bins

[lostgirl]

Hey everyone,

I haven't been on here for a while. I am currently trying to combat my fear of bins. I'm making a lot of progress and can take my kitchen bin etc out to my wheelie bins, and I only wash my hands once after. This is a huge deal for me and I'm really pleased with my progress. 

 

What I want to know though is....if we wash our hands after touching/handling wheelie bins, would you consider yourself dirty if your body brushed up against a bin or a street cleaner cart? Would you feel the need to wash your clothes or have a shower? Or would it not bother you at all? 

 

I'd really appreciate the feedback! Thank you!

[Caramoole]

It wouldn't bother me or 95% of the population at all.  In fact, I don't even wash my hands when I've been to the bin, there's nothing in it, or on it to contaminate me.  This is 100% an OCD fear

[lostgirl]

1 minute ago, Caramoole said:

It wouldn't bother me or 95% of the population at all.  In fact, I don't even wash my hands when I've been to the bin, there's nothing in it, or on it to contaminate me.  This is 100% an OCD fear

Thanks for your reply. I see where you're coming from, but how can you see a bin as not dirty? For example, I have cats and have to put their poop in the wheelie bin with my other rubbish. Surely there would be traces of this inside the bin and possibly the outside when the bins are emptied? And referring back to my question on street cleaner carts, would you not see it as being covered in grime from the roads etc? 

[Storm]

1 hour ago, lostgirl said:

I'm making a lot of progress and can take my kitchen bin etc out to my wheelie bins, and I only wash my hands once after. This is a huge deal for me and I'm really pleased with my progress. 

That's great lostgirl. I need to make more of an effort to tackle my issues with bins.

my wheelie bin knocked over in the wind yesterday and it was blocking my car in. I didn't go out the house until my husband came home from work (many hours later) and picked it up for me. This is no way to live.

Storm

Edited March 21, 2017 by Storm

[Caramoole]

1 hour ago, lostgirl said:

but how can you see a bin as not dirty?

I suppose because my bin hasn't anything nasty in it other than packaging, odd bits of food etc  Nothing that will cause me any harm

1 hour ago, lostgirl said:

For example, I have cats and have to put their poop in the wheelie bin with my other rubbish.

I'm presuming you tip it into a plastic bag and tie it up rather than just empty direct into the bin, if so, there's no problem.

1 hour ago, lostgirl said:

And referring back to my question on street cleaner carts, would you not see it as being covered in grime from the roads etc? 

Well I've never in my life accidently bumped into a bin wagon and if I did it wouldn't cross my mind to take any action at all!

Seriously, the risks are so minimal that no cleaning rituals are necessary, certainly not changing and laundering clothes.  These are the worries caused by OCD and everytime you enter into one of these rituals (compulsions) you are reinforcing the "perceived danger" and strengthening the power it already holds over you.

I don't have OCD problems re contamination therefore it doesn't bother me.  I wash my hands if they're physically, visually dirty (like when I've been in the woods throwing a stick for the dogs and only because they're grubby not germy), before preparing food, after using the bathroom.....but if the phone rang and I dashed out to answer it before having time to wash, it wouldn't bother me.  I'm not at risk.  If I was on a picnic with nowhere to wash my hands, it wouldn't bother me to eat food.  I'm a dog owner and sometimes inevitably when scooping up after my dogs there are times when accidents happen and you'll get something on your hands.  A quick wipe on some grass will suffice until I get home, it wouldn't concern me or spoil my walk other than thinking "Damn"

 

[PolarBear]

lostgirl, you have to put it into perspective. It isn't that there is any kind of contamination present. OCD is telling you there is contamination present. That's the distinction. Start telling yourself that. OCD is telling you there is a problem, but OCD lies, all the time. As Caramoole said, if your hands were visibly dirty, you'd wash them and that's the end of the story. As soon as you stop and start thinking whether there could be contamination present, it's OCD rearing its ugly head and you can comfortably dismiss the concern as irrelevant. Takes practice but it can be done.

So the above is part of stopping compulsions: not washing yourself or your clothes when there is minimal risk of anything bad happening. If you want to go the next step, you can do ERP for this. You can go out and touch your bin, run your hands all over it, then stop yourself from washing your hands. You can go further and wipe your hands on the bin then wipe your hands on your clothes and, again, stop yourself from doing compulsions. Repetition makes this work.

