Is it OCD?

[Natureworshipper]

How do I tell whether a worry/concern is legitimate or OCD. I get anxious about things my husband does related to contamination (germs/bacteria), such as not washing hands before eating or having a cigarette, not brushing teeth before going to bed, not showering after playing badminton. These things gross me out, but is it OCD?

[LuvSun]

Sounds like OCD to me

[Jackmo]

no I think this is just basic hygiene rules. I think most people would expect their husband to do what you expect yours to do

[LiveOutLove_22]

I think it can be hard to distinguish between OCD and personal preferences. I am currently going through treatment with my therapist due to my struggle with OCD Contamination. As we've discussed there are some things that are due to my contamination fear with OCD but there are also some things that are just your personal preference. For example wanting to make your bed everyday is personal preference but washing your sheets if someone touches them or puts there stuff on them and you feel the need to immediatley wash them that's OCD. So to me its sounds like this is fuel by your OCD but that is something as I know you have to distinguish and determine yourself. I understand its challenging. I hope this helps.

[SCC1]

My ex did the same thing and it grossed me out, too. I think those things you mentioned are just natural, common sense things to wash your hands after.

(Some of this may be irrelevant, but I'm just sharing what happened with me and how it did turn into OCD-Not that how you think now is even related to OCD.)

When my ex did that, I couldn't stop thinking about it. He didn't wash hands after doing one thing and then another, and it just kept happening over and over.

The part for me that MAYBE was OCD, was that I felt the extreme need to wash everything he touched right away, and there were a lot of things, because when he touched 1 thing with unclean hands, they were still unclean with the next thing he touched. I would have to constantly "remind" him to wash and he still didn't do it and I was getting to the point of, I don't know if I can be with him anymore because of this...because in general, it is bad.

I'm sure it was OCD, where I was so consumed with him not being clean, that I would check on him, sometimes without him knowing. I wanted to see if he would wash them-that would tell me how unclean he really was and if I'd have to be worried about it again. So, maybe there was some paranoia because the OCD was so bad. Or, it could've been legitimate worry- (maybe not the part about me checking on him.) I thought/worried about it before, during and after he was doing something, if he would wash when he was done.

I don't know how strongly you feel about your husband not washing his hands, but can I ask how you are handling this situation if you don't mind saying, just because when I went through it, I had a really hard time and I was wondering how this affects you. No worries if you'd rather not say!

[Natureloverpeace]

At a presentation on OCD, Jonathan Grayson, who is one of the top OCD experts, did something that some people found odd or gross while a few people got really anxious about it. He kept dropping potato chips on the floor throughout his presentation and picking them up and eating them. Most of us were taught as kids to wash our hands before eating but kids are notorious for putting their fingers in their mouth after touching things that could make them sick. We did this as kids too but we’re still here. Many adults don’t bother to wash their hands before eating. Grayson wasn’t concerned about the possibility that he could have gotten sick from eating potato chips off the floor. He acknowledged it was a possibility but he accepted the uncertainty.

Some things can gross people out but that doesn’t mean it’s OCD. If you’re getting anxious about it, focusing on it, feeling an urgent need to have your husband brush his teeth or shower to get rid of potential contamination to prevent something awful, it could be OCD.