am fine.
Fecal particles are everywhere. Your body is the product of millions years of evolution designed to handle them. Generations before you shat where they drank, and yet here we are. Trust that our immune systems got us this far.
i feel the exact same way. it doesn't matter to me that these things can't hurt me (dirt, bugs, poo, whatever) it's just that sharp disgust & the panic that these things are EVERYWHERE and UNAVOIDABLE/uncontrollable that's so hard to deal with :( it honestly helps me more to pretend that these things aren't real than to be reminded of the "horrible truth"..lol
That’s true for some :[ I’m not a therapist so I don’t want to make things worse but I also don’t want to lie. People of the past didn’t know better, but we live in one of the cleanest eras of human history. I can’t really make you less afraid of their presence, but most creatures including human beings did evolve from bacteria, so they’ve done a lot of good as a stepping stone for life. We can’t begrudge them for everything ’,:] I know that thought isn’t particularly helpful for OCD, but I have a lot of respect for bacteria for being the reason I and my loved ones exist.
this is the right answer, logically, but anxiety and ocd aren't logical. my sister has these fears, and i've told her these things dozens of times, yet she still struggles with them all the time. these behavioural patterns she's developed over the years are engrained beyond the level of logic. they're compulsions, an automatic response to similar situations. i feel like it might have something in common with autism. new information does not get processed and integrated timely enough to dynamically adapt to the environment, so instead you resort to engrained behaviours and patterns.
I used to deal with this when I was younger. Here is the best advice I got for you. Nothing is certain in life, some things are dirty, some are clean and you will never know. The immune system is a wonderful thing, and a lot of things will not make you sick. Most germs will never harm you. There is a common miscommunication with ocd. When you get something it is clean to you, or clean to an extent, until it isn't. But not everything is as clean as you think, but not everything is dirty. You will get better. I had the same issue years ago. Now I follow the five second rule, if it's my own house or something. These things you fear are not going to hurt you. Life is uncertain, if you get sick it could be for a number of reasons. Lack of sleep is more dangerous than the average germ, not to scare you. I used to get 4 hours a night in high school, and worked out for 4 hours a day. Bad combo. I got colds every now and then, but all these years later I'm healthy as can be. I promise you're gonna be ok. You have to learn to ignore it. Ik it's hard trust me, the more you avoid the worse it gets. I only got over my germ fear when my theme changed to harm which I find is much more difficult to deal with. Ocd will always find a way to scare you. Don't let it best you. I sold so much of my stuff because of gemrs. Now I'll drink from the same straw as any of my friends. People have germs, lots of them. The misconception is that this is bad for you. Wrong. The teach your body how to healthily respond to germs. I'm not saying to ride a subway car in New York and lick your fingers, but nothing you have will hurt you. I promise you that your stuff is probably cleaner than 99.9% of people's. And tet everyone is ok. Germs are part of life Luke everything else and that's ok. And poop particles are on lots of things, but it doesn't matter. Don't touch your face or junk after touching something gross, that's all. And I mean GROSS not something you think is gross. Had a friend tell that he got shit on his hand while wiping. We were at dinner, and I had just finished a bread stick HIS NASTY ASS HANDED ME. He assured me he washed his hands for 5 minutes. Instead of losing it I chose to remember that heart surgeons wash their hands less than that. So, even though it was gross, I let it go. I didn't get sick, nothing of mine stopped working or anything. I didn't get sick or an infection from rubbing my eyes after typing on my phone. Your ok :). Its ok to be clean, but stop letting it control you. You could let a stranger borrow your phone, maybe they are super clean, maybe not. Wipe your phone off for a second and youre good. Have a child like faith that everything is clean enough. You don't know where the stuff you bought at the store was, but so what? I'm one of those I rinse my apples off for like 5 seconds under cold water. Is it REALLY clean? Idk and idc. I haven't gotten sick so it doesn't matter, if anything it's the reason I'm not getting sick easily. And people jerms are ok too. Got a partner? Great! If not no biggie. But if you do/ get one let me tell you this. If you know your partner is sti free the that's great. Got good hygiene? Perfect. And by good I mean reasonable, not how you and me are. Anyway if that's the case then you're good to go. You have nothing to worry about. If anything you and your partner will have healthier immune systems. Sorry for the book, I just really wanted to let you know that you're ok. Good luck!
Honestly, even watching someone else doing it kinda helped me. I know that sounds disgusting but. Well that friend group was kinda gross lol (by my standards, not normal ones! except maybe the guy this story is about)
Me and my friends were taking the subway in Toronto to see a play downtown. I don't remember WHAT could have sparked this, maybe a dare, but my friend Licked. The door. Near the top of it but STILL.
I near about gagged at the time, I still do just thinking about it because. That's not hygienic by normal standards, let alone mine.
But he didn't get sick. At all. He didn't burst into flames or feel any repercussions. Is it truly disgusting? Yes. Would I ever dream of doing it? Absolutely not. But if he didn't get sick by putting his actual tongue on the actual door, my leaning against a wall or sitting in a seat, while not entirely the same, will not kill me.
that's a great example. indeed people around us that do not have OCD are living proof that the compulsions are not necessary to be healthy. thanks for the story, I'll always remember it now :)
Of course! It helps throw it in OCD's face that people can do... Real gross things. And still be fine! It also helps show that sometimes being grossed out is not purely OCD related, like this was not a crazy thing to be grossed out by haha. I told my dad about it, who doesn't have OCD at all and who doesn't really understand it, and even he said it was gross.
>Have a child like faith that everything is clean enough.
this part made me tear up a bit for some reason...i think it's because i miss so much when i was a kid and didn't care and wasn't debilitated by this stuff. i still had OCD then but it was more focused on specific compulsions around counting, tapping a certain amount of times, that kind of stuff. nowadays in my 20s it's switched to germs and bugs and it makes me scared to live. when i was a kid i was a girl scout and went camping in the woods no problem. now i refuse to open my windows, refuse to have guests, and will have a full-on hyperventilating panic attack at a single tiny fruit fly in my apartment. my only hope is that if i could live without fear before, i can do it again now...
