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OCD and Coronavirus


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Bookworm, I totally understand how you're feeling, but there is only so much you can do; don't forget, so much of this virus is beyond you. I can only imagine that you feel claustrophobic. Do you live with anyone? You can always inbox me if you would like someone to talk to. I also know what you mean about not being able to concentrate or function; I'm doing a futurelearn course and I'm already having trouble concentrating. Lots of love. ❤️

 

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17 hours ago, taurean said:

 

 

17 hours ago, taurean said:

I can't got rid of these two quote boxes from when I tried to quote yesterday so apologies everyone.

What I wanted to say had helped me bookworm is A, going back on meds 

And B , every time a thought pops into my head of when I could have contaminated some one I quickly say "count back from 311 in 27s "or some such puzzle which distracts me significantly enough to not engage with or analyse thought. Its not easy but I feel less shakey and calmer .

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hi Cub. This is true.

I live with my partner. We have a small one bedroom flat and no outside space. I also have asthma, so I think i should be extra careful even though the guidelines are confusing, as I'm not in the shielding group, but my ocd is in control anyway and i can't go outside.

My work load has reduced, and I've actually got time to catch up on my professional development - really, I should not complain. I'm one of the lucky ones, I have a job still, and a job that I can do at home.

 

what are you studying on futurelearn?

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Hi bookworm30. I am living in the English epicentre too. I live in a small block of flats with a very busy paramedic living in the top floor flat. Public transport use is down 94 per cent from 8 days ago, so lots of us in the same boat. I think having a timetable and sticking to it is important. Good luck on your professional development!

Edited by Angst
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God love that poor paramedic, Angst!

I've been dealing with anxiety a lot since coming home. Today, however, it kicked off afresh when I was talking to my dad in the kitchen and found the sudden need to cough. I used my elbow and washed my hands and wiped down the side I was leaning against, but I've now relegated myself back to my bedroom away from him. :( I've heard of so many losses of parents in this thing and my dad is my only parent. I love him so much and I'm so scared. 

C x

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This post is really helpful. Thanks. Something I’m struggling with is cleaning things that aren’t my hands. So the government advice is the wash your hands for 20 seconds. But what about other things like whether I should disinfect my groceries? I’ve asked my family and they said yes but I get my ocd from them. My husband doesn’t think that’s necessary. The media (both traditional and social) tell me it is but that feels like ocd to me. It will also cause a lot of arguments with my husband 

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Hi jennielouises,

The government advice is confusing, but your husband is right. Unless you or a family member has a compromised immune system (for example someone who has had a kidney transplant, is undergoing chemotherapy, or is on high dose oral steroids for severe asthma etc) there is no need to be wiping down groceries. The only exception is to rinse loose fruit and veg under the tap, something a lot of people do normally to remove pesticides. Boxes/tins/ sealed packets don't need to be routinely disinfected. 

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A question from me... same old question really, is this OCD or appropriate avoidance?

I did my weekly supermarket shop today and I was slightly surprised at how many people were not following social distancing rules (I have to say, all were of a 50/60+ age range, which may just be a coincidence). Anyway I got home, I did my hand wash, quick squirt of the dettol on my wallet/keys etc and final hand wash and I then picked my phone up which I had not taken out and walked across to my office and suddenly found myself not wanting to put my phone in my pocket which I had been dipping into whilst out in case any COVID germs lingering.

So my fear is I am leaning slightly towards OCD with this, not falling over into OCD yet, but I feel I am definitely leaning.    So was not putting my phone in the pocket allowed worry or an OCD worry?

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29 minutes ago, Ashley said:

So was not putting my phone in the pocket allowed worry or an OCD worry?

In my opinion avoiding your pocket was OCD driven because its not even close to the recommended government advice. Cleaning your hands recommended, some frequently touched hard surfaces are ok but that's it. I've heard people say they are cleaning a lot of different things with nearly them all being beyond what is recommended.

I'm also finding it very difficult to draw a line at cleaning because having had contamination OCD for years means I'm very good at tracking. But there comes a point where you have to accept some small risk and some uncertainty :)

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At the supermarkets there is only so much they can do - protective screens, limit people, enforce distancing, ask you where possible to use plastic, disinfect the baskets and trolleys. But there will still be risks, with this thing certain removal of all risk is not possible.

When we went to Sainsbury's last week I thought - do I wear  latex gloves, do I need a mask (I have about 4 DIY ones). And when I get home do I clean my card keys the car locks handbrake and steering wheel with antibacterial wipes?

I elected not to use a mask or gloves , make sure we both washed our hands when we got back, and not worry. We could all build the most amazing contamination trails on this - but I read that the masks aren't considered beneficial in that application for shoppers. I just wiped the keys but haven't touched the car, And I am happy with that. anything more and I think I would have been over-reacting. 

Edited by taurean
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2 hours ago, Ashley said:

So was not putting my phone in the pocket allowed worry or an OCD worry?

I guess I’m in the minority with this- I personally would not put my phone into my pocket and would have put my trousers and shopping clothes straight in the washing machine. I would not be adopting these measures if there was no pandemic. But it’s a difficult one to call. I don’t worry about my actions afterwards however and don’t do a mental tracing of potential contamination in the house. I am happy with these decisions by the way. 

