Claire79

I have contamination OCD, mainly around asbestos but also anything dirty contaminating things and also cleaning products causing contamination. It also comes with health anxiety. I've had CBT recently, which was helpful. Also my kids are good at exposure therapy, eg a small rock just came out of the washing machine, presumably from my son's pocket, and I start thinking about what it's made of and worrying about it. I try to take my mind off things as much as possible. I do sometimes sit with the worry and let the anxiety come and go. I just about cope, but I have sore bleeding hands from over-washing them and spend far too much time in my own head. I would like to enjoy life more. I'm getting there very slowly.

Exhausted

I take propranolol for migraine. It works for me for that. It has also helped for my general anxiety in that it makes me feel less stressed out and reduces my heart rate. I don't find it does anything for my contamination OCD. Still waiting for CBT for that.

It's an interesting question. I think I was always predisposed to OCD. I used to wash my hands a lot and never feel they were as clean as I'd like them to be. But really it all kicked off when my dad got sick and died. I have a massive fear of anyone getting ill and dying. Alongside that my fear that I could cause it by something being contaminated. I also don't like cleaning products as I worry about the contamination they could cause. It's a nightmare. My biggest worries are asbestos (our garage roof) and my kids' complaining of feeling ill. I get really frightened.

I'm struggling too, so no advice really. My hands are sore and bleed quite frequently from all my handwashing. It's been a nightmare. I'm currently having hypnotherapy, which is helping my anxiety a bit, if not my OCD. Just waiting on CBT, but could be a long wait.

So still struggling with everything. We are going to be moving too, which is adding to my stress. At the moment I'm waiting on CBT. It could be quite a wait but I'm on the list. I have medication but haven't started it yet because I already take lots of meds for migraine and don't really want to take any more. I'm currently still panicking about our garage. It was emptied in preparation for taking away the asbestos cement roof I hate so much, but we're leaving it as will be moving and there are lots of delays with the new roof (been waiting since July). It leaks in a couple of places and my husband puts buckets under to catch the rainwater. He then empties these out when they get full. I struggle to cope with this thinking that because the water has gone through holes in the roof, it's contaminated with asbestos and we have blue asbestos in the roof and that's not easily washed away. Then I imagine the contaminated water on his hands, he washes them in the kitchen sink and gets this everywhere then dries his hands on the hand towel. Every part of this frightens ms so completely I struggle to think of anything else. My ultimate fear is that either he or the kids inhales/ingests asbestos and gets mesothelioma. My rational mind says this is likely next to impossible but my OCD says we're all going to die horribly. I honestly can't wait to get the hell out of my own house and move somewhere new, but I have a feeling this will only push the contamination OCD onto something else. I'm starting to feel really rather low and sad about how I feel and it's affecting everyone else. Particularly my long-suffering husband.

BelAnna I'm sorry your mum is poorly. I think it must be difficult to separate OCD from anxiety that a non-OCD person would have under the same circumstances. How long does she have to wait for the x-ray? Hopefully not too much longer. My son was seen by a paramedic practitioner in our minor injuries unit as out of hours. Assessed and has been suggested it's just muscular. I'm not Googling at the moment and trying not to catastrophize but it's hard. He's still asking for pain relief at bed time (week after it started), but the paramedic said it could last up to 2 weeks. I think I'll probably feel sick and anxious until the pain goes away.

Hi. I suffer with health anxiety over loved ones too. It started when my dad got sick and passed away. I'm in fear of anyone else that I love dying. In a massive state at the moment as my 7 year old son has been complaining of backache. My husband is taking him to be seen by doctors today although doesn't think much wrong with him. So he's now acting on my anxieties I think.

Thanks Gemma. I've got hold of the book and started reading it. Had a massive panic last night as my 7 year old son said he had backache and my mind went into overdrive. Not helped by him saying it still hurt this morning. Part of me knows it'll be from PE or the fishing he did at the weekend or something like that, but it doesn't stop my mind from thinking all sorts of awful scenarios. So exhausting.

Hi Gemma Thanks for your reply. It was counselling I was having, not CBT. I actually cancelled this week because I wasn't sure talking about the roof over and over again was really helping me. I'm not sure how to go about getting a referral for CBT. I've been going outside my GP in the past few years as it's impossible to get an appointment.

Hi I'm new here and found this forum through a different forum I'm on. I've had health anxiety about other people (specifically my kids but also other family members) since my Dad died 5 years ago. He had a rare cancer - thymoma - that recurred very quickly (even more rare). I worry that my kids' headaches are tumours etc rather than just headaches. I started counselling this year to help. However, when a friend asked for details of an asbestos surveyor I started to panic about my garage roof. We moved in 9 years ago, I've always known it was asbestos cement. It didn't bother me. We also discovered vermiculite in our loft, which was tested and negative for asbestos in 2019. I remember squidging the vermiculite and being interested in it. I don't remember any fear. Now my fear of the garage roof is dreadful. We had it tested because of how I was feeling and it turned out to have both white and blue asbestos! I ended up in what I think was a full blown panic attack, even though the survey said it was low risk as in reasonable condition and cement rather than loose fibres. My mind has spiralled since then. I worry about the stuff in the garage being contaminated and any exposure my kids or husband may have had. I don't let the kids in there but some of their toys used to be in there and the roof leaks a little in a couple of places. My husband goes in and out of the garage and I worry about contamination on his shoes, which he's then bringing into the house. We are having the garage cleared and roof replaced by experts but I'm already worrying about bits of the roof breaking off and touching other things. I also worry about other things contaminating stuff. Raw meat but also anything we may have stepped on outside and have brought in. Even after mopping the floor, I wonder if the mop should be replaced. It's exhausting, my hands are sore from washing and while the counselling helped with my health anxiety, it's not doing anything for my contamination OCD. Sorry for the long post! I don't know where to start.