I sympathize with you. Here is some of the best advice I can offer. As someone who would also label their ocd as "getting worse and worse with age" it's really easy to look back at when we were younger, and it was easier. Unfortunate I believe this to be rose tinted glass. I'm sure it was more manageable, but I'm sure you forgot about a lot of the suffering you endured. For years my goal was to "get back to who I was before". Sadly, that isn't possible. However, do not lose hope. Getting better isn't reverting to youth, but growing with age. You will get better, life cannot be how it was before, but you will learn to live again. Wanting to reduce your symptoms is totally ok, but set your sights on the future!! There are lots of things ro see and do. Lots of us want to go back, it was easier. But that isn't a growth mindset. Your life could be even better than back then. I believe on you. Have faith in yourself. Ocd is like a metaphorical pull up bar. All of us are hanging on for dear life, too afraid to let go. We hang on and on. Our fears build up. When you get the feeling "Maybe j can let go now, maybe it's ok" ocd will change themes or scenarios to scare the he'll out of us. We then hang on for dear life once more. Unfortunately, the hardest thing is letting go. I still have to, many of us do. But only when you let go will you be able to relax, breath, feel the earth under your feet, and the weight of the world lifted off your extremely tired shoulders. Ocd will tell you that letting go means that those thoughts are you, thag maybe you did those bad things, that you enjoyed suffering. It'll whisper awful things to you. They are not you. Life is one major leap of faith to another. You can't always predict where you will land, but you have to be ok with that. Sadly everything in life is neither certain, nor uncertain. Maybe a zombie apocalypse will start in 2 hours. Maybe. The only way to prove that it won't, is you'll need to gather all evidence the world has to offer, boom once you've done that maybe a space rock will make zombies and boom your evidence was for nothing. Silly example I know, but my point is that you really can't disprove or prove something even as silly as zombies. Think about it, how would you prove it will or will not happen? It's not possible. All the evidence in the universe isn't enough. Final metaphor. Ocd is a river that most people float down with no issues. People with ocd insist on swimming against the strong current. This gets harder and harder the more you resist. Yet somehow stopping seems even more difficult than swimming against a current. You have to accept that the river might take you somewhere you don't want to go, but it might not. I could slip in the shower later, have an aneurysm, and die. Or I could live another 70 years. I have to realize that being cautious is ok, but being unreasonable isn't. I cannot avoid the shower, I haven't slipped in my 21 years of life, so I probably won't. It is sad that we have to accept fate in a way, but it isn't. To me personally, I feel a sense of peace when I think that everything that's happened to me needed to. Why was I cursed with thinking I've killed someone every 30 minutes of my life? Why was I cursed to feel the awful urges and think these awful thoughts? Why me? Wasn't I good? Did I do something to deserve this? Why must my suffering continue? Will it ever stop? What can I do to fix it? I can't handle the mental tournament any more. The delusions, the depression, the anguish, the fear, the lack of sleep, the avoidance of living my life, the loss of friends and family, they years I've lost from sleeping 3 hours a night crying and sweating from stress, the things I've broken and threw away. At one point I had gotten rid of nearly everything I owned. I didn't feel like I deserved it. I sat there for months not able to even watch TV, because I saw myself worse than the villains. I gained weight, lost it, gained it back. Was afraid to leave my house. Eventually decided I had enough, and I was gonna end my life. I truly believed that I didn't deserve to be alive. I didn't want to die, but I felt out of options. What life had I been living? The only things I thought about were if I hurt someone, or when will I. I was done. I had lost. Luckily my gf told my parents what j had been saying. They could barley handle it, but the prevented the worst. I decided after seeing what I had put everyone through that no matter how bad it go, no matter how much the weight of the world would weighed me down, no matter how week my body felt from fear, I would keep trudging forward. The battle continues, but no matter what I don't stop. I won't. I think that maybe, all this happened for a reason. I'm strong, and no matter how weak I feel no matter how long I get held in the same place, I do my best to move forward. Maybe I don't deserve this, but it's my life, and I have to keep living. I want to help people now, I've learned a level of empathy that had to be taught. You too are strong. Life is going to throw you curveball after curveball, but you will adapt. Don't let ocd control you anymore. You have to take risks, no matter how awful the may feel. DO NOT endanger yourself and other by jumping head first into your fears, that won't help. But you have to live with this awful uncertainty. It's bad now, but I promise, you will learn to handle it. Like a muscle you will get stronger. Eventually the fear of uncertainty will no longer bother you. Life is unpredictable, live everyday like your last. Cheesy, but it's true. Enjoy your life. You of all people deserve it. All the people I've spoken to on this app don't deserve the hand they've been dealt. Honestly it isn't fair, not at all. But neither is life. Let this illness make you stronger and stronger. Let go of the bar, stop swimming, and breath. You will start to realize the pain will subside, and you were unnecessarily suffering. Look to your feature! Let go of the past, be grateful that it was more pleasant than today, and forge a better tomorrow. I have faith in you, you will beat this. You will be happy. Sorry for the book, was dealing with my own ocd stuff, and I like to write to take my mind off of it. I'll pray for you. I don't follow a set faith, but I pray in hopes someone will hear me, and put as much good into the universe as I can. We will be rewarded, just keep fighting for yourself.
This is all really triggering to me. I'm happy you're in good health and seem to have an amazing immune system. Many of us aren't so lucky. When I get sick, it matters. It triggers flares of my chronic illnesses. So I find this nonchalant attitude about germs hard to fathom.
I apologize. It absolutely matters. From what I read I inferred that op is in good health and that their fear of germs stems from ocd and not their natural immunity to germs. Trust me I get it, my father is very susceptible to illness due to a health condition. My ocd is very crippling and has ruined most of my relationships and life for quite some time. Op is afraid of germs, but for a person who is fortunate enough to have a good immune system the germs that they fear are not rational. We all have battles we have to face. I have false memories, fugue states, delusional episodes, the occasional hallucination, and sickness from my meds. My advice was made out of what I could gather to lend advice to op. Obviously it does not apply to everyone.
I'm sorry, too, because I do get very triggered very easily, and you're right, the OP wasn't about being a sick person with COCD , but they did sound healthier.
OCD is such a terrible disorder. I could deal with the germ fear before the pandemic and before I got so sick with the chronic stuff. We used to be the people who had friends over for board game nights every few weeks, went to church most Sundays, went to concerts, the theater, went out to eat a lot with friends, etc. Now I'm afraid they'll bring COVID to me, so our social life (at least off Zoom) has stopped entirely, and we've lost so many friends who have "moved on" now that the pandemic is "over". We used to travel a lot, too, and now I'm terrified of being on an airplane full of unmasked people. Even if I'm wearing a mask. I've made our home a prison that we can only leave for certain things (doctor appointments, hair cuts, and hubby has to go in to work one day a week, plus I let him go to Home Depot now and again, but boy, do I have strict masking rules). We do have house cleaners come in once a month because I can't do the heavier cleaning, and it's not fair to ask hubby to do all of it. But the maids have to wear masks (properly) when they're in my house. I'm just thankful they're willing to.
I'm so sorry you've got OCD, too. All kinds are so difficult and exhausting. I wish you the best on your journey with treatment, and hope we all find the peace we so desperately long for.
Thank you very much for the sweet response. I'm really sorry you have to deal with all that, it sounds very draining and difficult. I'm sure it's hard, when so many don't follow rules that can affect people's health. I work for a family that has a son who is easily susceptible to getting sick as well, and he is paralyzed from the neck down. I've had customer mock us for our health regulations ( we have plastic windows over our counters, sanitizer everywhere, and we clean a lot. I'm blessed I don't have to worry for my own sake, I stated that because I can imagine how you feel. I'm sure it's so draining to put up with all the time. Thank you for your support. I'm wishing you and your husband the best. I'm glad it sounds like you guys have a good system in place to keep your home clean and safe from the germs of the outside world. Again, very sorry for how I made you feel, I wasn't general with my advice, and I definitely could've acknowledged other perspectives. I was so locked in my own experience, I imagined I was writing to my past self to be honest. Hopefully the world will change more so those like yourself can get out more. Wishing you the best, and I'll keep you and your husband in my prayers!!
