New Here

[tizzkins]

Hi all i am new to the forum but not new to ocd. Eighteen years ago my brother was electrocuted ever since then i have had obsessions of all descriptions but mainly i am obsessed with wires electrics and water. I am on medication but i wish i could see an end to all of this. Work is difficult i work in a supermarket and under all the tills are wires which i am always scared of knocking i am begining to think that maybe i should tell them at work about my worry but not about the ocd. I have had many obsessions over the years but i thought things would have got easier after eighteen years. Thanks for listening and i am looking forward to receiving some support whilst also maybe being able to offer support to others.

[ADW]

Hi tizzkins, sorry to hear your story. I don't have much experience of OCD but i would like to welcome you to the forums. We are all friendly here :)

[Lucinda07]

I would tell colleagues about your brother & say that you take health & safety seriously regarding electrics, cables etc. (You don't have to mention the OCD).
I'm sure people would be sympathetic about your family tragedy, & give allowances if you seem preoccupied with wires etc.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Part of health & safety with wires like this is to ensure there are no trip hazards or other ones I can't remember anymore (years since I've worked in an office now). It could be that the cables could be tidied up anyway but H&S is a bit lax as it is with many businesses until someone says they will be inspecting and then it's a mass of worried managers sorting it all out for one day in a year before it slips back to the general mess again. :winks:

If this is a large supermarket chain, they may have an intranet with H&S info on. Otherwise you could look on the governments site about it and talk to them.

I'm very sorry to hear about your brother. My mum knows a family where one of her friends daughters was struck by lightning many years ago. She lived but has never been well but her BF died.

I think if you told someone about why it brings back concerns they wouldn't even think of mental health. It's only like someone who had a car accident and doesn't like driving fast or the motorway, which whilst they could be part of an anxiety disorder, they can also just be traumatic memories that they avoid by not putting themselves in certain possibly dangerous situations. Not that your situation is dangerous, it's perfectly safe, but to an outsider they probably wouldn't work out the OCD element.