I’m not ashamed of the fact. It is just how I am. A few years ago, I was “officially” diagnosed as having OCD. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. That can mean a lot of things for a lot of different people.
OCD usually involves having obsessions and compulsions, although some people have only one or the other. I have both.
So here is the thing. We all have worries, doubts, and superstitious beliefs. Those are all very common in everyday life. However, when they become excessive or make no sense, such as hours of hand-washing or checking locks dozens of times, they become OCD.
In this disorder, it is as though the brain gets stuck on a particular thought, fear, or urge, and then we can’t get rid of it. They tell me it is not the result of a weak personality. It also isn’t something I or my parents have done wrong. But I’ve been doing these sorts of things for a long time.
Just a little more about it.
An obsession is a thought, image, or impulse that occurs over and over again. Most of the time, it feels out of our control. In the case of OCD people, we don’t want to have these ideas. Most people find them intrusive and disturbing. And, for the most part, we recognize that they don’t make sense.
They come in many forms. Not liking dirt, a fear of hurting someone, something out of place. These obsessions are accompanied by uncomfortable feelings, such as fear, anxiety, disgust, doubt, or a sensation that things have to be done in a way that is “just so” or “exactly right.”
People with OCD usually try to make their obsessions go away by performing compulsions.
A compulsion is an act that is done over and over again or according to certain “rules”. Washing hands. Checking the stove or the iron or the door lock. Making sure things feel “right.” Sometimes, the compulsions don’t make any sense at all. For example, a person may have to get dressed in a certain way every day because it has to feel “just right.” Or someone may have to touch the telephone eight times before hanging up to protect their family from harm.
Unlike compulsive eating, drinking, or gambling, OCD compulsions do not give the person pleasure. Rather, the rituals and compulsions are performed to provide relief from the discomfort caused by anxiety or obsessions.
So. That’s an overview. The gist.
I told you all of that because I recently read an article entitled, “Wash your hands right after touching these things.” I’m drawn to these types of articles. Go figure.
But. Scientific proof has shown that washing hands limits the transfer of bacteria, viruses, and other germs. This according to the Mayo Clinic and so many more.
And the article stated that washing hands is absolutely essential after touching the following ten things. Supposedly, these 10 everyday items are dirtier than toilet seats.
Money
Doorknobs
Restaurant Menus
Anything at a Doctor’s Office
Animals
Touchscreens (Phones)
Cutting Boards, Sponges, Kitchen Towels
Pens (Not Yours)
Soap Dispensers
Airport Anything
I’d hate to think that my cutting board is dirtier than a toilet seat. I mean, it would lead me to the question, “Who has been doing WHAT in my kitchen?”
Regardless, these are the things that the experts say are full of germs.
And to think, just yesterday, I grabbed some money, went out the door, to a restaurant, with my dog, while I was on my phone. I ate. Then I signed the check with the waitress’s pen.
And here I am today. Writing this.
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“Cleanliness and order are not matters of instinct; they are matters of education, and like most great things, you must cultivate a taste for them.” – Benjamin Disraeli
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“Cleanliness is next to godliness.” – John Wesley
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“Cleanliness becomes more important when godliness is unlikely.” – P. J. O’Rourke
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