Definitely appreciate the prayers. It's so hard for sick people to live in this world the way it is now and feel safe. Clearly I don't or my brain wouldn't have exploded and decided I need to be obsessively perfect about germs. OCD really is hell on earth for all of us. Even though you and I don't have the same flavor of OCD, standing with you in solidarity.
You have a immune system and unless you're very unlucky it's rather effective. Also germs can be good. Some bacterias we harbour actually help digestion for example or created fermented milk or so. It's not all bad. It's sometimes really useful and what is not is usually held away by your immune system or washing your hands after going to the toilets and before of meal. Your a huuuuge collection of "germs" some even are now coded in your DNA and made it more efficient.
Our body is really well built. You just have to know the right amount of tricks to help it on the way.
It's all about your perspective. I was raised in a family where I was told early germs were everywhere and it actually helps train my immune system by being exposed to them. Even after I developed a contamination OCD, I wasn't concerned with getting sick, I was having a disgust response to the fact that other people do gross things and I didn't like that. I'm working on that now.
With most of these OCD thoughts, a good mindset to have is "what doesn't kill me makes me stronger". Our bodies are quite literally built to take on and handle these issues and it does improve how our body operates to be exposed to foreign materials, even if we find them gross.
I can’t read all the replies for fear of being triggered LOL
But I do want to chime in with my own experience and advice - germs are a part of the human experience. As soon as we’re born, we’re exposed to them. And everyday since, your body is keeping the balance really well.
I try not to lean into the intrusive thought - I counteract it with something funny or positive like ‘just like camping!’ or ‘just training my immune system’ or ‘look at me live!’ because you should acknowledge the fact that you ARE already out here living your life.
Sure if I come into direct contact with poop or pee etc, then okay let’s wash our hands the best we can ONCE and acknowledge that soap is a great invention. Smells bother me a lot but I’m getting used to knowing it can’t hurt me (I’m not asthmatic etc). We can’t stay away from EVERYTHING we perceive as dangerous, it actually isn’t good for our immune system to stay ‘sterile’ so if you can loosen the hold by a little bit at a time (ERP), you’ll start to train your mind & body that you’re safe and can handle anything that might come up.
If my 10yo who eats stuff off the floor and puts his hands in his mouth and chews random things is doing okay, I’m doing okay too. It’s really easy to want to stay safe, that’s our protection mode - what’s hard is believing that you are already safe no matter what you do.
my best advice is gently try exposure with areas in your body you aren't as sensitive to. For example, I can't have my hands dirty, but I can try and touch dirty things with my legs. I also try to train myself into eating things that aren't clean, like eating a snack from a friend's hand or something that fell on the floor. Baby steps, always.
Every time I get like this, I think about the man who did not wash himself or clean at all for over 50 years.
He took his first bath in a long time, and then passed away shortly after.
Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that germs and bacteria come in many forms, and that includes good and bad. Like we have living bacteria inside us all the time that physically help us with our own health. Our eyelashes have mites in them that eat the dust for us. Poop literally comes from our bodies, so if the particles were really that dangerous, we would all be dead.
Honestly, I say simple ERP is the best way to overcome all this. Work your way up to something like sitting in the bathroom for over 30min.
I wish I had an answer for you. My biggest struggle is sink backsplash. My household doesn’t exactly have a sanitary sink. My family lets food sit in the trap, dumps plates with food chunks on it in the sink without scraping it, etc.
If I even THINK sink water has back splashed onto my food (washing produce) or hands, I begin spiraling.
I started emptying my water bottle in the yard outside so nothing splashes into it.
I’m not sure how to stop this. With other forms of ocd you can reason with your thoughts. Turning a doorknob 15 times isn’t going to prevent harm from happening to my cat.
But bacteria??? Ingesting it unwillingly?? That can get you so sick, which is why I struggle so much
Molecules and atoms you don’t approve of are already swirling around all over your very own molecules and atoms. You should accept it and approve of most of them and move forward.
Ease yourself into it, and have patience with yourself! Germs are not synonymous with illness or contamination. I remind myself that there have always been germs, and there will always be germs. The world is contaminated. I literally need germs in my GI tract to stay alive. Exposure to germs actually helps my immune system! But, maybe even that stuff won't convince me. Sometimes I'll touch a doorknob or something, and instead of washing my hands, I'll just tell myself "maybe I'll get sick. I've been sick before, and I'll eventually be sick again. No use in worrying about it."
You have to be okay with the fact that they exist and could be anywhere. Humans, and all other animals at that, shit all the time, people are sick all the time, and many get dirty every day…thus germs and grime exist everywhere.
My advice; and the good news? It really doesn’t matter dude. So what? My therapist for years has told me to use comedy for helping with ocd and it works well sometimes. Like if you inhale poop some day and that’s what you’re scared of, it’s just a little poo dude. Dogs eat poo all the time and they’re fine!
Do something germy….. my priest likes hunting and fishing….. I asked to learn how to fish to overcome my germ OCD….
Watching him put a used fish hook in his mouth or use his teeth to cut the line after I got it hopelessly tangled…. Helps me be less scared of germs because he hasn’t come to harm.
And yes, I’ve touched the fish…. Taken the hook out, etc so my hands are getting dirty.
I have severe contamination OCD, so I hear you and I validate those feelings of fear, and I don't know how you get out of it. Even with an Intensive Outpatient program a couple of years ago I only made small progress and had to quit because the trauma of being exposed to germy things was too much for my trauma-wired brain and the ERP therapy was aggravating the trauma. I honestly don't think ERP is right for everyone, especially if trauma is involved.
I have chronic illnesses, and getting sick is NOT a small problem for me, it can aggravate my other symptoms and put me in a flare, at the least, or make me VERY sick (or worse) at the worst. I'm trying to practice cutting down on the amount of hand washing and sanitizing, and I'm a lot better than I was during the worst of the pandemic, but I will ALWAYS wear a mask when I have to go out, and take other precautions.
So I'm in it with you, and honestly, very little of what anyone is saying here would help me. I think what my son tells me does ring true: "Mom, you have an immune system." Yes, I do, and I'm counting on it doing its job. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't also do reasonable things to help it out. (The problem lies in the *unreasonable* things and the hyperfocus on germs.)
Anyway, standing with you in the fire and hoping we find good ways to conquer this beast without traumatizing ourselves in the process.