[lostgirl]

4 hours ago, Storm said:

That's great lostgirl. I need to make more of an effort to tackle my issues with bins.

my wheelie bin knocked over in the wind yesterday and it was blocking my car in. I didn't go out the house until my husband came home from work (many hours later) and picked it up for me. This is no way to live.

Storm

Thanks for your kind words and feedback Storm. Sorry to hear about your bin issues. I know what it's like to feel terrified of them. I hadn't taken a bin out to a wheelie bin or changed a bin liner for over ten years, but that changed after I started doing ERP. It's been really rough, but since last November,  I've been able to take my bins out etc. I can't touch them without washing my hands, but I feel great that I only wash them once after handling them. I feel that's reasonable. I hope you manage to combat your fear of bins soon.

 

3 hours ago, Caramoole said:

I suppose because my bin hasn't anything nasty in it other than packaging, odd bits of food etc  Nothing that will cause me any harm

I'm presuming you tip it into a plastic bag and tie it up rather than just empty direct into the bin, if so, there's no problem.

Well I've never in my life accidently bumped into a bin wagon and if I did it wouldn't cross my mind to take any action at all!

Seriously, the risks are so minimal that no cleaning rituals are necessary, certainly not changing and laundering clothes.  These are the worries caused by OCD and everytime you enter into one of these rituals (compulsions) you are reinforcing the "perceived danger" and strengthening the power it already holds over you.

I don't have OCD problems re contamination therefore it doesn't bother me.  I wash my hands if they're physically, visually dirty (like when I've been in the woods throwing a stick for the dogs and only because they're grubby not germy), before preparing food, after using the bathroom.....but if the phone rang and I dashed out to answer it before having time to wash, it wouldn't bother me.  I'm not at risk.  If I was on a picnic with nowhere to wash my hands, it wouldn't bother me to eat food.  I'm a dog owner and sometimes inevitably when scooping up after my dogs there are times when accidents happen and you'll get something on your hands.  A quick wipe on some grass will suffice until I get home, it wouldn't concern me or spoil my walk other than thinking "Damn"

 

Thanks Caramoole. I try my best to tell myself if I can't see anything, it's not dirty,  but it's tough sometimes. The reason I asked about cat poop etc in bins, is because my other major fear I've been working on is faeces. I manage to take my cats' business out to the bin and in a kitty litter locker bag, but the way the litter locker works, you cut the top of the bag off and it doesn't always cut cleanly and you have to tear at it somewhat. This then means you end up touching part of the inside of the cat poop bag. So I believe that traces/particles of cat poop is now on me and the bag if you see what I mean? What do you think? Would this bother you? 

3 hours ago, PolarBear said:

lostgirl, you have to put it into perspective. It isn't that there is any kind of contamination present. OCD is telling you there is contamination present. That's the distinction. Start telling yourself that. OCD is telling you there is a problem, but OCD lies, all the time. As Caramoole said, if your hands were visibly dirty, you'd wash them and that's the end of the story. As soon as you stop and start thinking whether there could be contamination present, it's OCD rearing its ugly head and you can comfortably dismiss the concern as irrelevant. Takes practice but it can be done.

So the above is part of stopping compulsions: not washing yourself or your clothes when there is minimal risk of anything bad happening. If you want to go the next step, you can do ERP for this. You can go out and touch your bin, run your hands all over it, then stop yourself from washing your hands. You can go further and wipe your hands on the bin then wipe your hands on your clothes and, again, stop yourself from doing compulsions. Repetition makes this work.

Thanks for the advice PolarBear. The reason I asked this question in the first place is because I went out today and I was on a street where bins were all over the pavement. I avoided them myself, but other people would pass by me and I worry they may have brushed up against the bins and then me, making me contaminated in bin filth. I was also distracted and out of nowhere his street cleaner stopped his cart literally right next to me. It was so close it was either definitely touching me or at most 1am away from the left side of my body. I was mortified! I dread what may be on me. 

I have another question I forgot to mention. What is everyone's opinion about hotel room carpets? Do you happily take your shoes off in a hotel room wearing socks or bare feet? Or do you consider hotel floors dirty and wear shoes at all times, even in the bathrooms? I'd appreciate your input. Thank you

[PolarBear]

Remember, OCD is telling you that you and the bins are contaminated, but that doesn't mean it's true.

Hotel carpets -- same as bins. Walk barefoot if that floats your boat.

[paradoxer]

OCD is the worst contaminant. 

[Caramoole]

10 hours ago, paradoxer said:

OCD is the worst contaminant. 

