Any other germaphobes out there?

[xmenstorm03]

I'm new to this whole forum thing, but I hope it will help me to talk about my problem with others who may be able to understand. I am a total germaphobe. Doing things like going to the bathroom or putting in a load of dirty laundry have become overtly time-consuming and lamentable tasks. I find myself cleaning my bathroom floor all the time, cleaning and re-cleaning things that probably don't look much different than when I first started. I also am very obsessive about hand-washing. I often wash my hands and arms up to my elbows just to be sure I got all the germs. I also change my clothes more often than normal people and am just overall paranoid about spreading the germs from my own body. It's hard to find others who empathize with my situation. Has anyone else suffered any similar symptoms?

[Zarathustra]

i have similar symptoms

 

im constanly washing my hands and disinfecting them

 

my hands are mess and i have several wounds and burns from all the alchool i use to disinfect my hands

 

i also change my clothes very often and if someone touches my clothes i imediatly wash them

 

but im not a germaphobic im just scared of catching aids so i spend my day checking my house for blood stains or anything related to blood

 

before i sit down on a chair i have to confirm that the chair doesnt have any blood stains

 

after i shake someones hand i spend the next five minutes checking for any blood traces on my hand and imediatly disinfect my hands

 

i spend a good part of my day disinfecting my room with alchool my furniture is all ruined do to the amount of alchool i use

 

do you have any kind of medical help

 

questionmark

 

medication helps me alot even tho i still do my rituals

 

remember youre not alone and if you ever need help just contact me and vent

[buzz]

I have germaphobia. I don't think I have ocd, I am just cumpulsive. I wash my hands close to 10 times a day. It may not sound bad and it never has been that bad, but it is getting worse and I don't know what to do. How do you guys cope?

[LuluGirl]

Hi Buzz,

 

There is an excellent book that you may want to read. It's called "Freeing Your Child From Obsessive Complusive Disorder" by Tamar Chansky. There are many coping strategies in it.

 

Good luck to you!

 

Lulu

[MarkJan]

i have similar symptoms

 

im constanly washing my hands and disinfecting them

 

my hands are mess and i have several wounds and burns from all the alchool i use to disinfect my hands

 

i also change my clothes very often and if someone touches my clothes i imediatly wash them

 

but im not a germaphobic im just scared of catching aids so i spend my day checking my house for blood stains or anything related to blood

 

before i sit down on a chair i have to confirm that the chair doesnt have any blood stains

 

after i shake someones hand i spend the next five minutes checking for any blood traces on my hand and imediatly disinfect my hands

 

i spend a good part of my day disinfecting my room with alchool my furniture is all ruined do to the amount of alchool i use

 

do you have any kind of medical help

 

questionmark

 

medication helps me alot even tho i still do my rituals

 

remember youre not alone and if you ever need help just contact me and vent

[MarkJan]

I think I'm experiencing the intial stages of germophobia and its making me quite nervous. It started when I began noticing certain behavior patterns of people around me exposing themseleves to germs. Then it escaladed with constant washing of hands. I feel it's getting worse and I need some help. NOT medication.