Ocd contaminated cupboard help

[Guest Phil10]

4 hours ago, bobfish said:

Phil, before you compulsively post your thoughts every single time, have a read through all the advice we've given you already. We've already told you what you should do when these thoughts arise.

The bottom line is, you're going to get thoughts about contamination for a while yet, and they're going to cause anxiety. If you want to get better, you have to try and resist these thoughts and compulsions every single time. It's hard, but it works. Simple as that. Honestly the best thing for you to do is not to do any further cleaning for the time being.

Yes like I say I had another phone call with my mum tonight she was 110% sure it wasn’t in bin and she said she would have told me so some how I have to accept this,

But you are correct I will get these thoughts which is hard because I wish they would go away but I’ve had this for years 

[PolarBear]

See, asking your mom again was just another compulsion. It didn't stop the thoughts all the other times you asked and it won't work this time. Learn from that. Compulsions don't work.

[Guest Phil10]

I’m using the bank card now but not without compulsions:

*I cleaned it with fairy up liquid 

*I removed all other cards to avoid cross contamination 

*Its an old wallet anyway so I know I can replace it anytime 

[PolarBear]

Put the other cards back, stop washing any of them and keep the wallet.

[Guest Phil10]

2 minutes ago, PolarBear said:

Put the other cards back, stop washing any of them and keep the wallet.

Yes that’s easier said than done right now I feel i have to test the water to see how anxious I get using the bank card.

[PolarBear]

Well thats a good first step but do keep pushing yourself.

[Guest Phil10]

3 minutes ago, PolarBear said:

Well thats a good first step but do keep pushing yourself.

I still want a new door despite convincing myself that it probably never came from the bin the power of these thoughts means they seem so real I need these compulsions to replace. I wrote this all down for the theripst but it seems pointless to be honest as I don’t think it works

[PolarBear]

You're asking for too much too quickly. You have spent years doing compulsions. You can't undo that in a short time. You have to delay, reduce and stop compulsions, consistently, and then it is going to take time for the doubt, anxiety and thoughts to dissipate.

As long as you leep doing compulsions, as you did with the bank card, you will remain stuck.

[Guest Phil10]

6 minutes ago, PolarBear said:

You're asking for too much too quickly. You have spent years doing compulsions. You can't undo that in a short time. You have to delay, reduce and stop compulsions, consistently, and then it is going to take time for the doubt, anxiety and thoughts to dissipate.

As long as you leep doing compulsions, as you did with the bank card, you will remain stuck.

 But I am using the bank card now so it’s progress rather than not using it. I still think it’s dirty though. 

[PolarBear]

Yes and that's a good thing. Just don't rest on that one achievement. Tommorrow push yourself a little more.

[Guest Phil10]

I want a new phone case but it may come via letter box so I’m too scared to order one. Like I say even though it may never have come from the bin my ocd has decided the letter box is dirty I see the theripst Monday but she won’t do much to change how I feel..

[Guest Phil10]

It’s annoying for me that replacing a door is so expensive and much work otherwise I would have less anxiety and just replace 

[Guest OCDhavenobrain]

45 minutes ago, Phil10 said:

I want a new phone case but it may come via letter box so I’m too scared to order one. Like I say even though it may never have come from the bin my ocd has decided the letter box is dirty I see the theripst Monday but she won’t do much to change how I feel..

That is right. Only you can do that

[bobfish]

In a way, it's actually good that it's difficult to replace the front door because it's forcing you not to perform the compulsion. Continue living with the old door and don't entertain the thoughts that it's contaminated.

I don't know if your reason for ordering a new phone case is contamination-related, but if it's not, this is a great opportunity to challenge yourself and go for it. You need to keep challenging your false belief that the letterbox is contaminated.

[Guest Phil10]

But it’s easy as your lettetbox isn’t contaminated so it’s easy to say it’s fine it’s me who has stuff coming in Letter box 

[bobfish]

Neither is your letterbox. It's your OCD that's telling you it is. Keep challenging your thoughts.

Edited July 12, 2018 by bobfish

[Guest Phil10]

1 hour ago, bobfish said:

Neither is your letterbox. It's your OCD that's telling you it is. Keep challenging your thoughts.

Sadly I believe I will have these thoughts forever or until I get new door like there is no escape from the Thoughts.

[Guest OCDhavenobrain]

If your actions outside this forum isn't very different to how you react to them here i have to tell you that have a very big potential. Now you are only engaging in them , to me it come across as you are not challenging them at all.

Edited July 12, 2018 by OCDhavenobrain

[bobfish]

OCDhavenobrain has a point, Phil. When you get these thoughts that your letterbox is contaminated, are you engaging with the thoughts or are you just letting them come without trying to reason with them? You need to start doing the latter, because if you always do the former, then it's unlikely you'll get better any time soon.

Maybe on Monday you can discuss with your therapist ways that you can passively acknowledge these thoughts without engaging with them. You've made a good start Phil, but there's a lot more work to be done before you'll see a noticeable improvement. You won't have these thoughts forever as long as you keep working on your therapy!

[Guest Phil10]

26 minutes ago, bobfish said:

OCDhavenobrain has a point, Phil. When you get these thoughts that your letterbox is contaminated, are you engaging with the thoughts or are you just letting them come without trying to reason with them? You need to start doing the latter, because if you always do the former, then it's unlikely you'll get better any time soon.

Maybe on Monday you can discuss with your therapist ways that you can passively acknowledge these thoughts without engaging with them. You've made a good start Phil, but there's a lot more work to be done before you'll see a noticeable improvement. You won't have these thoughts forever as long as you keep working on your therapy!

Yes but I can’t get therapy forever I have to cope myself and not have these thoughts I fear having to buy a new door before the anxiety goes.

[Guest Phil10]

I see no other way but to either A guy a mail box or B. A new door

I had these types of ocd in my old house but it was only the windows when the guy touched the washing basket I had to wash my hands and I worried about the windows being dirty for 2 years.

Now I have about 4/5 of these worries

*The cupboard being dirty 

*The grass I need to use another strimmer as bathroom bin touched the grass 

*The letter box

The front door is the worst one as it’s most expensive. Some of these worries I can easily forget like buying a new hoover as a piece of dirty washing touched it. 

Cleaning the letter box doesn’t help. Using the bank card from the letter box doesn’t help. I mean it may not even Have come from the bin however this worry is so strong right now all day I think about it and believe my life is ruined and I need to get a new door or these germs will cross contaminate the house and I will have these bin and toilet germs for years.  I’m not sure what the solution is but I can group my worries into ones I forget quickly and ones which stay all day how can I tackle the worst fears?

[bobfish]

Hey Phil, what plans have you got today? Doing anything fun?

It's not healthy to constantly be thinking about these thoughts - why don't you try to occupy your mind with something more positive?

[Guest Phil10]

2 hours ago, bobfish said:

Hey Phil, what plans have you got today? Doing anything fun?

It's not healthy to constantly be thinking about these thoughts - why don't you try to occupy your mind with something more positive?

Im working today sometimes that’s a distraction but some days I end up thinking about it all day and go home to worry too..

[Guest Phil10]

Anybody? 

[Guest OCDhavenobrain]

What Phil? The reason people are not answering as much is because everybody sees what you can't. Polarbear's advices are as good today as when he gave them.

Edited July 13, 2018 by OCDhavenobrain