[lostgirl]

On Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at 18:34, Storm said:

That's great lostgirl. I need to make more of an effort to tackle my issues with bins.

my wheelie bin knocked over in the wind yesterday and it was blocking my car in. I didn't go out the house until my husband came home from work (many hours later) and picked it up for me. This is no way to live.

Storm

Thanks for your kind words and feedback Storm. Sorry to hear about your bin issues. I know what it's like to feel terrified of them. I hadn't taken a bin out to a wheelie bin or changed a bin liner for over ten years, but that changed after I started doing ERP. It's been really rough, but since last November,  I've been able to take my bins out etc. I can't touch them without washing my hands, but I feel great that I only wash them once after handling them. I feel that's reasonable. I hope you manage to combat your fear of bins soon.

 

On Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at 19:18, Caramoole said:

I suppose because my bin hasn't anything nasty in it other than packaging, odd bits of food etc  Nothing that will cause me any harm

I'm presuming you tip it into a plastic bag and tie it up rather than just empty direct into the bin, if so, there's no problem.

Well I've never in my life accidently bumped into a bin wagon and if I did it wouldn't cross my mind to take any action at all!

Seriously, the risks are so minimal that no cleaning rituals are necessary, certainly not changing and laundering clothes.  These are the worries caused by OCD and everytime you enter into one of these rituals (compulsions) you are reinforcing the "perceived danger" and strengthening the power it already holds over you.

I don't have OCD problems re contamination therefore it doesn't bother me.  I wash my hands if they're physically, visually dirty (like when I've been in the woods throwing a stick for the dogs and only because they're grubby not germy), before preparing food, after using the bathroom.....but if the phone rang and I dashed out to answer it before having time to wash, it wouldn't bother me.  I'm not at risk.  If I was on a picnic with nowhere to wash my hands, it wouldn't bother me to eat food.  I'm a dog owner and sometimes inevitably when scooping up after my dogs there are times when accidents happen and you'll get something on your hands.  A quick wipe on some grass will suffice until I get home, it wouldn't concern me or spoil my walk other than thinking "Damn"

 

Thanks Caramoole. I try my best to tell myself if I can't see anything, it's not dirty,  but it's tough sometimes. The reason I asked about cat poop etc in bins, is because my other major fear I've been working on is faeces. I manage to take my cats' business out to the bin and in a kitty litter locker bag, but the way the litter locker works, you cut the top of the bag off and it doesn't always cut cleanly and you have to tear at it somewhat. This then means you end up touching part of the inside of the cat poop bag. So I believe that traces/particles of cat poop is now on me and the bag if you see what I mean? What do you think? Would this bother you? 

On Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at 19:37, PolarBear said:

lostgirl, you have to put it into perspective. It isn't that there is any kind of contamination present. OCD is telling you there is contamination present. That's the distinction. Start telling yourself that. OCD is telling you there is a problem, but OCD lies, all the time. As Caramoole said, if your hands were visibly dirty, you'd wash them and that's the end of the story. As soon as you stop and start thinking whether there could be contamination present, it's OCD rearing its ugly head and you can comfortably dismiss the concern as irrelevant. Takes practice but it can be done.

So the above is part of stopping compulsions: not washing yourself or your clothes when there is minimal risk of anything bad happening. If you want to go the next step, you can do ERP for this. You can go out and touch your bin, run your hands all over it, then stop yourself from washing your hands. You can go further and wipe your hands on the bin then wipe your hands on your clothes and, again, stop yourself from doing compulsions. Repetition makes this work.

Thanks for the advice PolarBear. The reason I asked this question in the first place is because I went out today and I was on a street where bins were all over the pavement. I avoided them myself, but other people would pass by me and I worry they may have brushed up against the bins and then me, making me contaminated in bin filth. I was also distracted and out of nowhere his street cleaner stopped his cart literally right next to me. It was so close it was either definitely touching me or at most 1am away from the left side of my body. I was mortified! I dread what may be on me. 

I have another question I forgot to mention. What is everyone's opinion about hotel room carpets? Do you happily take your shoes off in a hotel room wearing socks or bare feet? Or do you consider hotel floors dirty and wear shoes at all times, even in the bathrooms? I'd appreciate your input. Thank you

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just wanted to say thank you for all your replies. You're right, ocd is the worst contaminant  

[paradoxer]

On 3/22/2017 at 05:03, Caramoole said:

Cheers!