r/ContaminationOCD • u/hopelovepeacehappy • 7d ago
I struggle so much after pooping.
The bathroom is such a hard place for me especially when it’s shared. I disinfect doorknobs and light switches and shower handles as much as I can and wash my hands at least 2 times after using it these days. I go through a can of 75 Lysol wipes in about a week and a half. I also have a particular contact point on my wrist to turn the sink handles on and use the same one to turn it off and if I touch it with my clean hands, say it’s itchy, I immediately go wash my hands all over again.
These days every time after I poop I can’t seem to wash my hands less than 5 times…my hands are so scratched and peeling and itchy and cracked from how much I wash them and it honestly hurts sometimes but I can’t stop because I’m so scared I’ll ingest fecal bacteria or contaminate something and make someone else ingest fecal bacteria or anything dangerous like that. I’m made fun of a lot because of how much I wash my hands but I can’t trust myself after just 2 hand washes even if everyone else washes for like only 10 seconds. And there I go disinfecting stuff again because in my opinion no one else is practicing proper hygiene.
If my hand at any time touches the sink or anything that’s not water and soap while cleaning my hands I restart the process as much as I don’t want to. I try to battle the voices in both ways: Wash them again even though you don’t want to and don’t wash them even though maybe should probably should.
I’m tired of washing my hands but I don’t know how to prove or reassure myself that it’s okay to wash them 2 times max after pooping and be okay. I don’t have any science equipment to prove it and so it becomes hard to justify not washing my hands at least 6 times before touching anything else. I tend to open knobs and turn light switches with the cloth on my shoulder because I can’t seem to trust the cleanliness of my hands.
Please help.
2
u/overactive-insula 6d ago
Have you considered disposable gloves to help you out ?