Jump to content

Fear of being poisoned?


Guest Maximil

Recommended Posts

Guest Maximil

Hi there,

I just wondered whether anyone had experienced this before. My major OCD problem is about contamination, but I also sometimes worry when I find things that don't look how I left them or if I've bought some food in a shop and the packet is open, that they have somehow been contaminated or poisoned by somebody. As an example, this morning I found the lid of my toothpaste was open and I don't remember having left it like that, so I then worried somebody may have tampered with it. In reality, I think it was probably me that just didn't close it properly. I also used it this morning and have felt fine since. But can't seem to get the thought out of my head.

Is it just me? Or has anyone else had these kind of thoughts? Any help or comments would be much appreciated!

Link to comment
Guest Annabel

hey,

Yes, I know at least one other person who has written a similar post to this before, who has OCD about being poisoned/foods being tampered with but the good thing is that you know it's OCD and are carrying on despite it

xx

Link to comment
Guest Maximil

Thanks, Annabel. Glad it's been heard before! I certainly do realise it's irrational. Take the toothpaste example for instance - if I'd been poisoned, then something would have happened by now, right? I see that, but it just seems so hard to let go of the irrational thought! It's hard, but I am trying to get past all of this. Constantly trying to implement the four step approach, but it is really tough going. I feel tired regularly through all the worrying about things. Tough.

Link to comment

i also have this thinking if someone has tampered with drinks or food. if i leave a drink in my work place and go out the room come back i wont drink it just incase someone has done something to it.

Link to comment
Guest Maximil

And I thought that was just me too! I've had that, but recently got much better with it, but every time I deal with an issue it just seems to be replaced with a new one. I feel really lost with it all, even though I'm working hard to get better.

Link to comment
Guest flora

I have that too, Maximil. Especially with water bottles ;)

I was told to force myself to take a drink of the water and I've noticed that when I manage to do that little by little the situation becomes better too, little by little. So it sounds like you are on the right track :)

x

Link to comment

I have this sometimes when Im stressed, which is most of the time lol.

I have had it where like Angelwings said if I leave a drink somewhere I will be scared to drink it because it may have been drugged etc, I know this is irrational because I fear it at work and at my friends houses and know that this would not happen because there not like that, totally different story if in a pub though!

I also had it when I was in hospital once, and I was having lots of medications and injections, which where for my own good, but then OCD came into the picture and then made me think that the nurses etc, where trying to poison me..... again very stupid cos if they was they would of lost there jobs etc and I wouldnt be here!

It is so stupid how our minds can play with us and to actually believe it too..... bloody OCD!

Jo x

Link to comment
Guest OuchOCD

This is currently my biggest OCD issue. It's really hard to deal with and can be embarrassing, because I'm always throwing things out and getting new water.. won't accept things sometimes from my friends.. I had the same thought about my toothpaste the other day lol. I know it's irrational. Do you ever get very anxious when you think of it getting worse and the whole fear of being poisoned going to the extreme :( I had a thought the other day that the air was poisoned but I know that's ridiculous since obviously it's polluted haha but everyone breathes it so it's not like I'm going to be the only one!!! haha I hate OCD. It's been a frustrating couple days for the both of us apparently.. the only thing I can say is to keep trucking and fight against it!!!

xx best of luck

Link to comment
Guest Maximil

Wow, so many people with the same feeling! I know there are common types of OCD but never thought this particular one would have got other people too! Thanks for all the responses, they've kind of set my mind at rest at least in terms of realising I'm not alone in this one, if not getting over the actual fear.

Ouch - how funny we both had the same toothpaste incident! Funnily enough, despite my OCD thoughts about being poisoned yesterday, I'm still living today.

Link to comment
Guest Emzie

When I was younger and first started getting OCD symptoms I used to worry that there was poisen on almost everything and avoided touching certain things and if I did touch them I'd panic and have to go wash my hands. Also if a bit of food fell off my plate and onto the table I was eating off, even though the tabel was clean I'd be too scared to eat it incase there was poisen on the table and would instantly panic and think "that food is poisenous now". I used to wash my hands that much that the skin on my hands went all dry and kept splitting because I kept panicking that there was poisen on my hands and I was too scared to use moisturising cream or anything like that on my hands because I was worried that the moisturising cream might be poisenous. When I look back now I can see I was acting irrationally but at the time the anxiety I felt over being poisened was that severe I think it made it so I couldn't think clearly and I know that I could never relaxe back then and kept worrying about dying too.

I still get the occasional contamination fear but it has improved a lot as I've got older. I seem to suffer from a certain type of OCD then move onto another type for some reason, I don't know if this has happened to anyone else. And the anxiety I feel with the OCD isn't anywhere near as severe as it used to be back then, even though I do still feel anxiety. I haven't ever had CBT or seeked medical help for my OCD either, I think I got over most of my contamination fears through exposing myself to them bit by bit over time. At the moment I keep doing checking compulsions, playing with my hair a lot (I don't pull my hair out though but I used to when I was younger and the OCD was worse), compulsive binge eating (though I am trying to tackle that one at the moment and are doing ok so far) and obsessing about situations and people and things that have happened. I do really struggle with my confidence too which I think might be related to OCD.

Maximil: Hope telling you about my experiences helps you feel you are not alone and hope you manage to conquer it. I'm sending you lots of hugs and goodluck.

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...