Going out of my mind - old stuff of mine from parents (handwashing/contamination OCD)

I am going out of my mind today and really hope somebody can help me allay my fears :(

Firstly, I have handwashing and contamination OCD - I wash my hands a lot. For example, if I drop a pen on the floor and pick it up, I wash my hands. If I touch a light switch to switch a light on in my own flat, I wash my hands. And so on.

I moved out of my parents house 15 years or so ago and my old bedroom there became a bit of a junk store and neglected, but still had a lot of my old possessions in - these are things that I haven't missed (clearly) for over 15 years - and some of the things go back to my childhood 25 years ago - but at the same time am kind of reluctant to just bin or get rid of.

My parents have finally been having a sort out of the room, and they want rid of everything in it. They've been trying to arrange with me about bringing it all over, so I can "sort through" - I've been trying to put this off. The thought of going through stuff that's been sat in a largely barricaded room for 15+ years makes me feel really on edge and anxious. But again, as I said, a lot of the stuff is sentimental. Anyway today they bought it over as they need it gone. I said I didn't really want it in the flat, so we sorted through some outside and put boxes of some of the stuff in my small outdoor shed (I am in a flat so it's like a small cupboard outdoors)

Unfortunately there wasn't room in there for all of it, so I bought a couple of boxes of the more interesting stuff into the flat. They are currently sat in my hallway and they need sorting through, some stuff in there I'd happily keep but there's probably some stuff I could get rid of. But I just really don't want to touch it.

I know this might sound irrational but ever since this happened, I have had a pounding headache :( I just feel really wiped out and ill. My head doesn't feel right at all. Now this may well be psychological. But I just can't get the idea out of my head that there is some sort of mite or flea or something in the old dust over all the stuff that is in these boxes (including when going through the other stuff earlier) and now it's in my flat and I just feel really on edge :( I itch all over and I just feel awful. My parents would just tell me I'm being ridiculous because they don't understand my OCD and the anxiety it causes me, but I just don't know.

Does this sound like something I've created in my head which is causing me to feel so awful with this pounding head? I don't feel with it at all either, but not sure if I am just over-worrying. This stuff has been sat in a room for years and years and I just can't get it out of my mind.

Sorry for the long story but thank you for any advice.

Hello,
Sorry you’re finding it hard. But yes, it does sound like something you’ve created in your head - and given your particular anxiety then it would make perfect sense.

Don’t ignore it, start going through it. Probably the pleasure of seeing your old things will help you lose the anxiety.


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After 15 year of being in a barricaded/untouched room there literally can be nothing that would affect you, so it is irrational/psychological - yes. Fleas don't live on anything but living animals (they can become dormant in carpets for months, but without an animal to feed on they will become extinct very quickly indeed. Mites, nope, same thing really - various mites need living humans or animals or a 'food source' - what in 15 years could that have been ??? Mites and fleas can't live on dust !!! Germs and bugs can't and won't be on anything in that stored stuff from your room. If you feel anxious about it, then just pop on a pair of those disposable gloves whilst going through it all.