Plumber worry

[BelAnna]

We've got to have a plumber round later today. I have contamination OCD and my biggest contamination fear is of contracting Norovirus.

Plumbers unblock toilets and related things so are likely to come into contact with Norovirus in loos (from vomit and diarrhoea in toilets). 

Normally my Dad would be here to open door handles so that the plumber didn't spread viral particles around but he's going to a medical appointment and can't help.

I am really stressed out. My older brother is also visiting and will probably be difficult if I get stressed- what should I do?

 

[taurean]

Nothing. You need to see that your fears are based on  exaggerations that no-one other than a contamination OCD sufferer would consider a worry. 

Live with that anxiety, you need the plumber, you need to ride out this storm. 

[PolarBear]

Agreed. Do absolutely nothing other than getting on with your day. And don't clean after the plumber leaves. That would be a compulsion and will only make things worse.

[BelAnna]

Thanks Taurean and PolarBear, I'm not sure if I'll manage to not do any cleaning compulsions afterwards. 

[PolarBear]

Try your best. 

Understand that cleaning would be a compulsion. It reinfirces in your mind the belief that there was a problem to begin with. And it ensures that this will come back again next time simeone comes in your house.

[daja]

Do nothing. It will be hard but you will feel great in time for standing up to your phobias.

[Angst]

I agree do nothing. I had a plumber around yesterday to quote for a new boiler and pipe work. He looked clean to me. Sorry - this is probably reassurance! But the visit triggered anxieties - the ‘what ifs’ after reading the contract details - for example - what if they find asbestos and stop the work, what if my neighbour will not grant permission to erect scaffolding in his garden needed to fix a new flue....The danger to succumbing to anxieties is that nothing gets done. You need the plumber and I need a plumber  - we need to remain calm and not think the worst.

[BelAnna]

6 minutes ago, Angst said:

I agree do nothing. I had a plumber around yesterday to quote for a new boiler and pipe work. He looked clean to me. Sorry - this is probably reassurance! But the visit triggered anxieties - the ‘what ifs’ after reading the contract details - for example - what if they find asbestos and stop the work, what if my neighbour will not grant permission to erect scaffolding in his garden needed to fix a new flue....The danger to succumbing to anxieties is that nothing gets done. You need the plumber and I need a plumber  - we need to remain calm and not think the worst.

Well done for coping with that Angst- that sounds really stressful.

I'm panicking because the plumber touched the door handle to the living room then so did my brother and he's being arsey about washing his hands and has touched his laptop.

I hope we don't get sick.

Edited April 17, 2018 by BelAnna

[Angst]

Unfortunately he only visited to do a quote. He was here for about an hour. Inspecting the electrics, gas supply and pipe work, flue and costing for the work. After his visit and reading the contract the anxiety set in. It will be two days work. So in our own ways we have post visit anxiety. At least you plumber has done the work mine still has to do it! You might be hyper vigilant at the moment - observing who touches what - in my experience this should reduce with time.

[Fender]

Hi I have a bad fear of norovorus too but If I was in that situation I would think, well the plumber has only touched what has come out of my own body so I must not have a virus lol

[Walter White]

The plumber is around those "hazards" all the time and he's not sick and surely never has been due to his job. Those concerns are only for OCD sufferers, any other person wouldn't even think about it. I know how you feel, I also suffer contamination OCD and I know it is hard to ignore the thoughts and even harder to ignore the compulsions, but it is the way to go. Try your best, and if you don't succeed don't be hard on you, I've been told that it takes practice but with time we will get better. You are not alone.

[taurean]

1 hour ago, Walter White said:

The plumber is around those "hazards" all the time and he's not sick and surely never has been due to his job. Those concerns are only for OCD sufferers, any other person wouldn't even think about it. I know how you feel, I also suffer contamination OCD and I know it is hard to ignore the thoughts and even harder to ignore the compulsions, but it is the way to go. Try your best, and if you don't succeed don't be hard on you, I've been told that it takes practice but with time we will get better. You are not alone.

Walter

 

[paradoxer]

Heisenberg! 

[BelAnna]

17 hours ago, Angst said:

Unfortunately he only visited to do a quote. He was here for about an hour. Inspecting the electrics, gas supply and pipe work, flue and costing for the work. After his visit and reading the contract the anxiety set in. It will be two days work. So in our own ways we have post visit anxiety. At least you plumber has done the work mine still has to do it! You might be hyper vigilant at the moment - observing who touches what - in my experience this should reduce with time.

Aw that's ashame but you did well to cope last time so you will cope when he comes to do the work too.

17 hours ago, Fender said:

Hi I have a bad fear of norovorus too but If I was in that situation I would think, well the plumber has only touched what has come out of my own body so I must not have a virus lol

Hi Fender,

Sorry to hear you have a fear of Norovirus too. I'm not concerned about contracting Norovirus from our house as no-one in my house has had it for years BUT I'm afraid of contracting it if the Plumbers haven't washed their hands after dealing with other people's toilets, who may well have had Norovirus in the recent past so that there are viral particles in their loo! 

19 hours ago, PolarBear said:

Try your best. 

Understand that cleaning would be a compulsion. It reinfirces in your mind the belief that there was a problem to begin with. And it ensures that this will come back again next time simeone comes in your house.

Thanks Polar, I have been better about contamination-compulsions in general and like you say it seems to become less of a problem, the fewer compulsions I complete. My anxiety was up at about 9/10 yesterday though so I did do some cleaning. 

 

16 hours ago, Walter White said:

The plumber is around those "hazards" all the time and he's not sick and surely never has been due to his job. Those concerns are only for OCD sufferers, any other person wouldn't even think about it. I know how you feel, I also suffer contamination OCD and I know it is hard to ignore the thoughts and even harder to ignore the compulsions, but it is the way to go. Try your best, and if you don't succeed don't be hard on you, I've been told that it takes practice but with time we will get better. You are not alone.

I wonder though whether they do get sick, with minor things like stomach bugs, more often than average though. It is perfectly possible that they contract viruses more often but don't associate it with their job. Thanks for your support! 

[taurean]

1 hour ago, BelAnna said:

BUT I'm afraid of contracting it if the Plumbers haven't washed their hands after dealing with other people's toilets, who may well have had Norovirus in the recent past so that there are viral particles in their loo! 

Hi BelAnna, 

When we look at that statement it is a statement of the exaggerated core belief and very very tenuous connections that typify what OCD is all about. 

So now would be a good time to start challenging the elements of this core belief. 

Why not write down the "evidence" you can find to support what OCD is saying here being true, on the left side of a piece of paper. On the right side of the page list the evidence to support that what is really happening is you are worrying that the OCD core belief might be true. 

Then let us know the result of your endeavours. 

[BelAnna]

2 hours ago, taurean said:

Hi BelAnna, 

When we look at that statement it is a statement of the exaggerated core belief and very very tenuous connections that typify what OCD is all about. 

So now would be a good time to start challenging the elements of this core belief. 

Why not write down the "evidence" you can find to support what OCD is saying here being true, on the left side of a piece of paper. On the right side of the page list the evidence to support that what is really happening is you are worrying that the OCD core belief might be true. 

Then let us know the result of your endeavours. 

Thanks Taurean; that sounds like a good idea- I'll try it and report back!