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7 minutes ago, Orwell1984 said:

would have put my trousers and shopping clothes straight in the washing machine.

I think that's definitely a step into the OCD.  For any of us that have struggled with contamination OCD it's so important right now to be vigilant to slipping down an OCD hole. I guess I realised I was doing that, so it can be helpful to seek clarity (not reassurance of course) from those without contamination worries. 

 

2 hours ago, Gemma7 said:

But there comes a point where you have to accept some small risk and some uncertainty

The strange thing is I can do that still, if you ask me to lick the sole of my shoe, whilst preferring not to do it right now, I could.  But the Covid-19 stuff I know is pushing me towards OCD zones, for example right now I am still in the office, but at 5pm the postman comes to collect the charity's mail and I had been leaving it outside now the weather is dry, but there was nothing to go today so he just went to open the office door, even though I was saying nothing to go.  So now in my mind, I am thinking I dont want to touch that door handle, not because of germs beyond COVID19.  I mean I will, I have to in order to lock up, but I suppose I will need to wash my hand when across at mine.... but is even that necessary? 

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3 minutes ago, Ashley said:

definitely a step into the OCD

If the pandemic dries up and the virus is no more a threat and if I’m still doing the decontamination after that point, then I would agree that I’m in OCD territory.

Edited by Orwell1984
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Just now, Orwell1984 said:

If the pandemic dries up an the virus is no more a threat and if I’m still doing the decontamination, then it will be OCD.

I think going to extremes above what is recommended is definitely OCD now, not post pandemic my friend. 

At the end of the day you have to do what is right for you so I won't push the point, all we can do for our part as your forum friends (because we care :)is to try and help you at least recognise that, even if you still feel you have to do the compulsion. 

There's been times where I was doing compulsions, I knew they were OCD driven but I didn't feel able to challenge them at that time, but I was still clear in my own mind that it was OCD and I would at some point need to address them, which I eventually did.

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6 minutes ago, Ashley said:

I mean I will, I have to in order to lock up, but I suppose I will need to wash my hand when across at mine.... but is even that necessary? 

No one can say it's necessary unless you know your postman has Covid-19 but since you know someone has touched the handle, cleaning it would be a reasonable precaution. However, it's important to have perspective, if you didn't know he'd touched it, you wouldn't clean it, that's where responsibility gets you, you see it, you know, so you clean. 

 

9 minutes ago, Ashley said:

The strange thing is I can do that still, if you ask me to lick the sole of my shoe, whilst preferring not to do it right now, I could.  But the Covid-19 stuff I know is pushing me towards OCD zones

Yup I can completely relate, it's hard to know what's right, it's all judgement calls beyond government advice. 

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If you are worried about the door handle, then why not any incoming post? 

You see, everything can be, could be, might be contaminated with Covid-19. 

But we can't live like that. 

My yardstick is what the experts are telling us we do need to do - that's good enough for me, and it does give us a yardstick to follow. 

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Just now, Lost_in_a_Dark_Maze said:

I thought the government was telling people to regularly wipe down surfaces like door handles though?

 

So where is that in the government guidance to the masses? 

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32 minutes ago, Lost_in_a_Dark_Maze said:

I thought the government was telling people to regularly wipe down surfaces like door handles though?

Mail apparently poses less of a risk because the virus survives less time on paper and cardboard.

I had seen something a week or so back that suggested wiping commonly touched areas like door handles once a day, but I can't find it now and not sure if that was for everyone or just high risk households.

I live alone so haven't bothered doing that. 

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The UK gov advice for people who are self isolating, who are 'shielding' or live with a vulnerable person is to 'clean frequently touched surfaces'. The guidelines for ordinary folks who are not vulnerable or who do not have symptoms are less strict. See here: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus 

I live with a vulnerable person so I would clean the door handle, but I would clean it once without feeling any anxiety about it, and then promptly forget about it because I don't generally have problems with contamination OCD. If it was ocd driven behaviour I think it would feel different to me because I would continue to think/worry even after cleaning it once. 

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4 hours ago, Ashley said:

I think going to extremes above what is recommended is definitely OCD now, not post pandemic my friend. 

But Ashley, this does not feel or plague me like my ocd used to in the past (Harm, responsibility, religious, existential, STD and pregnancy obsessions and compulsions). I don’t spend all day analysing and I don’t spend all day cleaning, ruminating etc. From my past experience of how my mind and body have experienced ocd, I know I don’t have OCD about this. Im not anxious, in fact I’m more relaxed than I have been in ages due to not having to deal with co workers that used to send me round the bend. We will definitely have to agree to differ on this one Ashley. If I turn out to be wrong, I will humbly let it be known to OCDUK.

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https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-list-of-guidance

“4. Clean and disinfect regularly touched objects and surfaces using your regular cleaning products to reduce the risk of passing the infection on to other people.”

I’ve interpreted the above as having to disinfect door handles, front door knocker, doorbell, key hole, letterbox, all post, parcels, shopping items, switches, kitchen surfaces, remote controls, taps, wheelie bin handles (for the binmen) and again plus the lids when they’re done (for myself).

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