Hand washing question?

[phil06]

Does anybody here with OCD find the more they wash there hands they feel more unclean? My doubting has got that bad I can clean for 5 mins stop and just feel they ain't clean.

I now try and wash for less time as I feel if I keep going it won't stop and it can never be totally clean.

It's a new thing for me feeling after washing they are not clean anybody else had this?

[Sam Winter]

yes i always get this,
i used to have to wash them every five minutes but everytime i did they felt far more dirty

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yes, my OCD went this way but I don't have Contamination themes.

I found that the description of OCD didn't seem to fit me because completing the compulsions didn't bring the "relief" that they are supposed to. Not all OCD is like this anyway and frustration can just make you feel worse.

But as time goes by you find any relief becomes more fleeting and the cycles can retrigger with shorter intervals. Higher levels of overall anxiety will cause this too so if you are under pressure for some reason, intrusive thoughts and/or compulsions can be more frequent and more intense. This is why reducing these stressors can help you reduce overall anxiety and give you the ability to tackle the OCD more.

But something good has come out of this too, Phil. You've started reducing the length of time involved in your compulsions. That's a good start, something that could be seen on a ERP hierarchy! Well done!!!

From there, try to reduce the number of times you do it too. Just keep adjusting and you will find your anxiety will decrease over time as you are breaking your cycles.

[Sunflower2]

Yes, sometimes I have washed my hands then thought that there wasn't enough soap or the water wasn't hot enough, or I didn't wash them for long enough and had to wash them again. This happens more when I'm around people that are unwell, or when I'm out in public. It's a pain!