Hand Washing Is Driving Me Crazy...advice Please

You maybe suffering From OCD..regarding that hand wash aspect kindly check with a professional...
Can you use sanitizers occasionally instead of hand Washing?
Do you step out a lot? It make sense to sanitizer hands often when outside but homemade at home with immediate family member you need to wash hands only for hygiene like before and after eating, cooking, after using rest room etc.
For the incontinence issue try doing Kegels excercise regularly , may help.

 

This is good advice.
I’m not a medical professional but I had a former coworker who was also obsessed with hand washing. She would stand at the sink for up to 10 minutes and then leave the faucet running as she walked off because she didn’t want to touch anything afterwards. After several complaints she agreed to seek therapy but left soon after so I don’t know what ended up happening.

 

Reading your posts I feel you have OCD! Kindly get help

 

I took a test at the doctors and I have boderline OCD... I cant hoard stuff and declutter ( even old emails and old messages). I also cant stop myself when water is running without being used or lights on when no one is in the room. I HAVE to turn them off.

My H does notice it but it wasnt bad so people labelled me 'clean queen'.I went to the doctor myself one day because I wanted to know why I cant take a bunch of clothes just lying on the floor or cant keep old emails and had to clear off recycle bin on the computer!! ( its hard nit to chuckle isnt it!).

To others its funny and meme material but its not to me.

It was there but it never interrupted my daily life significantly but I went anyway.
Took some advice and I came off social media because those notifications were also slight triggers. I do meditate and I have slowly trained myself not to react as quickly. Like I can leave some 150 emails in the bin now and I am still ok. There is a day that I keep to clean and I do it then.I am now less stressful than I was before.

Your handwashing is affecting you daily activities. It seems more than my obsessiveness did. Seek help please. Dont just suffer when it can be fixed. If you had your finger bleeding will you just let it run?no. Same goes here. I aslo saw your period thread, its the same pattern.

This would drive me crazy before ... .. but now I wait for 2min before I turn it off as my husband shaves but fresh water wastage is bad anyway ocd or not!

 

I have the same OCD

 

When did these come under OCD? To me they are just good habits that everyone should follow

 

True

 

True but OCD is not about cleaning hands, or decluttering or not wasting anything.

It is about not being able to withstand not doing the above. Like if there is a water tap running near you, you cannot do anything unless it is turned off. Like if a picture frame is slightly crooked in a library, you cannot focus on your book, you need to get that fixed, even though it should in no way affect you. You cannot unsee or ignore stuff, you feel the agitation, the restlessness till that seemingly small issue is set right. And that could affect the quality of your life.

OP, OCD is not about the quirky habit but the belief or need to have the quirky thing, why is it manifesting like that. So a professional will be able to help sort this out and help you overcome the harm it does

Sorry cannot help but smile at that. If I showed your my email in box, you would probably have a fit

 

Yes!.. its a good habit.
However, its about the urge. You become a ninja mutant tap-turning-off warrior