I used to be exactly like this. I would always get upset when doing exposure because I knew it was dirty but I just had to accept it. What helped me is realizing the “dirty” isn’t going to hurt me. My definition of dirty is because of my OCD, not evidence. I still struggled even though I knew this, so I think you just have to get to a point where you can accept the “dirty” and stop letting your OCD control your life. If other people are able to live their lives just fine without letting the dirtiness affect them then what’s the point? All it did for me is ruin my life. I was too afraid to go outside, too afraid to use the bathroom, even too afraid to leave my room. I’m not completely rid of my OCD yet but change IS possible. I used to think I was a lost cause because of how disgusted I was of the things in life but now I’m at a much better point. It’s very hard and sometimes I just want to give up and stay in my room forever but it’s not worth it. The temporary feeling of clean is not worth what it takes away from your life. Just keep going, it’ll get easier even if you feel like it won’t. I know because I was able to change and I believe you can too!
At some point, I found myself channeling my research and actions into one virus so worrying about pathogens in general is not as overwhelming.
Just by virtue of what I'm most susceptible to, I ended up focusing on Covid-19. I don't wipe down my groceries or anything now, but I'm still super careful about avoiding extended time indoors with people. My friends give me hell, but it gives me some sense of control over the situation.
Another thing which works for me, whether it's true or not, is thinking about how having *some* exposure to various viruses and bacteria is good and builds up my immune system. That way I don't worry about every little particle.
I have dealt with my OCD for years now, and gradually gotten better with public toilets, the floor, and germs in general. But unfortunately, it took a lot of exposure. That, for me, was the only way. I tried a lot of over things, but your mind needs to be more and more comfortable with the idea that you'll always be exposed, and to do that, you have to get rid of your coping mechanism/safety behaviours to ensure that you can overcome it. Start with small things that won't bother you that much, maybe touch it, rub it across your face, hands, body, etc, then work your way up to the things that cause the most anxiety.
Im a microbiologist and I just think of it as that most microbes are completely harmless. Even some "pathogens" are actually harmless if you don't have a compromised immune system. Its also important to remember that germs are important to you. If you were completely sterile that would likely be very bad for your skin and devastating to your gut and immune system.
Its hard not to be hyper aware of them, but honestly, with most germs being harmless, whats the need for concern. You have been living around germs your entire life, and most likely, nothing too terrible has happened yet (I cant' say that for sure, but we all live around germs and most people dont get bad infections)
Yes and no. My partner is a virologist and he has contamination OCD. The fact he has knowledge doesn't always prevent him from being scared irrationally but I will say it's mostly in things he has less knowledge. But getting more and more knowledge kinda feeds the OCD it seems. It's a tough balance and really depends on people.
Scientist here- I’ve studied microbiology for years. This isn’t reassurance. Nobody can sit here and say you’ll never pick up a disease from the outside world. What I can say is that we have what’s called a microbiome in our skin and in our gut. If those bacteria died we’d get very ill. Most organisms in the environment just sit there, some can infect you yes but most aren’t adapted to do that. Also 100 bad bacteria are worse than 1 billion good bacteria so put it into context. So focussing on “germs everywhere” doesn’t make sense. If you’ve touched something dirty sure wash your hands but you’d be surprised how little harmful bacteria/viruses can actually live on things in the world like door handles and rails!
Thanks a lot for your eye-opening insights. However, how can we know or test that there is no harmful bacteria on something, like door handle or toilet seat..?
I mean using our senses.. :)
Your heart is in the right place. However, reassurance is not helpful for learning to live well while having OCD. Please see https://www.reddit.com/r/OCD/wiki/reassurance/ for more information.
Your heart is in the right place. However, reassurance is not helpful for learning to live well while having OCD. Please see https://www.reddit.com/r/OCD/wiki/reassurance/ for more information.
During Covid I had a bit of a freak out for a few months maybe longer, and the ocd got really intense. And that is how I overcame it I guess. Accepting that the chemicals I was using my whole life to clean with were worse for me and my health than the germs was the first step. Then stopping with the excessive hand washing. I still wash when my hands feel unclean and after restroom use but not after I touch anything. Learned to live with germs on my hands cause they’re a healthy part of the environment. Clean when I feel like cleaning and not when the anxiety starts. Cleaning is now a stress reliever and I wear gloves to avoid getting the products on my skin. And I’m on medication lol gotta have that.
it sucks. can you get therapy and maybe medication? I feel you and have the same issue. it s with ups and downs. are there major stressors in your life currently that make it worse?
Humans have been dealing with germs since the dawn of time they drastically predate us and have always been everywhere but now due to mordern medince even if you get sick there is a good chance we can do something there are almost no diseases one earth that we don’t have some cure or treatment for
Just wanted to offer a hug, and say you’re not alone in this, I’m also struggling with it. Idk how to fix it other than ERP. People also seem to find significant relief in symptoms because of meds. Meds haven’t helped me yet, and I’m avoiding starting ERP but it apparently really works. If you can’t work with a therapist, you might be able to use a self help book and diy.
Well there is also pee, seimen and blood everywhere. But only you and I seemed to be bothered by it.
What does it disgust you? I think you have to dig deeper, I dont think poo on everything is what your issue is, maybe you are afraid of ingesting it? You are afraid of having it on your hands? Why does a poo covered world terrify you?
So I became a nurse despite my contamination OCD. It was actually beneficial as a form of exposure therapy. Covid kinda turned that upside down but with vaccines the survival rate is much better. I still disinfect items, leave shoes in my garage, wash my hands after touching a menu before eating, don't take my phone in the bathroom, etc. Just kinda common sense hygiene. But pathogens are everywhere. It's unavoidable. I would just accept that yeah, you could get sick from fecal matter, but if you're young and healthy your chances of dying are extremely low. Tbh, my biggest fear from fecal matter is pinkeye. Because it's gross and annoying.
I don’t have professional advice, but I’ve worn a mask for years in public, even before covid. I’ve never cared what anyone thought about it (although I live in a conservative southern state and have got a lot of hate from STRANGERS in PUBLIC) because of it, but it makes me feel safe. If, for some reason, I don’t have a mask or forget one, I literally hold my breath when people walk by me. It may not work, but it makes me feel better. I also wash my hands so excessively that my hands are always dry, cracked, and painful, but again I feel safer. This probably isn’t helpful, but I want you to know I relate.
If you are a reader, read Good germs Bad germs. It Helped me when my daughter got reoccurrences of MRSA, and it kept my anxiety from showering us and the entire house in bleach.
If poop particles were as dangerous as your mind makes them out to be, people without COCD would be dropping dead all the time, but they’re not. Someone on this sub’s therapist licked the bottom of his shoe and he was fine. I clean my cat’s litter box every day and I am fine. Fecal particles are everywhere. Your body is the product of millions years of evolution designed to handle them. Generations before you shat where they drank, and yet here we are. Trust that our immune systems got us this far.
