Contamination help

[Hopingtorecover]

I have contamination ocd. Yesterday my son was sick and I managed to tip the bucket onto a towel that was on the floor and the carpet was then wet underneath. I have scrubbed the carpet several times with wipes that kill everything, I’ve also used zoflora and dettol and a carpet cleaner (not steam just normal). I know it isn’t possible to have certainty about the germs being gone and that the rest of us may get poorly regardless of how much I clean. I currently have the carpet covered with a towel (because it is wet) but the thought of uncovering it and letting us all walk on it and then walk through the house, climb on sofas etc feels overwhelming. 

Can anyone give me advice on what to do? Do I just need to uncover it and feel anxious and let the anxiety fade while accepting I can’t be certain the germs are gone?

[lonely mum]

2 hours ago, Hopingtorecover said:

I have contamination ocd. Yesterday my son was sick and I managed to tip the bucket onto a towel that was on the floor and the carpet was then wet underneath. I have scrubbed the carpet several times with wipes that kill everything, I’ve also used zoflora and dettol and a carpet cleaner (not steam just normal). I know it isn’t possible to have certainty about the germs being gone and that the rest of us may get poorly regardless of how much I clean. I currently have the carpet covered with a towel (because it is wet) but the thought of uncovering it and letting us all walk on it and then walk through the house, climb on sofas etc feels overwhelming. 

Can anyone give me advice on what to do? Do I just need to uncover it and feel anxious and let the anxiety fade while accepting I can’t be certain the germs are gone?

I have children and you’ve gone above and beyond what I would do.  I also have contaminantion ocd (not related to vomit though) so I have certain levels of how I would clean, just so you know that you really have gone above and beyond with the cleaning.  

[Hopingtorecover]

15 minutes ago, lonely mum said:

I have children and you’ve gone above and beyond what I would do.  I also have contaminantion ocd (not related to vomit though) so I have certain levels of how I would clean, just so you know that you really have gone above and beyond with the cleaning.  

Thanks

[Dawnie]

Hello hopingtorecover.

I have 2 kids and they both vomit up regularly. I would use wet wipes to start then a good scrub and then leave it to dry on its own. 

I don’t have contamination OCD but rumination OCD. If I had an intrusion about my kids I would spend hours thinking about it. 

So I understand where you’re at with the amount of cleaning up you have done. It’s over with now.

Maybe next time a quick clean up and tell yourself it’s good enough. Then do another helpful behaviour NOT compulsions. 

Hope this helps. It’s intresting to see how OCD works for different types of OCD but the techniques for dealing with it are the same.

hope this helps?

 

xxxx

[Hopingtorecover]

10 hours ago, Dawnie said:

Hello hopingtorecover.

I have 2 kids and they both vomit up regularly. I would use wet wipes to start then a good scrub and then leave it to dry on its own. 

I don’t have contamination OCD but rumination OCD. If I had an intrusion about my kids I would spend hours thinking about it. 

So I understand where you’re at with the amount of cleaning up you have done. It’s over with now.

Maybe next time a quick clean up and tell yourself it’s good enough. Then do another helpful behaviour NOT compulsions. 

Hope this helps. It’s intresting to see how OCD works for different types of OCD but the techniques for dealing with it are the same.

hope this helps?

 

xxxx

It is interesting isn’t it! I have now uncovered it and am watching the family walk all over it and then climb on the sofas and just sitting with the anxiety trying to know it won’t last forever. 

Thanks for responding x