Topic started by Raghu (@ 217.158.120.226) on Wed Nov 6 11:20:01 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

We all have some sort of obsession about some things in life, mine is hygiene,

1) I wash my hands hundreds of times a day.
2) I do not like to eat out in restaurants
3) I do not buy food which are not properly packed
4) I do not like visitors in my house, in case they touch the sofa, table extra with their dirty hands, so I spend hours cleaning it after any visitors
5) I wash my hands 10 times after using the toilet

I know this is not normal, but, I cannot help it, it is getting on my nerves, I also hate going to hospitals because of the germs.

I need help, any advice :((

Responses:

• From: Sweetie (@ webcachew04b.cache.pol.co.uk) on: Wed Nov 6 13:03:33
  
  I think I know what ur prob is. It's a condition where the person has an obsession with cleanliness and germs and will spend hours getting something perfect. I forgot the scientific name for it but if u go and see ur doc u can get treatment for it very easily.
  
  
• From: msn (@ mail.waldorf.edu) on: Wed Nov 6 13:13:37
  
  Hey, I am much worse than you! (Same category too)
  
  1. Have to wash my hands if they touch the floor, if they touch socks, before eating, plus after eating; also, last thing I do before sleeping
  
  2. I never use public restrooms, for fear of those people who do use them and don't wash their hands before touching the door, when they're done
  
  3. I cannot eat with the same hand I used to serve food (especially in school)
  
  4. No bath in the morning means feeling dirty the rest of the day
  
  
  
• From: Shekhar (@ 61.1.142.120) on: Wed Nov 6 23:21:09
  
  Raghu,
  
  Hey, have you committed any murder?! Well, Lady Macbeth did that too to wash off her guilt!!! :)
  
  
• From: Raghu (@ 217.158.120.226) on: Thu Nov 7 05:16:32
  
  Shekhar;
  
  enna lola :)
  
  Sweetie;
  
  Thanks 4 the advice :)
  
  MSN;
  
  >>. I never use public restrooms, for fear of those people who do use them and don't wash their hands before touching the door, when they're done
  <<
  
  same here as well
  
  >>3. I cannot eat with the same hand I used to serve food (especially in school)
  
  4. No bath in the morning means feeling dirty the rest of the day
  <<
  
  same here buddy, I thought I was the odd one out :))
  
  
• From: pradheep (@ agent.lisco.com) on: Thu Nov 7 11:12:42
  
  Leuwen Hoek , th efounder of microscopes, used to watch microbes from various sources. Once in a party at his home, he took a drop of beer and watched under microscope to see yeast and bacteria. He showed to his wife and their friedns. The ladies screamed seeing the microbes in beer and imediately spit the sip of beer they had in thier mouth. Thereafter they did not drink beer. Hoek wondered thank god , he did not show a sample of their saliva under microscope, he could not imagine what they would do with their salaiva.
  
  Microbes are everyhwere. To be hygenic is good but too clean environment for a a grwoing kid is not good for the kid's immune system, then the immune system would attack their own body. A group of scientist think that might be the reason why auto-immune dieseases are more in very hygenic socieites.
  
  
• From: Raghu (@ 217.158.120.226) on: Fri Nov 8 05:13:43
  
  hello Pradheep;
  
  yes, I am aware of the fact, they more cleaner u r, the more ur immune system will be to combat diseases, I do get ill, such as cold, flue very quickly, although I go 2 gym 5 times day, physically very fit!
  
  it is the addiction of washing my hands, that I can not get rid off!
  
  
• From: shakthi (@ bangdp-34-100.mantraonline.com) on: Sat Nov 9 15:18:54
  
  Auto suggestion or councelling would help.
  
  Btw,
  
  I feel very depressed if I dont have bath before 7 am!
  
  Dont know if it falls under obsession.
  
  Brush my teeth and have bath immy. Else i feel so depressed!
  
  guess we all have our own share or obsessions
  
  
• From: Raghu (@ 217.158.120.226) on: Mon Nov 11 05:02:54
  
  Shakthi;
  
  >>Auto suggestion or councelling would help. <<
  
  yeah, I am going to try it, but I feel it's 2 late already !
  
  
• From: Harry (@ 203.195.215.1) on: Mon Nov 11 07:56:38
  
  Drugs can really help you.They are the best.GO for drugs.DON'T go for auto-suggestion or counselling , it wont work or be of any help.May be in initial stages it may be of help.But even at initial stages drugs are best , auto-suggestion or counselling NEVER helps , as it is not that you don't know something , its just a habit you are finidng it difficult to shake off.
  
