Government coronavirus guidelines- too much room for interpretation for OCD.

[Orwell1984]

I have been excessive in my response but I don’t know exactly where. It’s causing skin issues and stress. 

I’m stuck on the issues below:

Should hands be washed for 20 secs after handling and opening recently delivered post?

Additionally, would it be preferable to disinfect the paper if it’s to stay in the household?

Should hands be washed after wheeling the bins in after the binmen have emptied them?

Should the bin handles, lids and rims be disinfected after bringing the bins back after they’ve been emptied by the binmen?

Should shoes be left in a bag inside the front door or outside after being on public transport or in shops?

Should outside door handles and door knocker be wiped/disinfected if the postman has used them?

Should reusable shopping bags be disinfected after going to the shops?

Should wallets, cards, keys, phones etc be disinfected after being used at the shops or being set down in public places?

[felix4]

2 hours ago, Orwell1984 said:

I have been excessive in my response but I don’t know exactly where. It’s causing skin issues and stress. 

I’m stuck on the issues below:

Should hands be washed for 20 secs after handling and opening recently delivered post? Yes.

Additionally, would it be preferable to disinfect the paper if it’s to stay in the household? Not sure?... We have been disposing of our outer envelopes.

Should hands be washed after wheeling the bins in after the binmen have emptied them? Yes.

Should the bin handles, lids and rims be disinfected after bringing the bins back after they’ve been emptied by the binmen? No, but wash hands after touching them.

Should shoes be left in a bag inside the front door or outside after being on public transport or in shops? Not heard of this.

Should outside door handles and door knocker be wiped/disinfected if the postman has used them? Would not have thought so.

Should reusable shopping bags be disinfected after going to the shops? i would think not.

Should wallets, cards, keys, phones etc be disinfected after being used at the shops or being set down in public places? I would think not.

Hi Orwell,

The above is my personal approach only!

Isn't it all so confusing though! I collected shopping at my front door yesterday because I am isolating for 14 days, but my neighbour was having a coughing fit nearby, so do I now isolate for another 14 days? The neighbour isn't, & comes and goes as he pleases, & I am not really sure if anything can or should be done?

 

 

 

Edited April 11, 2020 by felix4

[PolarBear]

My answer is no to all of your questions, except, you can wash your hands after handling the bins, where I live we are discouraged from using reusable bags, and it would be okay to wipe your wallet when you return. 

Ideally, just before entering and leaving the store, you should rub your hands with sanitizer. That ensures you bring nothing with you into the store (hence no reusable bags) and you take nothing out with you. 

[kaheath80]

I’m not doing any of these things.

[Wren]

Hi Orwell, I'm guessing that neither you, nor anyone in your household, has symptoms or has been officially described as an 'extremely vulnerable' person who needs to be 'shielded'? Just checking first because the guidelines are different for these groups. 

Personally, I would describe your distress, doubt, and need for certainty over how to follow the guidelines is your OCD behaviour in this instance, rather than the specifics of what type of cleaning you are doing. There are no possible guidelines that can be written that cover all circumstances, so everyone will be in the same position of having to make a personal interpretation of them. And just like in non-pandemic times, different people will have different interpretations of what is considered a reasonable level of cleanliness, whether they have ocd or not. I'm 'shielding' so I'm doing many of the things you have described, but I'm not experiencing significant doubt about whether to do them or not, and if for some reason I'm unable to do them, I don't experience long term distress because I recognise that there is no such thing as perfection, or one 'right' way to do something, and everything in life involves some degree of risk. 

[Angst]

Hi Orwell

It’s not easy is it! Like felix I have just collected my prescription and groceries from the front door. The delivery was arranged via my GP and the delivery is made by a local voluntary group.  The bag contains fresh veg and veg in bags. I am going to wash it in running water which is/was the standard NHS before the present crisis and let in dry on a clean surface. And then repackage. I am repackaging the Chicken cuts and mince and place them in new packaging before putting it in the fridge. Wipe down the milk plastic bottles, cans and other containers with soapy solution. I have a communal and an individual front door so beginning to perceive the outside as beginning in the communal area. I follow the same rules as Felix with regard to the bins.

Edited April 11, 2020 by Angst

[Orwell1984]

1 hour ago, Wren said:

Hi Orwell, I'm guessing that neither you, nor anyone in your household, has symptoms 

Hi Wren- I had symptoms of sore throat, sore chest (couldn’t fill chest), diarrhoea, aches and heaviness of limbs (for one day during which I stayed in bed) and for two days a cough. I isolated for 7 days, my partner for the 14 and I still had sore chest and sore throat after those 14 days. This is the fourth day where my chest has felt normal again and I have no sore throat.

So would my actions have been overboard during the time I had symptoms?