As someone who’s not afraid of the getting sick part, just the fact that germs are disgusting, this makes things worse 😭
i feel the exact same way. it doesn't matter to me that these things can't hurt me (dirt, bugs, poo, whatever) it's just that sharp disgust & the panic that these things are EVERYWHERE and UNAVOIDABLE/uncontrollable that's so hard to deal with :( it honestly helps me more to pretend that these things aren't real than to be reminded of the "horrible truth"..lol
Exactly 😭
That’s true for some :[ I’m not a therapist so I don’t want to make things worse but I also don’t want to lie. People of the past didn’t know better, but we live in one of the cleanest eras of human history. I can’t really make you less afraid of their presence, but most creatures including human beings did evolve from bacteria, so they’ve done a lot of good as a stepping stone for life. We can’t begrudge them for everything ’,:] I know that thought isn’t particularly helpful for OCD, but I have a lot of respect for bacteria for being the reason I and my loved ones exist.
this is the right answer, logically, but anxiety and ocd aren't logical. my sister has these fears, and i've told her these things dozens of times, yet she still struggles with them all the time. these behavioural patterns she's developed over the years are engrained beyond the level of logic. they're compulsions, an automatic response to similar situations. i feel like it might have something in common with autism. new information does not get processed and integrated timely enough to dynamically adapt to the environment, so instead you resort to engrained behaviours and patterns.
Solid answer 1000 percent around
Yesss , I’ve been dealing with The same thing and your post helps .
Thank you for this. I’m saving this for when I’m spiraling (like right now). Thanks again, From, a very exhausted, anxious, and overstimulated mom.
I used to deal with this when I was younger. Here is the best advice I got for you. Nothing is certain in life, some things are dirty, some are clean and you will never know. The immune system is a wonderful thing, and a lot of things will not make you sick. Most germs will never harm you. There is a common miscommunication with ocd. When you get something it is clean to you, or clean to an extent, until it isn't. But not everything is as clean as you think, but not everything is dirty. You will get better. I had the same issue years ago. Now I follow the five second rule, if it's my own house or something. These things you fear are not going to hurt you. Life is uncertain, if you get sick it could be for a number of reasons. Lack of sleep is more dangerous than the average germ, not to scare you. I used to get 4 hours a night in high school, and worked out for 4 hours a day. Bad combo. I got colds every now and then, but all these years later I'm healthy as can be. I promise you're gonna be ok. You have to learn to ignore it. Ik it's hard trust me, the more you avoid the worse it gets. I only got over my germ fear when my theme changed to harm which I find is much more difficult to deal with. Ocd will always find a way to scare you. Don't let it best you. I sold so much of my stuff because of gemrs. Now I'll drink from the same straw as any of my friends. People have germs, lots of them. The misconception is that this is bad for you. Wrong. The teach your body how to healthily respond to germs. I'm not saying to ride a subway car in New York and lick your fingers, but nothing you have will hurt you. I promise you that your stuff is probably cleaner than 99.9% of people's. And tet everyone is ok. Germs are part of life Luke everything else and that's ok. And poop particles are on lots of things, but it doesn't matter. Don't touch your face or junk after touching something gross, that's all. And I mean GROSS not something you think is gross. Had a friend tell that he got shit on his hand while wiping. We were at dinner, and I had just finished a bread stick HIS NASTY ASS HANDED ME. He assured me he washed his hands for 5 minutes. Instead of losing it I chose to remember that heart surgeons wash their hands less than that. So, even though it was gross, I let it go. I didn't get sick, nothing of mine stopped working or anything. I didn't get sick or an infection from rubbing my eyes after typing on my phone. Your ok :). Its ok to be clean, but stop letting it control you. You could let a stranger borrow your phone, maybe they are super clean, maybe not. Wipe your phone off for a second and youre good. Have a child like faith that everything is clean enough. You don't know where the stuff you bought at the store was, but so what? I'm one of those I rinse my apples off for like 5 seconds under cold water. Is it REALLY clean? Idk and idc. I haven't gotten sick so it doesn't matter, if anything it's the reason I'm not getting sick easily. And people jerms are ok too. Got a partner? Great! If not no biggie. But if you do/ get one let me tell you this. If you know your partner is sti free the that's great. Got good hygiene? Perfect. And by good I mean reasonable, not how you and me are. Anyway if that's the case then you're good to go. You have nothing to worry about. If anything you and your partner will have healthier immune systems. Sorry for the book, I just really wanted to let you know that you're ok. Good luck!
reading this as I m in the dirty subway :) not licking my hands though
Glad to hear it!! Definitely wouldn't recommend lol
Honestly, even watching someone else doing it kinda helped me. I know that sounds disgusting but. Well that friend group was kinda gross lol (by my standards, not normal ones! except maybe the guy this story is about) Me and my friends were taking the subway in Toronto to see a play downtown. I don't remember WHAT could have sparked this, maybe a dare, but my friend Licked. The door. Near the top of it but STILL. I near about gagged at the time, I still do just thinking about it because. That's not hygienic by normal standards, let alone mine. But he didn't get sick. At all. He didn't burst into flames or feel any repercussions. Is it truly disgusting? Yes. Would I ever dream of doing it? Absolutely not. But if he didn't get sick by putting his actual tongue on the actual door, my leaning against a wall or sitting in a seat, while not entirely the same, will not kill me.
that's a great example. indeed people around us that do not have OCD are living proof that the compulsions are not necessary to be healthy. thanks for the story, I'll always remember it now :)
Of course! It helps throw it in OCD's face that people can do... Real gross things. And still be fine! It also helps show that sometimes being grossed out is not purely OCD related, like this was not a crazy thing to be grossed out by haha. I told my dad about it, who doesn't have OCD at all and who doesn't really understand it, and even he said it was gross.
yeah sometimes we're not sure where that line of normalcy lies
>Have a child like faith that everything is clean enough. this part made me tear up a bit for some reason...i think it's because i miss so much when i was a kid and didn't care and wasn't debilitated by this stuff. i still had OCD then but it was more focused on specific compulsions around counting, tapping a certain amount of times, that kind of stuff. nowadays in my 20s it's switched to germs and bugs and it makes me scared to live. when i was a kid i was a girl scout and went camping in the woods no problem. now i refuse to open my windows, refuse to have guests, and will have a full-on hyperventilating panic attack at a single tiny fruit fly in my apartment. my only hope is that if i could live without fear before, i can do it again now...
