Food

[caprifullsun]

Hello! So I’m 18 and recently got diagnosed with OCD. I suffer from depression and anxiety too. I’m still very new to this illness and not very educated on it as it’s all foreign to me. So, my OCD seems to be very specific and detailed that I haven’t been able to find much about it online, nor find anyone who is going through something similar. 

So, my OCD is that I can’t shop at any other supermarket other than Asda. The thought of eating pasta, milk, cheese, chocolate cake or anything from any other shop other than Asda absolutely horrifies me. So, for example - I can only eat Asda branded cheese slices, only drink the green cap milk from Asda, and certain brands of cereal make me wanna vom. My recent ‘obsession’ (?) is that whenever I order from a takeaway or go to a shop such as B&M and a bottle/can of a drink is in a foreign language - I cannot drink it. A huge fear of mine is Lidl and Iceland - the thought of even buying food from there makes me want to cry. I can deal with certain foods from Tesco, for example, but it’ll only go as far as a meal deal.

I’m moving out next month for University and I have to bring cutlery, plates and bowls etc from home so I will actually eat. Another problem I have is cleanliness. I struggle eating at foreign houses as to me their kitchen is extremely dirty and I’m not sure where their food is from. I’m also scared of the temperature that the fridge is going to be in my shared University accommodation. 

This is only a small fraction of my fears and anxieties. I’m still learning about myself and this illness as I always pinned it down to me being a childish fussy eater.

I guess the reason as to why I’m here is to find some comfort. Does anyone suffer from something similar? I would love to have someone to relate to. Dropping a reply would mean the absolute world to me. Thanks in advance!

[Gemma@OCDUK]

Hi Caprifullsun 

It's really common for someone with OCD to look for people with similar obsessions to theirs and find nothing so don't worry. OCD obsessions are really specific to the person who has them and they all tend to follow a similar pattern.

What is it about other supermarket food that bothers you? Are you worried about something in particular? 

It might just be that you feel comfortable with what you know and where there is doubt over where something has come from, your OCD makes you feel like you need to avoid it. Avoidance because you feel unsure is a common compulsion.

Have you tried accessing any therapy for your OCD?

Gemma