 

[Orwell1984]

1 hour ago, Wren said:

I'm not experiencing significant doubt about whether to do them or not, and if for some reason I'm unable to do them, I don't experience long term distress because I recognise that there is no such thing as perfection, or one 'right' way to do something, and everything in life involves some degree of risk. 

I wasn’t feeling doubt over it, I thought my way was the assumed correct way until my hands broke out in eczema

[Orwell1984]

Just to add, I’m not feeling ongoing distress or doubt over this stuff- I had been getting on with life as normal today (lockdown normal :P) until I decided to look at OCDUK on my phone after calling my family. 

I have aspergers as well which is probably compounding issues with preference for details and clarity. 

[Ashley]

5 minutes ago, Orwell1984 said:

Just to add, I’m not feeling ongoing distress or doubt over this stuff- I had been getting on with life as normal today (lockdown normal :P) until I decided to look at OCDUK on my phone after calling my family. 

Could that lack of distress because you are living your life around OCD dictation, so of course the distress is ritual controlled?

Of course I dont want you to be distressed, but acknowledging OCD (even if can't challenge) is important long term.

[Orwell1984]

1 minute ago, Ashley said:

Could that lack of distress because you are living your life around OCD dictation, so of course the distress is ritual controlled?

I’m trying to work this out too

[Ashley]

5 minutes ago, Orwell1984 said:

I’m trying to work this out too

I think you know, you're smarter than me so you will get there and work it out. x  

[Orwell1984]

12 hours ago, felix4 said:

my neighbour was having a coughing fit nearby, so do I now isolate for another 14 days? The neighbour isn't, & comes and goes as he pleases, & I am not really sure if anything can or should be done?

Sounds like my neighbour!

[Orwell1984]

Just now, Ashley said:

I think you know, you're smarter than me so you will get there and work it out. x  

Thank you for all your help x and for keeping the charity going, it’s a great solace and social outlet for times like these

[Wren]

Hi Orwell, I'm not very good at explaining things sometimes! I was mainly trying to say that I do pretty much the same level of cleaning as you, and I personally do not think my behaviour is excessive or OCD led, even though some on the forum may disagree. My family are doing much the same level of cleaning as well and they do not have OCD (as far as I know anyway!). In my opinion, doing lots of cleaning and having OCD are not the same thing - it's only OCD if your cleaning is compulsive, and only you can know if that is the case or not. I have irritated skin too, but judging by what I hear on social media, so do lots of people. After the pandemic is over, I may discover that my behaviour is compulsive and I have trouble reducing the cleaning, but right now it doesn't feel that way to me and I'm certainly not feeling compelled to clean more than what I'm already doing (for me the hallmark of OCD is that nothing is never enough so the compulsions escalate) - so I'm not worrying about it. (fist bump as hugs and handshakes not allowed!)

[Handy]

Remember it’s allergy season people cough & sneeze.  
 

Interesting about bags. Our stores don’t allow reuseable bags but give free paper bags. (Usually ten cents). The store does the bagging.

Mail gets quarantined for at least a day if possible.

Shoes get left outside.

These are all our guidelines for California I think they are not my OCD guidelines. 

Remember we are trying to keep it from getting new hosts. 

[bookworm30]

On 10/04/2020 at 23:44, Orwell1984 said:

I have been excessive in my response but I don’t know exactly where. It’s causing skin issues and stress. 

I’m stuck on the issues below:

Should hands be washed for 20 secs after handling and opening recently delivered post?

Additionally, would it be preferable to disinfect the paper if it’s to stay in the household?

Should hands be washed after wheeling the bins in after the binmen have emptied them?

Should the bin handles, lids and rims be disinfected after bringing the bins back after they’ve been emptied by the binmen?

Should shoes be left in a bag inside the front door or outside after being on public transport or in shops?

Should outside door handles and door knocker be wiped/disinfected if the postman has used them?

Should reusable shopping bags be disinfected after going to the shops?

Should wallets, cards, keys, phones etc be disinfected after being used at the shops or being set down in public places?

Hi Orwell

I do all of these things but whether or not they should be done, or if they are OCD compulsions, I'm not sure. It's so confusing because my fears of contamination are suddenly very very real - as in there's an actual threat - and we are being told to be more careful about hygiene. I think that my OCD sees guidelines like that and sees it as it's time to shine - like it says to me, the guidelines are not enough you must do more.

I've also been disinfecting the inside door handle and keys on days when no one has left the house. I know this has to be OCD, mostly because there is no rationale behind it. In fact all surfaces are getting disinfected more often than usual and I am making sure that if someone has been out to the shop, they get changed. Again, probably OCD. But I cannot stop these compulsions because if I do, then either myself or my partner will get sick and it'll be my fault. And I could never forgive myself if he got it.

It's a weird time.