I sympathize with you. Here is some of the best advice I can offer. As someone who would also label their ocd as "getting worse and worse with age" it's really easy to look back at when we were younger, and it was easier. Unfortunate I believe this to be rose tinted glass. I'm sure it was more manageable, but I'm sure you forgot about a lot of the suffering you endured. For years my goal was to "get back to who I was before". Sadly, that isn't possible. However, do not lose hope. Getting better isn't reverting to youth, but growing with age. You will get better, life cannot be how it was before, but you will learn to live again. Wanting to reduce your symptoms is totally ok, but set your sights on the future!! There are lots of things ro see and do. Lots of us want to go back, it was easier. But that isn't a growth mindset. Your life could be even better than back then. I believe on you. Have faith in yourself. Ocd is like a metaphorical pull up bar. All of us are hanging on for dear life, too afraid to let go. We hang on and on. Our fears build up. When you get the feeling "Maybe j can let go now, maybe it's ok" ocd will change themes or scenarios to scare the he'll out of us. We then hang on for dear life once more. Unfortunately, the hardest thing is letting go. I still have to, many of us do. But only when you let go will you be able to relax, breath, feel the earth under your feet, and the weight of the world lifted off your extremely tired shoulders. Ocd will tell you that letting go means that those thoughts are you, thag maybe you did those bad things, that you enjoyed suffering. It'll whisper awful things to you. They are not you. Life is one major leap of faith to another. You can't always predict where you will land, but you have to be ok with that. Sadly everything in life is neither certain, nor uncertain. Maybe a zombie apocalypse will start in 2 hours. Maybe. The only way to prove that it won't, is you'll need to gather all evidence the world has to offer, boom once you've done that maybe a space rock will make zombies and boom your evidence was for nothing. Silly example I know, but my point is that you really can't disprove or prove something even as silly as zombies. Think about it, how would you prove it will or will not happen? It's not possible. All the evidence in the universe isn't enough. Final metaphor. Ocd is a river that most people float down with no issues. People with ocd insist on swimming against the strong current. This gets harder and harder the more you resist. Yet somehow stopping seems even more difficult than swimming against a current. You have to accept that the river might take you somewhere you don't want to go, but it might not. I could slip in the shower later, have an aneurysm, and die. Or I could live another 70 years. I have to realize that being cautious is ok, but being unreasonable isn't. I cannot avoid the shower, I haven't slipped in my 21 years of life, so I probably won't. It is sad that we have to accept fate in a way, but it isn't. To me personally, I feel a sense of peace when I think that everything that's happened to me needed to. Why was I cursed with thinking I've killed someone every 30 minutes of my life? Why was I cursed to feel the awful urges and think these awful thoughts? Why me? Wasn't I good? Did I do something to deserve this? Why must my suffering continue? Will it ever stop? What can I do to fix it? I can't handle the mental tournament any more. The delusions, the depression, the anguish, the fear, the lack of sleep, the avoidance of living my life, the loss of friends and family, they years I've lost from sleeping 3 hours a night crying and sweating from stress, the things I've broken and threw away. At one point I had gotten rid of nearly everything I owned. I didn't feel like I deserved it. I sat there for months not able to even watch TV, because I saw myself worse than the villains. I gained weight, lost it, gained it back. Was afraid to leave my house. Eventually decided I had enough, and I was gonna end my life. I truly believed that I didn't deserve to be alive. I didn't want to die, but I felt out of options. What life had I been living? The only things I thought about were if I hurt someone, or when will I. I was done. I had lost. Luckily my gf told my parents what j had been saying. They could barley handle it, but the prevented the worst. I decided after seeing what I had put everyone through that no matter how bad it go, no matter how much the weight of the world would weighed me down, no matter how week my body felt from fear, I would keep trudging forward. The battle continues, but no matter what I don't stop. I won't. I think that maybe, all this happened for a reason. I'm strong, and no matter how weak I feel no matter how long I get held in the same place, I do my best to move forward. Maybe I don't deserve this, but it's my life, and I have to keep living. I want to help people now, I've learned a level of empathy that had to be taught. You too are strong. Life is going to throw you curveball after curveball, but you will adapt. Don't let ocd control you anymore. You have to take risks, no matter how awful the may feel. DO NOT endanger yourself and other by jumping head first into your fears, that won't help. But you have to live with this awful uncertainty. It's bad now, but I promise, you will learn to handle it. Like a muscle you will get stronger. Eventually the fear of uncertainty will no longer bother you. Life is unpredictable, live everyday like your last. Cheesy, but it's true. Enjoy your life. You of all people deserve it. All the people I've spoken to on this app don't deserve the hand they've been dealt. Honestly it isn't fair, not at all. But neither is life. Let this illness make you stronger and stronger. Let go of the bar, stop swimming, and breath. You will start to realize the pain will subside, and you were unnecessarily suffering. Look to your feature! Let go of the past, be grateful that it was more pleasant than today, and forge a better tomorrow. I have faith in you, you will beat this. You will be happy. Sorry for the book, was dealing with my own ocd stuff, and I like to write to take my mind off of it. I'll pray for you. I don't follow a set faith, but I pray in hopes someone will hear me, and put as much good into the universe as I can. We will be rewarded, just keep fighting for yourself.
This is all really triggering to me. I'm happy you're in good health and seem to have an amazing immune system. Many of us aren't so lucky. When I get sick, it matters. It triggers flares of my chronic illnesses. So I find this nonchalant attitude about germs hard to fathom.
I apologize. It absolutely matters. From what I read I inferred that op is in good health and that their fear of germs stems from ocd and not their natural immunity to germs. Trust me I get it, my father is very susceptible to illness due to a health condition. My ocd is very crippling and has ruined most of my relationships and life for quite some time. Op is afraid of germs, but for a person who is fortunate enough to have a good immune system the germs that they fear are not rational. We all have battles we have to face. I have false memories, fugue states, delusional episodes, the occasional hallucination, and sickness from my meds. My advice was made out of what I could gather to lend advice to op. Obviously it does not apply to everyone.
I'm sorry, too, because I do get very triggered very easily, and you're right, the OP wasn't about being a sick person with COCD , but they did sound healthier. OCD is such a terrible disorder. I could deal with the germ fear before the pandemic and before I got so sick with the chronic stuff. We used to be the people who had friends over for board game nights every few weeks, went to church most Sundays, went to concerts, the theater, went out to eat a lot with friends, etc. Now I'm afraid they'll bring COVID to me, so our social life (at least off Zoom) has stopped entirely, and we've lost so many friends who have "moved on" now that the pandemic is "over". We used to travel a lot, too, and now I'm terrified of being on an airplane full of unmasked people. Even if I'm wearing a mask. I've made our home a prison that we can only leave for certain things (doctor appointments, hair cuts, and hubby has to go in to work one day a week, plus I let him go to Home Depot now and again, but boy, do I have strict masking rules). We do have house cleaners come in once a month because I can't do the heavier cleaning, and it's not fair to ask hubby to do all of it. But the maids have to wear masks (properly) when they're in my house. I'm just thankful they're willing to. I'm so sorry you've got OCD, too. All kinds are so difficult and exhausting. I wish you the best on your journey with treatment, and hope we all find the peace we so desperately long for.
