This topic has resurfaced 🙂 To give you a better idea of what I’m dealing with: I wake up in the morning and head to the bathroom—wash my hands, come back, make the bed. Then, before I even get dressed, I wash my hands again. Before shaving, I wash them. After shaving, but before fixing my hair? Wash my hands. It’s the same ritual every single morning. Then there's the evening routine: I take off my shoes, then wash my hands. Then I undress for bed—wash my hands. Then I make the bed—wash my hands. Only then can I finally go to sleep. It’s all driven by this constant, nagging sensation that I’m dirty.
Hi everyone, I started reading this thread with a genuine sense of optimism, especially since I’ve been away from the "psychology" subforum for a while. To be honest, I’ve started two different threads regarding my own struggles with OCD in the past, and I haven't received any actual help—just a bunch of people venting about their own issues. I end up messaging a few people privately who share similar symptoms, but here? It feels like the conversation has veered completely off course (lots of talk about alcohol, marijuana, and whatnot...). I highly doubt that was the original poster's intention. They opened this discussion to seek advice from people who have actually faced these challenges and successfully overcome them. Now, someone suggested we shouldn't reach out to professionals, and frankly, I don't see the logic in that. If anyone has had bad experiences with therapists or doctors, please, by all means, share those stories so we can learn. But let's be real: many of us have been battling these issues for years, and naturally, we're going to try seeking medical help. This stuff is exhausting—we need to find solutions. As for me, I've dealt with a wide range of OCD symptoms. Once I looked them up online and realized they matched what I was experiencing, I was able to move past some of it—my compulsive rituals are pretty much negligible now. However, the constant handwashing remains an issue; even after the smallest task, I’m stuck with this nagging sensation that everything around me is filthy. I’m asking anyone who has managed to conquer these problems to please step up and share how you did it. We need the help. thanks
Must be nice being able to joke about it so easily—for me, it’s a massive issue. I honestly can't stand the thought of anyone having to deal with something like this.
Yeah, thanks for the advice, but I honestly think if he actually found someone to help him work through this, it would just be a matter of how long it takes before they realize the scale of the mess I’m in. That's usually when things fall apart—it could just lead to another massive disappointment. I'm no genius, and I don't see the point in just jumping straight to a psychiatrist; that's exactly why I came here to talk to people who have actually lived through this.
Regarding my previous thread about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder—hardly anyone actually chimed in with their own struggles. What’s even more frustrating? Not one single person went into detail about their treatment or shared what actually worked—info that could genuinely help someone else out there. In short, OCD is an anxiety disorder that shows up through things like compulsive counting, excessive hand washing, and so on. You know deep down it's completely irrational, yet you just can't stop yourself—it's exhausting. Anyone who has dealt with this knows exactly what I'm talking about. So, I am asking—please—if you have managed to overcome this or even just dial it back, speak up. Tell us how you did it. Was it through working with a psychiatrist? A sudden personal realization? Therapy? Anything helps.
Look, the Yankees faithful, you could have just shared your side of the story—that’s exactly why I brought this issue up here in the first place—but if you're going to be stubborn about it... fine, whatever. Johnny Cash, was this actually a massive ordeal or just something minor? Wouldn't it be incredible if we could just wipe this thing from our daily lives entirely? I’m asking anyone who struggled with compulsive hand washing and actually overcame it to please speak up. How did you do it? Was it through talking to a specialist in Psychology, some personal epiphany, or... something else?
Rebecca Roberts2, I appreciate you being so thorough about what you're going through—though, honestly, I’m sorry you have to deal with it at all. I use gloves in plenty of different situations myself, yet I still wash my hands regardless of whether I was wearing them or not. I don't bother disinfecting them with alcohol (I usually just use alcohol to sanitize things like my iPhone whenever I get back home from out and about), but if they seem particularly dirty, I'll give them a scrub with detergent first and then follow up with some Safeguard soap. I also tend to change my clothes pretty frequently—I'll wear a T-shirt maybe twice before tossing it straight into the laundry. I feel like this could be sorted out with a few sessions with a psychiatrist or an epidemiologist who could clear some things up, but frankly, I'm just not in the mood to go see someone in person. That's why I turned to the internet instead. I'm convinced quite a few people are struggling with this exact same issue, so the more experiences and perspectives we can share, the better. I actually started looking at things a bit differently once I saw online that there's an actual name for this disorder (like you said, it helped me realize I'm not just some maniac or a lunatic). Once I had that realization, I managed to cut down on a lot of those compulsive, forced actions because I finally understood that this is a disorder I need to fight against. I'm curious, though—what exactly drives you to perform those little rituals? Is it that nagging feeling that something terrible will happen if you don't do them, or is it something else entirely? If that's the case, believe me, nothing bad is going to happen, and I might even have some advice for you. I'd love for us to jump on a chat sometime so we can really dive into this one-on-one.
Thanks for reaching out. Megan Reed, I’m not sure how I missed that thread—thanks for pointing it out; I found some info there regarding my own situation. Honestly, I've been reading up on this for a while now, but you can never know too much, right? There's always something new to learn that might actually help. I see that Johnny and restlesspanther1 have already jumped in with some jokes—it doesn't bother me, though. Like I said before, I don't mind a good laugh, whether it's at my expense or yours. In my case, this Illness shows up as excessive hand washing. I constantly feel like they're dirty, and even after I wash them, I'm convinced they aren't clean enough—so I end up scrubbing with soap for several minutes (which is why I go by Christian Castillo60). As for physical compulsions—like needing to count things or check locks repeatedly—those are actually quite rare for me. Most of the time, it's just intrusive thoughts, which I eventually counter with positive, opposite thoughts to find some peace. So, actual ritualistic actions aren't really my thing, or at least they happen very infrequently. Much like how Bill described it, hollowdrifter11 explained the general gist of it, though obviously, everyone's experience is unique. I noticed a user under the handle "circles" seems to be dealing with something very similar to me; I'd love for them to reply to this post so we can exchange emails and talk more deeply about this. I feel like speaking with a psychiatrist or maybe an epidemiologist would be beneficial given the specific nature of this issue, but I'd much prefer consulting with a doctor online rather than trekking into a clinic. From what I've read on here, I've been pretty successful at hiding this from everyone else—except for my family, who knows what's going on and keeps pushing me to fight against it. I'd love to hear from anyone else struggling with excessive hand washing so we can steer the conversation in that direction.
After scouring the forums for hours, I haven’t found a single thread dedicated to the issue of OCD. According to some statistics, this affects roughly 25% of people across all age groups—manifesting in various degrees and different forms. I’m reaching out to anyone dealing with this; please, speak up so we can try to support one another. Once people start sharing their more detailed stories, I’m sure there will be plenty of malicious comments—there will also be jokes, of course, because a little laughter never hurts. Since I don't have a computer at home, I won't be able to check in as often as I'd like, but I truly want to hear as many perspectives as possible.