How do I get over my germophobia?

My germophobia is getting out of hand lately -- my hands are terribly dry from washing all the time, I get impossibly distracted if I even touch something that I think has been outside or touched by other people -- I know that my efforts are unsustainable and imperfect, but I can't help it. I feel debilitated. How can I get normal without becoming genuinely unhygienic?

I would think that a big part of "getting normal" would be shifting your perception of what "genuinely unhygienic" means.

dirt bag style

my semi-professional advice - see your doctor or a psychiatrist. there are ways you can manage this sans drugs, but probably not by just wanting it bad enough

100mg of prozac

Better to have dry hands than MRSA or swine flu. Just treat yourself to some lotion.

it was 70 years ago. forgive and forget, up to a point.

How clean is that tap water, really?

Your phobia is adversely affecting your life. Seeking help on the internet from random strangers is probably not going to be effective. Seek professional help. At least then you have a fighting chance.

btw, your body is perfectly able to cope with germs. That's what an immune system is for. Unless your immune system is seriously compromised, then you'll be fine with ordinary contact with the world. I doubt my saying this will make the slightest difference to your phobia, though, because it is not a rational fear and therefore will not be eradicated by such a simple expedient as the truth.

My suggestion is to seek out cognitive behaviour therapy, If my very successful experience with a CBT therapist (for non-germaphobic OCD, though I believe she worked with a lot of people with cleanliness issues) is anything to go by.

Frankly, there isn't really anything that can be done for you here, as no post is going to give you a feeling of normalcy (jaymc is entirely OTM re: part of feeling normal is adjusting to an attainable sense of normalcy). The only way this is really going to come about is either by a not unsubstantial amount of hard work in which you're going to have to learn to think differently, or medication (which is also a viable choice, but obv. varies with person and situation, and you can't let anyone decide that for you, etc. etc.)

i think seeking help on the internet is a good start!

and yeah, a good next step is seeing a doctor. i wouldnt commit immediately to CBT or to pharmacology -- see your regular doctor, and get some recommendations for therapists. from then, it's just an iterative process to find the approach/person that meets your needs best.

and hey, wanting to get past a hangup like this is a really positive sign, i think. way to go.

Yeah, obviously don't jump into anything right away. At the very least take some time to consider your options.

Re: seeking help on the internet: It might not be a bad idea to find forums and/or support groups for this thing online. They probably know better than a bunch of embittered music critics, etc.

yeah CBT is an example of what i was alluding to; recognizing that this is adversely affecting your life is actually a diagnostic criterion for certain anxiety disorders and less the "first step" to overcoming it. there are ways to control this without breaking bank, but they all start with seeing an MD. plenty of good advice here though (except for the 100mg of prozac, that was bad advice)

http://www.firebox.com/product/1052/Giant-Microbes?via=ser

All upthread advice otm...learn the ways to shift your thinking about germs, to the point where it's not interfering with how you function on a daily level. And when you get down to it, a lot of it is control. Exercising such a tight control over hygeine might be your way of substituting for a perceived lack of control in other areas...and once you regain some feeling of control in those areas, your perspective may shift enough where the germs aren't as big of a problem for you. But just the fact that you're waving your arms saying I need help is a good sign that you are aware of where you're at. So it makes sense for you to take the next step and actually seek help from someone qualified to do so...that's where the progress will really happen.

lolomgwtf:

“The pillowcase and the toilet seat actually have a lot in common,” says Holly Menninger, the project’s director of public science. In fact, there is so much overlap between the bacterial strains in those two locations that it can be difficult to tell where a particular sample came from.

Gotta stop wiping my backside with my pillow...

Skin bacteria. Your arse is covered with skin. So is your face. Elementary, my dear.

And a lot of these bacteria are completely harmless to humans.