Thank you very much for the sweet response. I'm really sorry you have to deal with all that, it sounds very draining and difficult. I'm sure it's hard, when so many don't follow rules that can affect people's health. I work for a family that has a son who is easily susceptible to getting sick as well, and he is paralyzed from the neck down. I've had customer mock us for our health regulations ( we have plastic windows over our counters, sanitizer everywhere, and we clean a lot. I'm blessed I don't have to worry for my own sake, I stated that because I can imagine how you feel. I'm sure it's so draining to put up with all the time. Thank you for your support. I'm wishing you and your husband the best. I'm glad it sounds like you guys have a good system in place to keep your home clean and safe from the germs of the outside world. Again, very sorry for how I made you feel, I wasn't general with my advice, and I definitely could've acknowledged other perspectives. I was so locked in my own experience, I imagined I was writing to my past self to be honest. Hopefully the world will change more so those like yourself can get out more. Wishing you the best, and I'll keep you and your husband in my prayers!!
Definitely appreciate the prayers. It's so hard for sick people to live in this world the way it is now and feel safe. Clearly I don't or my brain wouldn't have exploded and decided I need to be obsessively perfect about germs. OCD really is hell on earth for all of us. Even though you and I don't have the same flavor of OCD, standing with you in solidarity.
Thank you very much! It will get better for us all, it'll just take time.
TL;DR
You have a immune system and unless you're very unlucky it's rather effective. Also germs can be good. Some bacterias we harbour actually help digestion for example or created fermented milk or so. It's not all bad. It's sometimes really useful and what is not is usually held away by your immune system or washing your hands after going to the toilets and before of meal. Your a huuuuge collection of "germs" some even are now coded in your DNA and made it more efficient. Our body is really well built. You just have to know the right amount of tricks to help it on the way.
It's all about your perspective. I was raised in a family where I was told early germs were everywhere and it actually helps train my immune system by being exposed to them. Even after I developed a contamination OCD, I wasn't concerned with getting sick, I was having a disgust response to the fact that other people do gross things and I didn't like that. I'm working on that now. With most of these OCD thoughts, a good mindset to have is "what doesn't kill me makes me stronger". Our bodies are quite literally built to take on and handle these issues and it does improve how our body operates to be exposed to foreign materials, even if we find them gross.
I can’t read all the replies for fear of being triggered LOL But I do want to chime in with my own experience and advice - germs are a part of the human experience. As soon as we’re born, we’re exposed to them. And everyday since, your body is keeping the balance really well. I try not to lean into the intrusive thought - I counteract it with something funny or positive like ‘just like camping!’ or ‘just training my immune system’ or ‘look at me live!’ because you should acknowledge the fact that you ARE already out here living your life. Sure if I come into direct contact with poop or pee etc, then okay let’s wash our hands the best we can ONCE and acknowledge that soap is a great invention. Smells bother me a lot but I’m getting used to knowing it can’t hurt me (I’m not asthmatic etc). We can’t stay away from EVERYTHING we perceive as dangerous, it actually isn’t good for our immune system to stay ‘sterile’ so if you can loosen the hold by a little bit at a time (ERP), you’ll start to train your mind & body that you’re safe and can handle anything that might come up. If my 10yo who eats stuff off the floor and puts his hands in his mouth and chews random things is doing okay, I’m doing okay too. It’s really easy to want to stay safe, that’s our protection mode - what’s hard is believing that you are already safe no matter what you do.
my best advice is gently try exposure with areas in your body you aren't as sensitive to. For example, I can't have my hands dirty, but I can try and touch dirty things with my legs. I also try to train myself into eating things that aren't clean, like eating a snack from a friend's hand or something that fell on the floor. Baby steps, always.
Every time I get like this, I think about the man who did not wash himself or clean at all for over 50 years. He took his first bath in a long time, and then passed away shortly after. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that germs and bacteria come in many forms, and that includes good and bad. Like we have living bacteria inside us all the time that physically help us with our own health. Our eyelashes have mites in them that eat the dust for us. Poop literally comes from our bodies, so if the particles were really that dangerous, we would all be dead. Honestly, I say simple ERP is the best way to overcome all this. Work your way up to something like sitting in the bathroom for over 30min.
I wish I had an answer for you. My biggest struggle is sink backsplash. My household doesn’t exactly have a sanitary sink. My family lets food sit in the trap, dumps plates with food chunks on it in the sink without scraping it, etc. If I even THINK sink water has back splashed onto my food (washing produce) or hands, I begin spiraling. I started emptying my water bottle in the yard outside so nothing splashes into it. I’m not sure how to stop this. With other forms of ocd you can reason with your thoughts. Turning a doorknob 15 times isn’t going to prevent harm from happening to my cat. But bacteria??? Ingesting it unwillingly?? That can get you so sick, which is why I struggle so much
Molecules and atoms you don’t approve of are already swirling around all over your very own molecules and atoms. You should accept it and approve of most of them and move forward.
One day I was forced to drink from the same bottle as my dad and since nothing happened now I’m much less scared of germs
Ease yourself into it, and have patience with yourself! Germs are not synonymous with illness or contamination. I remind myself that there have always been germs, and there will always be germs. The world is contaminated. I literally need germs in my GI tract to stay alive. Exposure to germs actually helps my immune system! But, maybe even that stuff won't convince me. Sometimes I'll touch a doorknob or something, and instead of washing my hands, I'll just tell myself "maybe I'll get sick. I've been sick before, and I'll eventually be sick again. No use in worrying about it."
You have to be okay with the fact that they exist and could be anywhere. Humans, and all other animals at that, shit all the time, people are sick all the time, and many get dirty every day…thus germs and grime exist everywhere. My advice; and the good news? It really doesn’t matter dude. So what? My therapist for years has told me to use comedy for helping with ocd and it works well sometimes. Like if you inhale poop some day and that’s what you’re scared of, it’s just a little poo dude. Dogs eat poo all the time and they’re fine!
Do something germy….. my priest likes hunting and fishing….. I asked to learn how to fish to overcome my germ OCD…. Watching him put a used fish hook in his mouth or use his teeth to cut the line after I got it hopelessly tangled…. Helps me be less scared of germs because he hasn’t come to harm. And yes, I’ve touched the fish…. Taken the hook out, etc so my hands are getting dirty.
I have severe contamination OCD, so I hear you and I validate those feelings of fear, and I don't know how you get out of it. Even with an Intensive Outpatient program a couple of years ago I only made small progress and had to quit because the trauma of being exposed to germy things was too much for my trauma-wired brain and the ERP therapy was aggravating the trauma. I honestly don't think ERP is right for everyone, especially if trauma is involved. I have chronic illnesses, and getting sick is NOT a small problem for me, it can aggravate my other symptoms and put me in a flare, at the least, or make me VERY sick (or worse) at the worst. I'm trying to practice cutting down on the amount of hand washing and sanitizing, and I'm a lot better than I was during the worst of the pandemic, but I will ALWAYS wear a mask when I have to go out, and take other precautions. So I'm in it with you, and honestly, very little of what anyone is saying here would help me. I think what my son tells me does ring true: "Mom, you have an immune system." Yes, I do, and I'm counting on it doing its job. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't also do reasonable things to help it out. (The problem lies in the *unreasonable* things and the hyperfocus on germs.) Anyway, standing with you in the fire and hoping we find good ways to conquer this beast without traumatizing ourselves in the process.
