March 2011 Moms

Any moms here with germ OCD?

I have struggled with germ OCD and major phobias for a long time. Now that I've had my baby (technically due in April, but born in March), it's gotten even worse. Do you know how hard it is to have kids, when you don't want them to touch anything? :)

How do you cope?  I'd be interested in hearing any of your stories. I also want to mention that I have a blog where I'm trying to express what it's like to struggle with this. You can find me here:

https://bumbumgerms.blogspot.com/ 

I'd be happy to have you visit, comment, share your stories. 

Re: Any moms here with germ OCD?

  • Hi there, I have had OCD for around 10-15 years. Ive been off and all kinds of medicine. My latest was Zoloft, to help me think less about cleaning and stop overly thinking things.  ( I have a problem with cleaning keep thing neat). Anyways had to get off of that because it gave me VERY bad nightmares. I have been on Xanax for a while 1 mg and seems to help with my OCD alot. PM me if you want to talk good luck
  • Thanks for telling me your experience! Lordy I wish I could take Zoloft. When I went on it, it worked FAST, and it worked WELL.........and I was allergic to it. :( Booo. 

    I also have an Rx for Xanax, but due to some weird body chemistry (I metabolize meds far, far too fast and they never have any effect on me), that's no good.

    Sigh. Anyway, feel free to keep in touch with me on my blog, and comment if you have any advice on something I'm going through! :) Some of the things that I'm REALLY going through are getting too hard to talk about and admit. :(

  • Loading the player...
  • Me!

    I am considering try therapy, I don't want anyone to touch dd other than a select few people, and I worry I am going to make her a bubble child.  And I am also having some ptsd issues from my c section, and with my ocd, I can't stop obsessing over things, and was original diagnosed as having ppd.

    I have an rx for zoloft, but I am not sure I want to take it.  I want to start ttc in a few months, and I keep hearing how it apartly is not good during pregnancy as it was once thought to be.   

  • Ugh, yeah, it's rough going off meds just for the sake of TTC or being pregnant. I went off antidepressants before my March baby, and the entire pregnancy was hellacious. But I was simply not willing to take meds during the pregnancy. I know the decision can be tough.

     

    And I feel ya--I don't want ANYONE to hold or play with my baby or even my older child, other than me, my husband, and my mom. (Who washes her hands thoroughly because she knows of my OCD.)

     

    :( 

  • I have OCD, but most people IRL don't know about it. The germ thing isn't my biggest phobia but it is slowly getting there. I am making an appt. for therapy this week actually to try and fix this before it gets worse. I will literally body block strangers from coming near my son with their hands, and I have a major fear of bacterial infections. OCD is so hard and most people just don't get it. I hate when people refer to themselves as OCD so casually when they are super clean or something. They have no idea! I have dealt so far with all the fears by counting down and breathing slowly. I know how you feel, it's tough.
  • Glad you're getting help. It's a rough road. And one of the hardest parts for me personally is that so much of what I do and think, I believe to be GOOD. Like, I think it's important to wash your hands when first entering your home. I think it's good hygiene to wash apples and other fruit with soap instead of just rinsing them. I think it's better to try to avoid touching doorknobs and handrails, etc. So it's hard to want to seek help for something that I believe to be good, right, and healthy. But I know that I take things to the extreme (I do much more extreme things than those listed above), and it's too hard to live like this.

    Anyway, good luck. 

This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"