manikaye
09-09-13, 22:59
Hi all,
I'm so frustrated to be this anxious about something like this, but I'm happy to find people who can relate.
I have a lot of health phobias regarding cleaning chemicals and poisoning. I have very sensitive skin, and my panic makes me have issues breathing and feel faint and nauseous, so I always seem to have the symptoms you're supposed to watch for. Sigh.
Anyway, last night, I was at work with a friend who mopped the bathroom with bleach. (She always uses way too much, and the entire building smelled of bleach - I was extremely edgy and eager to get out of there.)
She gave me a ride home, and put her bucket and the bottle of bleach in the backseat. I saw her rinsing off the mop at least with water - I assume she rinsed out the bucket and there was possibly some water left inside. Once, the bucket tipped over while she was driving, and she asked me to reach back and lift it up, because "I don't want to get bleach all over my car." That made me paranoid that the bottle was leaking or there was still some bleach left in the bucket, but I tried to ignore it, and kept picking up the bucket when it would fall.
Finally, right before I left the car, she turned so hard that the bottle flew out of the bucket. I had to pick it up, and when I did, my hand was all wet. I got terrified and tried to not touch my bag I had with that hand, or my door handle or anything else. I had food in that bag - some fruit cups, a banana, a cardboard box of candy, etc. Some suckers in paper wrappers. And my cloth purse that I've been using a lot lately.
I immediately washed my hands (probably wasn't on my hand more than three or four minutes). I did smell it briefly before I rinsed it, but not deeply, as I was too nervous I would get dizzy from smelling it. I didn't notice any smell at all, and my hand wasn't burning or turning colors or anything (I'm very pale and turn colors with almost any irritation).
I had my bag at my feet, and when I went to dry off my hands, got afraid I dripped some water (I had only been washing for a few minutes, not the required time to get off bleach) on the bag or the food. I got in the shower and then settled down some, and finally forced myself to eat with my hands.
But now I'm petrified to touch that bag or eat anything in it, in case I accidentally got a little bleach on anything. Am I massively overreacting? Is the food safe, even *if* a little bleach got on?
Thanks so much, I really appreciate any help.
I'm so frustrated to be this anxious about something like this, but I'm happy to find people who can relate.
I have a lot of health phobias regarding cleaning chemicals and poisoning. I have very sensitive skin, and my panic makes me have issues breathing and feel faint and nauseous, so I always seem to have the symptoms you're supposed to watch for. Sigh.
Anyway, last night, I was at work with a friend who mopped the bathroom with bleach. (She always uses way too much, and the entire building smelled of bleach - I was extremely edgy and eager to get out of there.)
She gave me a ride home, and put her bucket and the bottle of bleach in the backseat. I saw her rinsing off the mop at least with water - I assume she rinsed out the bucket and there was possibly some water left inside. Once, the bucket tipped over while she was driving, and she asked me to reach back and lift it up, because "I don't want to get bleach all over my car." That made me paranoid that the bottle was leaking or there was still some bleach left in the bucket, but I tried to ignore it, and kept picking up the bucket when it would fall.
Finally, right before I left the car, she turned so hard that the bottle flew out of the bucket. I had to pick it up, and when I did, my hand was all wet. I got terrified and tried to not touch my bag I had with that hand, or my door handle or anything else. I had food in that bag - some fruit cups, a banana, a cardboard box of candy, etc. Some suckers in paper wrappers. And my cloth purse that I've been using a lot lately.
I immediately washed my hands (probably wasn't on my hand more than three or four minutes). I did smell it briefly before I rinsed it, but not deeply, as I was too nervous I would get dizzy from smelling it. I didn't notice any smell at all, and my hand wasn't burning or turning colors or anything (I'm very pale and turn colors with almost any irritation).
I had my bag at my feet, and when I went to dry off my hands, got afraid I dripped some water (I had only been washing for a few minutes, not the required time to get off bleach) on the bag or the food. I got in the shower and then settled down some, and finally forced myself to eat with my hands.
But now I'm petrified to touch that bag or eat anything in it, in case I accidentally got a little bleach on anything. Am I massively overreacting? Is the food safe, even *if* a little bleach got on?
Thanks so much, I really appreciate any help.