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[Guest xSARAH2005x]

Hey Everyone

Ok here goes with my problem, i am totally against animal testing, but quite recently i think my OCD has taken advantage of this and it has turned into more of a OCD issue, ill explain here..basically i wont buy or use any products that have been tested on animals, including laundry detergent, the thing is..whenever i use a towel that i didnt wash with my own detergent i wont use that towel i wont go anywhere near that towel or any others that have been washed by other detergents, i kinda keep my towels separate from the "other towels" and its like quite recently i found out that most the foods i had been eating are part of a company that test on animals and i wont go anywhere near those foods the thing is im not sure if they're just part of that company brand or if they have actually been tested on animals..to be honest i am going slightly or totally mad..i dont believe in testing on animals..but i dont want this to control the rest of my life in what i touch or eat, and i think the OCD has played some part in this..i am a big animal lover i have been since i was little, i am not a vegetarian, i just dont believe in testing on animals..the thing is its my issue not anyone else's so if other people dont agree with my issue that its upto them..but i think i need some help in this cos i think im going mad n i dont know what to do bout it..please help

[Guest ravens]

I am not in a place where I can help you right now but I wanted you to know I am listening. I work in a vet office so my OCD goes haywire sometimes.

ravens

[Guest Charlotte]

Heya

I think that you've done a good job at identifying this as OCD - yep, the fact that you don't agree with testing on animals is normal but the level of avoidance is not.

I think that whilst your consumer choices are your responsibility, rejecting everything that could have come in contact with something that was tested on animals is almost impossible.

The answer is to start small - touching a towel that was washed with a detergent that you wouldn't use, and move on up the hierachy. Nobody is asking you to go against your beliefs, but don't let it rule your life.

I'm not sure if this is very helpful at all, but there's no reason not to tackle this as you would any other obsession.

Lottie xxxx

[Guest soccergirl4165]

I myself am an avid animal lover and will not use products tested on animal because i too do not agree with animal testing. I am also a vegetarian. Your concern regarding the well being of animals is something i admire, especially since many animal advocates get scrutinized for their beliefs. You not buying things that have been tested on animals is fairly normal, but your refusing to come in contact with anything that has had the possiblity of using an animal tested product is as previously stated quite impossible. As Charlotte said, "there is not reason you cannot tackle this as you would any other obsession," and i agree with her completely. If you cannot overcome this by yourself, i would suggest going to a specialist/therapist who will help. She/he will most likely do exposure exercises, which will consist of you gradually coming in contact with the things you currently "fear." My "fear" is mirrors, so my therapist started exposing me to them by just having a mirror in the room that was out of sight. Then she had one that was visible, but i was not able to see myself in it. This is the stage i am currently at. I have been seeing her for about 2 or 3 months, so patience is key. Do not expect it to magically disappear overnight. It will be stressful and sometimes extremely hard, but just keep reminding yourself of why you are going through this...it is to have a life where you are not constantly obsessing. A life that you can fully enjoy. A life where obsessions are not holding you back from living a free full life. When times get rough for me, i just try and envision a future of where i can look in a mirror. In your case, maybe you can try and envision yourself using towels that you did not wash. I know that you can overcome this!! I hope this helped in some way and good luck with everything!

[Guest xSARAH2005x]

Heya

I think that you've done a good job at identifying this as OCD - yep, the fact that you don't agree with testing on animals is normal but the level of avoidance is not.

I think that whilst your consumer choices are your responsibility, rejecting everything that could have come in contact with something that was tested on animals is almost impossible.

The answer is to start small - touching a towel that was washed with a detergent that you wouldn't use, and move on up the hierachy. Nobody is asking you to go against your beliefs, but don't let it rule your life.

I'm not sure if this is very helpful at all, but there's no reason not to tackle this as you would any other obsession.

Lottie xxxx

Hello Charlotte..thank u for replying to my post. I think you're right, even though i have my beliefs on animal testing i shouldn't let it control my life..i know that i can't avoid everything that has been in contact with animal testing products because like u said that is almost impossible, to be honest even though i am a big animal lover it does stress me out what i do try to avoid when i know certain things have been animal tested. The way i should see it is, if i dry my hands with a towel in the bathroom or kitchen whoever washed that towel in detergent that was tested on animals it wasn't me so i shouldn't worry, i can't avoid EVERYTHING, i spoke to someone from the BUAV about foods being tested on animals and they replied about how water maybe tested on animals sometime in the future now i can't exactly avoid that can i.

The thing is, i know that if i use any towels that i ain't washed ill feel a slight of guiltness inside of me as ill be worried i have just used a towel that has had a detergent that may have been tested on animals, how do i cope with that?

[Guest Wombat142]

I suppose the point is, you're not "supporting" animal testing by using things that might have been washed in animal-tested detergent or whatever. You haven't bought any of their products, or required anyone else to. So it's nothing to do with you - if everyone refused to buy animal-tested products, but nobody bothered about using things that might have been washed in them, there would still be no more animal testing.

If you have done your best not to use animal-tested products yourself, it can't be your fault if you use such products without knowing it, or if somebody else uses them on your behalf when you didn't ask them to (as with washing the towel). It's nothing to do with you.

As for the testing of foods, I think it's quite rare for foods to be tested in that way at all. Usually it's only if they use newly invented ingredients, such as new additives or supposedly fat-busting substances, that have to be tested for safety. The company being involved in animal testing means nothing - a lot of these huge firms are divided into different wings that act almost like separate companies. You certainly have no reason to think their policies will be the same.

Hope this helps,

Wombat142