unbearable..... please dont read if you have a phobia of contamination

[bingjam]

For as long as I can remember I have always been funny with food and drinks...

I never eat or drink something without someone trying it first, I never eat out or have a takeaway when im alone for this reason.... if I open a new bottle of cordial I have to make sure the lids not been opened and someone has to have the first glass, I always have to tip the molk upside down to make sure the label is all on, if I make a meal, go out, have a takeaway I always make sure someone has the first mouthfull or I refuse to eat it, yoghurts, butter, cake anything if the lid or label isnt on fully I csnt eat any of it. I always have to squeeze a bag of crisps/ seeets before I can have one and even the someone has to haslve one first... its anything!!!

That might sound bad but now im starting to think about different things

Fruit... what if the people who pick the fruit/vegetables inject them with poison or contaminated blood and no one knows?? This has stopped me eaying Any of them...

Sugar/salt.. what if the makers of them have spiked it with whiye substance that is lethal or even cocain which will make me addicted and turn into a drug user? ?

Tampons.. what if someone has contaminated them with hiv/stds and I catch them when I use them.

Bubblw bath/shampoo. . The people wjo make them put acid or liquid that will severley burn my skin

Videos on you tube.... they are curses thay if you watch something bad will happen...



Im literally so scared right now. I thought it was bad before but now its getting seriously stupid ..

Please help me..

[RoseEve]

Some of these things are scientifically impossible. Like the tampons. STDs can't live outside the body. You would have to snort the salt. If I may make a suggestion, I think it would be best to do some exposure therapy. Afraid of eating fruit? Eat some. Try to confront your fears. The more you avoid your fear the larger the hole of anxiety will become. You can't live in what ifs otherwise you aren't living. What if you worry so much you and live to be 90 and never enjoyed life? This is what I say to myself.

[Fishmanpa]

I'm speechless on this one.... :huh:

Positive thoughts

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hi bingjam,

What you are describing seems to be paranoia. Have a loook at MIND's info on this.

http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/paranoia/

It's very anxiety related but it's different since you fear that someone or some organisation is going to harm you.

I can understand your issue with YouTube. I have Magical Thinking OCD so I can think that my thoughts will cause something to happen to someone. I get where you are coming from on that, but in your case you believe there is a hidden message in them aimed at you, whereas mine is an worry of an outward worry to other people...if that makes sense???

The treatments are similiar to anxiety so I suggest talking to your GP to get therapy such as CBT. Mindfulness will help, it has helped my OCD tremendously and MIND recommend it for this.

Has this just started because I've seen some of your threads about exercise, your heart anxiety, etc and you didn't seem to mention this?

[bingjam]

Like I said ive always been the same but it has gotten worse, maybe the whole worrying about exercise has made it worse maybe I donk know...
And fishmanpa, I usually find your replies Useful and funny but that is just plain rude, people come on here for support and advise and answers like that make me feelblike im being stupid!!!!!

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yes, it could be. I noticed you were quite upset with yourself about not going to the spinning class again so perhaps that additional anxiety has fueled the rest and made them more intense?

If an event triggers anxiety it's very easy for it to go round & round and build it's strength. Has it been getting worse over the past week and now reached a higher intensity?

It would seem that you need some therapy, perhaps in the form of CBT & exposure so that you can work against these thoughts and start to habituate yourself to being able to use whatever you want, whenever you want.

Have you had any referral or tried therapy in the past?

[Phuzella]

Bingjam, I identify with a lot of what you're saying, I've been there. Go to your doctor and explain exactly how you feel, but ultimately, as with all anxiety states, it's up to you to help yourself.
I don't mean to sound harsh:) Honestly it is possible to feel better and I did it basically all by myself. It's a case of exposure therapy, little bits at a time. But see your doctor first:)

[cattia]

I can relate to this as I used to have these kinds of worries in my teenage years. Luckily they never got too overwhelming, but I did used to worry that if I was eating at someone else's house they might have poisoned the food. I also used to be very paranpid about touching taps pr door handles as I used to think I would catch HIV from them. It sounds ridiculous but I believe it is a form of OCD and the fears are very, very real. Logic doesn't seem to help much because of course you know the thing you fear is highly implausible, but the fact is that even if there is the tiniest perceived chance it could happen you will worry that it could happen. Avoidance is the worst thing you can do, and it sounds as though you have been using it for some time by getting other people to test your food for you. You need to try to confront your fears but it won't be easy and I'm sure something like CBT would help a lot.

[Leslie735]

I have similar worries, but mine is a little different. I get the fear of bacteria/virus's on food not so much poisoned. If you bought something at the store and came up and it was unsealed then I do agree you should not eat it/drink it. That happened to me last week, I bought a jar of minced garlic, brought it home and went to use it and noticed the seal was broken so I threw it out. My main fear was more of it had been unsealed and it wasn't properly refrigerated, it could've grown bacteria and make my family sick. I get weary of produce myself. Again, I'm worried about how many people handled it before I got it. A rinse under water isn't going to wash off virus's and bacteria. I will eat produce if it's cooked, raw, depends.

[bingjam]

Thank you all for replying its eeassuring that im sort of not alone with what im going through...

I remember it all starting wjem I was like 5ish... my nonna got me a sandwich from I think tesco??? Anyway half way through eating this sandwich there was blood all over my bread, I was saying to my nonna look theres that mans blood in my food... I was hysterical.. at 5!!! Turns out it was my blood from my gum which was bleeding, but since then ive been like this, I didnt eat anything yesterday as I had no one to try my food for me... luckily the cordial had already been used so I was fine with that

Its awkward at times especially when im out. ..

Cattia I can so relate to tge door handle thing im just like that, I also have to clean the cutlery if im out which I get weord looks for, have to wipe a seat if I sit down, wipe rims of glasses and cups, anf I aldo have to smell my fingers and lips too which I didnt relise I did until one of my friends pointed it out to me about 4 years ago and I cant stop doing it....

---------- Post added at 22:50 ---------- Previous post was at 22:47 ----------


Yes, it could be. I noticed you were quite upset with yourself about not going to the spinning class again so perhaps that additional anxiety has fueled the rest and made them more intense?

I really dont think this has helped me your right... I was very annoyed with myself... im also very stressed at the moment too which makes things harder

[panicked1]

I can relate to this a lot. The best way to tackle this is by going head on... Be the first one to eat that bit of food, don't check labels etc. You'll soon realise that living like this doesn't in fact harm you/your well-being, and you'll be just as safe by not being so paranoid. Think how many people don't do the things you are doing, if there was a reason for checking for contaminated products, surely we'd all be doing it?

[MyNameIsTerry]

So it was a traumatic event that has caused it initially then and you've conditioned yourself based on it.

It does sound like exposure is the way forward but you need to do it in a controlled way so that you can build it up. In exposure you would write down these issues and rate their level of fear from 0-100, then start working through the list and after each time you re-rank them.

You also need to build levels of trust in your mind about other people. CBT could help with this because you would be writing down what you think could happen and then challenging it with positive opposing statements. Well thats one method that can be used.

I'm sure a therapist could help you with this.

The spinning bought on feel;ings you maybe not ready for. Again, it's about exposure but tackle lesser issues first e.g. low intensite exercise and build up to spinning later.

[bingjam]

I honestly dont think I could go around not checking food and the labels and things.... we sometimes do t know what we are eating.. go back to the horse meat that shouldnt be there and also theres alot coming around about meat being cat/dog and rat... we have no idea what we are eating..

Im also dairy intolerant so why now after 23 years of being fine.. its making me think somethi gs in there that shouldnt be and now I cant eat anything dairy at all or im ill.