Bringing OCD home from holiday

[Chelsie]

Did reasonably well on family holiday avoiding washing linked to contamination OCD once initial panic over. However, earlier in week we were walking through a town and I spotted a plaster on the pavement, sticky side down.  I stepped round it but turned round to see my daughter step right on it. I didn't mention it to any one or clean her shoe. However, the thoughts about it are constantly in my head.  On way home now and can't stop thinking about her walking into my house wearing these shoes.

[PolarBear]

So what? OCD is feeding you a lie that there is danger present. You don't have to buy into that. Do nothing except get on with your day. You have a life to be lived, so live it.

[Chelsie]

But is this a lie? Can't help thinking that actually stepping on a plaster is a real risk. 

[PolarBear]

Yes its a lie. Get 100 bloody plasters from a hundred different people and place them on the ground. I'll happily roll around on them for you.

OCD is telling you there is a big risk. Don't listen to OCD.

[Chelsie]

Thanks for the reply. Finding it difficult as back from holiday and not surrounded by people as a distraction. Haven't done anything as a compulsion, but need to be strong and stop the thinking about it. 

[Ashley]

2 hours ago, Chelsie said:

Can't help thinking that actually stepping on a plaster is a real risk. 

If it's a risk, it's a risk thousands of people take every single day and live to tell the tale.   With regards your thread title, I don't think it's accurate because you went on holiday with OCD, so time to do something to ensure your next holiday is not with OCD! 

[Chelsie]

I would love to be able to leave OCD at home when I go on holiday - will certainly aim to do it next year! Unfortunately, it tends to be the time when it's at its worst - I can't bear public toilets and using a bathroom in a hotel/holiday house feels like using one constantly. Then the anxiety over this tends to make me hyper aware at other times too. The good news is that I really reduced my compulsions - although this was because there were other people around all the time so I didn't have the opportunity. Also avoided asking for reassurance - although once again mainly because the family I was away with get really angry with me regarding my OCD so I was trying to avoid arguments. What I did badly with was the constant thoughts - these are what others can't see and also what I find difficult to control. 

[alisando123]

On 9/2/2017 at 12:23, Chelsie said:

I would love to be able to leave OCD at home when I go on holiday - will certainly aim to do it next year! Unfortunately, it tends to be the time when it's at its worst - I can't bear public toilets and using a bathroom in a hotel/holiday house feels like using one constantly. Then the anxiety over this tends to make me hyper aware at other times too. The good news is that I really reduced my compulsions - although this was because there were other people around all the time so I didn't have the opportunity. Also avoided asking for reassurance - although once again mainly because the family I was away with get really angry with me regarding my OCD so I was trying to avoid arguments. What I did badly with was the constant thoughts - these are what others can't see and also what I find difficult to control. 

I feel like I wrote this post it's so accurate to how I feel! I've just come back from holiday and having the same problem. Do you think having time to "think" makes the ocd worse? I had nothing else to worry about so it seemed to make it so much worse, also it was a strange place, new surroundings etc. 

[PolarBear]

Challenge your OCD. Start using public washrooms as much as you can. At first youll hate it. Eventually til be in different to it.

Avoiding public washrooms is a compulsion and will only make things worse.

[Chelsie]

Alisando - I think I've come to the same conclusion as you: having too much 'free time' is bad for my OCD. Shame really, as otherwise I enjoy my holidays! 

Polar Bear - I did force myself to use a public toilet several times on holiday.  I know avoiding them and all this entails (making sure I don't drink too much all day etc) is a compulsion - but during this holiday it was a survival strategy. Back to work today and I am determined to use the toilets there as and when I need - now I'm home, I need to start to actively fight my OCD. 

[Ashley]

20 hours ago, alisando123 said:

Do you think having time to "think" makes the ocd worse? I had nothing else to worry about so it seemed to make it so much worse, also it was a strange place, new surroundings etc.

Different reactions for different people I think Alisando.

For some people yes they may find a holiday more likely to create OCD thinking time, but I don't think it's the holiday that does that, I think it's the free time to think which is the same if you are sat on a holiday lounger or a sofa at home.

In my case I did have worries about holiday's in that because of my OCD I worried about using a toilet on long haul flights. But usually once there I was absolutely fine.  Part of the reason I think that was, is because I always took part in activity holidays, skiing, adventure weeks, cycling etc so my only thinking time was how to stay alive Of course for a while I would plan each day around using the toilet, but other than that OCD was not an issue. 

So in summary I have two bits of advice. If you don't want OCD to ruin your holiday next year, do something about it starting today!!!!!   Secondly, if you're not quite there yet, just try and keep busy and active when on holiday. It won't guarantee OCD free time, but it will give you some OCD free'ish moments.