  May be ALONG with drugs you can go for auto-suggestion and counselling.That will be good and helpful.The best of both worlds.But drugs come first.
  
  
• From: Harish (@ 203.195.215.1) on: Mon Nov 11 07:56:59
  
  Drugs can really help you.They are the best.GO for drugs.DON'T go for auto-suggestion or counselling , it wont work or be of any help.May be in initial stages it may be of help.But even at initial stages drugs are best , auto-suggestion or counselling NEVER helps , as it is not that you don't know something , its just a habit you are finidng it difficult to shake off.
  
  May be ALONG with drugs you can go for auto-suggestion and counselling.That will be good and helpful.The best of both worlds.But drugs come first.
  
  
• From: Raghu (@ 217.158.120.226) on: Mon Nov 11 08:22:27
  
  Harish;
  
  what drugs r u talking about ?
  
  
• From: AlwaysRight (@ l225ppp175.ksc.net.th) on: Mon Nov 11 08:42:03
  
  Raghu..
  
  oru 3,4 naalaikku kulikkama irundhu paarunga sir...ellam sariya poidum..!!
  
  
• From: Ayutkaiti (@ ce7.time.net.my) on: Mon Nov 11 09:03:52
  
  Oooh Raghu, u wash ur hands a hundred times a day?!; feel pity of that little palm, fingers, soap and the good morning towel :(
  
  Me, too got an unsolved problem. Mine is I can’t study in a pin-fall quite place. What I need is a noisy place to study. Only than I’m be able to memorize the entire physics theories. Even if I try hardly to get into a quite place, I’ll always end up in the kitchen where my house’s womenfolk were catching up with their daily recipes and the neighborhood stories. I just afraid I couldn’t cope with the situation when I’m off- noisy place! Is this what we call szxtrrrrdyakvfgphomia!!!
  
  
  
  
• From: Raghu (@ 217.158.120.226) on: Mon Nov 11 09:05:28
  
  AlwaysRight;
  
  >>oru 3,4 naalaikku kulikkama irundhu paarunga sir...ellam sariya poidum..!!<<
  
  athulum parka visham kodikka sollungha athai seiyren, anna kullikkama ennal oru naal kooda irruka mudiyathu sami! :))
  
  
• From: Ayutkaiti (@ ce7.time.net.my) on: Mon Nov 11 09:08:31
  
  AlwayzRight, in case he does that, then he will bath continuously for 30 days. Ithu thevayaa? :)
  
  
• From: Raghu (@ 217.158.120.226) on: Mon Nov 11 09:10:12
  
  Ayutkaiti;
  
  >>Oooh Raghu, u wash ur hands a hundred times a day?!; feel pity of that little palm, fingers, soap and the good morning towel :( <<
  
  enna lolla, :)
  
  that's y, i have very very dry skin due to excessive washing
  
  your obsession is quite rare, never heard of any one with this sort of obsession, I can not concentrate @ all in a noisy environment.
  
  
• From: Ayutkaiti (@ ce7.time.net.my) on: Mon Nov 11 09:14:38
  
  Raghu
  "I can not concentrate @ all in a noisy environment."
  
  You are the 1243th person to tell me that.
  Even at this moment i'm listening to music,in the near highest volume, whilst posting this :(
  
  
• From: Raghu (@ 217.158.120.226) on: Mon Nov 11 09:20:51
  
  Ayutkaiti;
  
  >>Even at this moment i'm listening to music,in the near highest volume, whilst posting this :( <<
  
  Oh dear :)
  
  
• From: Ramadas (@ dclient80-218-23-230.hispeed.ch) on: Sun Nov 24 04:39:10
  
  Dear Raghu,
  To stop any OCD (Obssessive Compulsive Disorder) there is only one way: Simply Stop It. I have stopped so many bad habits just like that. Whenever you feel the urge simply be conscious of it and do not do it. Learn to Pray. Whenever you get the urge, Pray! It helps a lot.
  
  
• From: Raghu (@ ) on: Tue Feb 25 07:22:09
  
  Ramadas or anyone;
  
  hello, check this URL tell me if this help
  
  http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_amitriptyline.html
  
  My Doctor has prescribed this to me, what do you think?
  
  thanks
  
  
• From: Jez (@ p91.nas2.is3.u-net.net) on: Tue Feb 25 08:25:31
  
  Acclimatise yourself to the source of your fear.
  