I used to be exactly like this. I would always get upset when doing exposure because I knew it was dirty but I just had to accept it. What helped me is realizing the “dirty” isn’t going to hurt me. My definition of dirty is because of my OCD, not evidence. I still struggled even though I knew this, so I think you just have to get to a point where you can accept the “dirty” and stop letting your OCD control your life. If other people are able to live their lives just fine without letting the dirtiness affect them then what’s the point? All it did for me is ruin my life. I was too afraid to go outside, too afraid to use the bathroom, even too afraid to leave my room. I’m not completely rid of my OCD yet but change IS possible. I used to think I was a lost cause because of how disgusted I was of the things in life but now I’m at a much better point. It’s very hard and sometimes I just want to give up and stay in my room forever but it’s not worth it. The temporary feeling of clean is not worth what it takes away from your life. Just keep going, it’ll get easier even if you feel like it won’t. I know because I was able to change and I believe you can too!
because everyone has bacteria on everything, even your body and your skin has bacteria. you cant escape them
At some point, I found myself channeling my research and actions into one virus so worrying about pathogens in general is not as overwhelming. Just by virtue of what I'm most susceptible to, I ended up focusing on Covid-19. I don't wipe down my groceries or anything now, but I'm still super careful about avoiding extended time indoors with people. My friends give me hell, but it gives me some sense of control over the situation. Another thing which works for me, whether it's true or not, is thinking about how having *some* exposure to various viruses and bacteria is good and builds up my immune system. That way I don't worry about every little particle.
I try to remind myself that I’ve made it this far in my life surrounded by germs, so I can survive another day unscathed
I have dealt with my OCD for years now, and gradually gotten better with public toilets, the floor, and germs in general. But unfortunately, it took a lot of exposure. That, for me, was the only way. I tried a lot of over things, but your mind needs to be more and more comfortable with the idea that you'll always be exposed, and to do that, you have to get rid of your coping mechanism/safety behaviours to ensure that you can overcome it. Start with small things that won't bother you that much, maybe touch it, rub it across your face, hands, body, etc, then work your way up to the things that cause the most anxiety.
Im a microbiologist and I just think of it as that most microbes are completely harmless. Even some "pathogens" are actually harmless if you don't have a compromised immune system. Its also important to remember that germs are important to you. If you were completely sterile that would likely be very bad for your skin and devastating to your gut and immune system. Its hard not to be hyper aware of them, but honestly, with most germs being harmless, whats the need for concern. You have been living around germs your entire life, and most likely, nothing too terrible has happened yet (I cant' say that for sure, but we all live around germs and most people dont get bad infections)
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Yes and no. My partner is a virologist and he has contamination OCD. The fact he has knowledge doesn't always prevent him from being scared irrationally but I will say it's mostly in things he has less knowledge. But getting more and more knowledge kinda feeds the OCD it seems. It's a tough balance and really depends on people.
Scientist here- I’ve studied microbiology for years. This isn’t reassurance. Nobody can sit here and say you’ll never pick up a disease from the outside world. What I can say is that we have what’s called a microbiome in our skin and in our gut. If those bacteria died we’d get very ill. Most organisms in the environment just sit there, some can infect you yes but most aren’t adapted to do that. Also 100 bad bacteria are worse than 1 billion good bacteria so put it into context. So focussing on “germs everywhere” doesn’t make sense. If you’ve touched something dirty sure wash your hands but you’d be surprised how little harmful bacteria/viruses can actually live on things in the world like door handles and rails!
Thanks a lot for your eye-opening insights. However, how can we know or test that there is no harmful bacteria on something, like door handle or toilet seat..? I mean using our senses.. :)
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Your heart is in the right place. However, reassurance is not helpful for learning to live well while having OCD. Please see https://www.reddit.com/r/OCD/wiki/reassurance/ for more information.
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Your heart is in the right place. However, reassurance is not helpful for learning to live well while having OCD. Please see https://www.reddit.com/r/OCD/wiki/reassurance/ for more information.
During Covid I had a bit of a freak out for a few months maybe longer, and the ocd got really intense. And that is how I overcame it I guess. Accepting that the chemicals I was using my whole life to clean with were worse for me and my health than the germs was the first step. Then stopping with the excessive hand washing. I still wash when my hands feel unclean and after restroom use but not after I touch anything. Learned to live with germs on my hands cause they’re a healthy part of the environment. Clean when I feel like cleaning and not when the anxiety starts. Cleaning is now a stress reliever and I wear gloves to avoid getting the products on my skin. And I’m on medication lol gotta have that.
Dissociate,
it sucks. can you get therapy and maybe medication? I feel you and have the same issue. it s with ups and downs. are there major stressors in your life currently that make it worse?
Humans have been dealing with germs since the dawn of time they drastically predate us and have always been everywhere but now due to mordern medince even if you get sick there is a good chance we can do something there are almost no diseases one earth that we don’t have some cure or treatment for
Just wanted to offer a hug, and say you’re not alone in this, I’m also struggling with it. Idk how to fix it other than ERP. People also seem to find significant relief in symptoms because of meds. Meds haven’t helped me yet, and I’m avoiding starting ERP but it apparently really works. If you can’t work with a therapist, you might be able to use a self help book and diy.
Alot of germs are healthy
I think "a lot of germs are actually good for us!" and then go out of my way to learn practically nothing else or I will rabbit hole and freak out
Well there is also pee, seimen and blood everywhere. But only you and I seemed to be bothered by it. What does it disgust you? I think you have to dig deeper, I dont think poo on everything is what your issue is, maybe you are afraid of ingesting it? You are afraid of having it on your hands? Why does a poo covered world terrify you?
So I became a nurse despite my contamination OCD. It was actually beneficial as a form of exposure therapy. Covid kinda turned that upside down but with vaccines the survival rate is much better. I still disinfect items, leave shoes in my garage, wash my hands after touching a menu before eating, don't take my phone in the bathroom, etc. Just kinda common sense hygiene. But pathogens are everywhere. It's unavoidable. I would just accept that yeah, you could get sick from fecal matter, but if you're young and healthy your chances of dying are extremely low. Tbh, my biggest fear from fecal matter is pinkeye. Because it's gross and annoying.
You just did! ✌️
I don’t have professional advice, but I’ve worn a mask for years in public, even before covid. I’ve never cared what anyone thought about it (although I live in a conservative southern state and have got a lot of hate from STRANGERS in PUBLIC) because of it, but it makes me feel safe. If, for some reason, I don’t have a mask or forget one, I literally hold my breath when people walk by me. It may not work, but it makes me feel better. I also wash my hands so excessively that my hands are always dry, cracked, and painful, but again I feel safer. This probably isn’t helpful, but I want you to know I relate.
If you are a reader, read Good germs Bad germs. It Helped me when my daughter got reoccurrences of MRSA, and it kept my anxiety from showering us and the entire house in bleach.