I really need help and prayers. Since the outbreak of the virus in my country I wash my hands more often for the silliest things. I have rituals and patterns that i have to keep or else i feel my hands are dirty again. If i accidentally touch my eyes of lips i have to wash my face thoroughly with soap. I just have washed my towels but i keep using my new fresh towels so im so quickly out of towels again. My face and hands are dry and i have to moister them the whole time. I have prayed and i cant take it anymore. Chances are small i get the virus because im not old and dont have an illness but this washing the whole time is making me desperate. I cant live like this anymore....
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Coronavirus triggers my ocd of hygiene
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EtainSkirata
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Hey there, hon. I absolutely know what you're going through. I've had obsessive thoughts about contamination, too, and they are so not fun. But you can get through this.
When you get the compulsion to wash your hands, stop. Just for 5 minutes. You know when you really need to wash your hands (like after you go to the bathroom) and when you don't. So when you get the compulsion, wait for just 5 minutes before doing it. Recognize that it's an obsessive thought. Do something else for those 5 minutes--listen to a song, put away some laundry, etc. And then see how you feel after that. Try to go for 10 minutes.
I recommend the book Brain Lock, it talks about effective ways to manage obsessions. Hang in there, we're all rooting for you.
When you get the compulsion to wash your hands, stop. Just for 5 minutes. You know when you really need to wash your hands (like after you go to the bathroom) and when you don't. So when you get the compulsion, wait for just 5 minutes before doing it. Recognize that it's an obsessive thought. Do something else for those 5 minutes--listen to a song, put away some laundry, etc. And then see how you feel after that. Try to go for 10 minutes.
I recommend the book Brain Lock, it talks about effective ways to manage obsessions. Hang in there, we're all rooting for you.
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Mari17
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This is a hard time for many people with OCD! Some good advice from Shala Nicely is to follow the CDC's guidelines, but don't go overboard obsessively. So, if you're doing much more than what's recommended, you're probably being obsessive and need to treat that as a compulsion (which means not doing it!). Can you use the tools that you've learned about dealing with your other obsessions and compulsions, and apply them to this situation?
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Im so stupid, I thoroughly washed my hands in the kitchen, then I went to the bedroom and turned on the lights which is a button I had to press, and then I had itchy eyes so I’ve rubbed them with my fingers which has touched the dirty button. I’m so scared I will get the virus. And I have to wait 2 weeks before I know it.
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I'm washing my hands maybe three times a day maybe four and that's it. Unless I worked in the medical field I wouldn't do it any more than that.
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EtainSkirata
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You're not stupid. Your brain is just being a very loud warning system. It's trying to be helpful, but it's kind of being really loud about it!
Of course be smart about handwashing, but there's no need to go overboard. When you feel the urge to wash your hands (aside from the usual times like after using the toilet), just pause for a minute and remind yourself that it's just OCD, it's just your brain trying to be helpful. Remind yourself that you have an immune system, you're young, and you already know how to keep yourself clean and healthy. You're gonna get through this.
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Mari17
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I agree with MaddKat, it sounds like this is OCD, which means you don't really need to be as afraid as your brain is making you feel like you have to. Do you have good strategies in place for working on your OCD?
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veri_aka
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Hi, I joined this website last night, and I got to admit that’s been my story. I’ve been struggling since the last few years I’d my college career, since 2014. Now it’s like I have struggled to the highest degree since the Coronavirus hit. I’m feeling that way too. You’re not alone.
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