ok, basically, i need help, somehow, anything you can offer will be greatly appreciated. (i've struggled with this now, for about a year on&off, it's wearing thin).
i am petrified of cleaning fluid & other such related articles, which sounds quite silly, but it's eating away at me. i'll do the washing up with fairy & then immediately after, i have to wash my hands again, incase they've got dirty & incase i get ill from the washing up liquid. i cannot do my own washing currently, i am petrified of liquitabs, or the powder & even the fabric softner stuff, i have to wash my hands several times after wards if i have to do the washing, & even then, i refuse to eat or drink or put my hands anywhere near my mouth for hours & sometimes days after.
at work (i work in a pub &nightclub) i have to wash my hands every five minutes it seems, i wipe the tables with anitbacterial spray & then after i have to wash my hands twice or so, incase i injest the spray & it harms me. if i drip beer on me, i have to wash my hands after. i don't like touching food at all that i have to eat, just incase there is a small reminant of any cleaning fluid i've used that i could injest. same goes for making rolls ups, i have to wash my hands several times before roling a cig, just incase.
(this also goes for breathing in fumes, i have to have as many doors/windows/vents going as possible when using things with fumes & i'm not talking high toxic cleaning liquids either, MR. Muscle you scare me).
i also study art at uni, & i've had to stop painting because of this, i cannot got any form of paint on me & i have to wash it off, incase it is somehow toxic & leaks into my skin, poisoning me. same goes for anything else i may have to use, terpentine, white spirit, inks, etc.
it's getting terrible, of course those of you that know the running of pubs & nightclubs, by law we need rat poison around because of the cellars, some was spilt on the floor & i had to tread over it, i accidently in a rush trod in it, my boyfriend had to take my shoes off for me & i haven't touched that pair since. & really want to throw them away, the boy logically explained i walked home in the rain & happily stomped through puddles, the rat poison would have washed off, my shoes are still staying downstairs & the boy wasn't allowed to touch me untill i'd watched him wash his hands. several times.
& i'm showering twice/three times a day, for upto half hour at a time.
the skin on my hands especially is so sore & red & itchy, it's driving me up the wall.
right now, i see the funny side of things, this is stupid, for me at least but i've got myself stuck in it & i cannot get out for some reason. but i know later, when it comes to getting my hands near my mouth, i will be washing them.
Hey I don't have any advice as I am kinda the same.
hate washing powder to the point I hate going down the washing isle at supermarkets.
But a tip to stop the soreness on the hands is to use either a moiserising soap or a mosteriser after every wash.
Also maybe have a chat to your doctor or somebody as it sounds like something that is starting to affect your life?
Stay Safe and Take Care
Leighxxx
Life can be beautiful if you let it.
Step back, breathe and take it in
i can't use any hands creams, as i serve drinks in glass, hands creams right now will leave my hands greasy & that'll transpose to the glases, i'm trying to find something i can use though that won't leave me with greasy hands.
*hugs* I'm afraid I don't have any suggestions on how to stop... but can you try to use an extra gentle or a moisturizing hand soap for now? At the very least, one for sensitive skin may help a little bit. Then at night, get a thicker hand cream and cotton gloves... works wonders for dried, irritated hands.
Thank you for all of your help and support. I will no longer be coming to RYL. Semi-explanation will be inside my profile.
i studied art at college too btw so i can relate in some aspect or another
i think u will have to talk to someone but u know that already ,if its affecting uni its bad cos thats ur life u know reallly and u cant be messing things up
is it that its obsessive or something can u break this chain of thought somehow u will have o reason this out and come up with something cos it sounds unlikely u can go on like this
its bad for your skin no 1 and its time wise no good either especially in a work situation
theres not much i can say cos i dont know much about this kind of thing but i do know i used to do a lot of things b4 to avoid facing up to other things if thats makes any sense
hugs and good luck
Hey. If this is affecting your life as much as it sounds it is, I don't think it would be such a bad idea to talk to a professional about what's been going on. They'll be able to tell you the cause of the fears that you're having, and the 'obsessive' behaviors. They'll also work with you in order for you to be able to face the fears that you have and more comfortably live your life. So, I think that talking to a doctor about all of this is probably your best option, as they'll be able to give you the most accurate tips and information on the issue. Best of luck! :)
ok so the boyfriend got me some e45 cream as i'm not going to the doctor til next week when i need to refil my perscription.
it's only just been put on & already i need to wash it off or feel like ishould, plus, it's tingly on my knuckles, but i think thats where the broken raw skin is, either way, i know it's sily (for me), but eeeek, i need this off my hands before the boy comes home with dinner for us to eat.
I really think you need to talk to someone about this, its obviously affecting your life in a negative way. Good on you for making a drs appointment *gentle hugs*
Hi - I think you need to tell the doctor that you have OCD symptoms if you haven't already. I met someone else who had this - a reasonable concern about toxic chemicals which had become rampant and excessive - it can really limit your life.
Hopefully you can get some help to reverse the process, so you don't have to avoid more and more substances. I think the treatment is mainly behavioural - ie. very gradual steps to get used to being around stuff that frightens you.
I was at art school too so I can see how studios could become pretty difficult places to be with this!
If you want to get back into painting again you could start with paints designed for small kids - like from early learning centre or something. (I'm well aware of the differences so I'm just suggesting this as a way back in!). I did some community projects where we used these because they are designed to be so safe - they know that small children might put them in their mouths. Maybe this would be reassuring?