  Maybe you have a small handtowel that is relatively clean you could keep in your pocket all day, and be determined not to wash your hands when you touch it. Exercises like this are a guarantee but you have to persevere even if it gives you a bad day...
  
  
• From: Raghu (@ 217.158.120.226) on: Tue Feb 25 09:05:04
  
  Jez;
  
  Thanks 4 the advice, it's hard :(, but I will try it :)
  
  
• From: :) (@ d150-35-51.home.cgocable.net) on: Tue Feb 25 09:57:57
  
  >>it is the addiction of washing my hands, that I can not get rid off!<<
  
  I think you should take a look at your "washed" hands under a microscope first before you decide whether washing helps you in any way at all.
  
  
• From: Raghu (@ 217.158.120.226) on: Tue Feb 25 11:28:35
  
  :) (@ d150-35-51.home.cgocable.net);
  
  Punnahai,
  
  Ok, but where would I buy a microscope ?? haha
  
  
• From: Jez (@ p25.nas1.is3.u-net.net) on: Tue Feb 25 12:48:12
  
  Raghu,
  
  I know that will work, I'm really happy you're giving it a go. Keep us posted!
  
  
• From: Raghu (@ 217.158.120.226) on: Wed Feb 26 11:15:18
  
  Jez;
  
  No probs
  
  
• From: Jay-Jay (@ exh-cache-1.vic.bigpond.net.au) on: Sun Aug 31 00:13:07
  
  Go to a psychologist they can help u get over it. U may have somethin compulsive disorder
  
  
• From: Pavalamani Pragasam (@ dialpool-210-214-8-27.maa.sify.net) on: Sun Aug 31 04:48:15 EDT 2003
  
  What Ramadas says is correct!Collect all your manliness, your courage, will power & what not to tell yourself " Iam going to stop this!", grit your teeth & let the urge to wash pass, distract your mind thinking about something else, rush to some other physical activity & by repeating this often in course of time you'll get over it. It is a thing that can SURELY be overcome. Long ago when I used to take any of my ailing children to the doctor explaining how strict I am with hygiene & how come my child contract illnesses, he used to laugh saying,"Look at the labourers' children playing in the mud, eating from roadside eateries(fly-infested vadais) with muddy hands, see how healthy & chubby they are." The secret he said is the amount of resistance the urchins build in their immune system with ample exposure to germs at a tender age. This boosts the immune system. I read recently that taking a-year-old kid to farms breeding pet animals will help strenghtening his immune system against allergies. I know a person who had the same disorder of compulsive washing to the same level of poor, worn out skin layers. A misfortune of draught, severe water scarcity most parts of Tamil Nadu is now reeling under, made her give up her habit out of sheer necessity.
  
  
• From: stg (@ 12.151.162.25) on: Sun Aug 31 05:23:26 EDT 2003
  
  Go and live in madras. How the hell you will get water to wash one time let alone 100 times?
  
  If you are serious take a long trekking trip (moutain or a forest camp) where will have no choice for washing your hands at all. If you have money to splurge go to masai mara or serengetti for a couple of weeks or to any indian forest camp ( if the indian burueacracy allows you).
  
  
• From: Roshan (@ 203.115.22.74) on: Sun Aug 31 08:13:15 EDT 2003
  
  Raghu,
  >> I wash my hands hundreds of times a day>>
  This is the main reason for your "dry skin" problem you mentioned else where :-)
  
  BTW, you have forgotten to mention the obsession you have for Aishwarya Rai :-) ? Atheyum list-il sErkavum.
  
  
• From: Unmaivilesbi (@ lunar-gw.zapsurf.com.sg) on: Sun Aug 31 09:22:19 EDT 2003
  
  Raghu,
  
  Looks like you are already seeing a doctor. Good. I think the condition you have is called "Compulsive behaviour syndrome".
  
  Couneselling and therapy should help you overcome this problem.
  
  
• From: Unmaivilembi (@ lunar-gw.zapsurf.com.sg) on: Sun Aug 31 09:22:31 EDT 2003
  
  Raghu,
  
  Looks like you are already seeing a doctor. Good. I think the condition you have is called "Compulsive behaviour syndrome".
  
  Couneselling and therapy should help you overcome this problem.
  
  

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