Contamination OCD - glass

[laurenmk]

I HATE glass. I hate it. I live in constant fear that it will break. I can't even count the number of pieces of clothing I've thrown out for fear they had broken glass on them. Most of the time, it's not even something like a wine glass breaking. Rather it's this idea that there are minuscule pieces that I can't see, which freaks me out much more than a large broken piece I can clearly see.

I'm trying really hard right now to stop worrying about what happened today. I was going into an office that has a frameless glass door and at first I thought it was locked. I pushed. I pulled. Nothing. Someone inside saw me and said, "Push hard". I did, and was able to enter. He informed me that the door had "shifted" and was sticking.

That was it for me. In my mind, the door is sticking/rubbing glass on glass and little pieces were falling when I opened it to enter and opened it to exit. I would usually throw away my clothes in such a scenario, but since I'm trying to stand up to my OCD, I instead just washed them. Well, I've inadvertently caused an even greater panic in myself because now I feel like I've spread the broken glass all over the washer, which will then spread it over the rest of my clothes from here until eternity.

Now, the rational part of my mind has told me several things:

1. No one else entering or exiting that office today gave it a second thought. If no one else is worried, I shouldn't be either.

2. I casually got close enough to the door to examine it more closely, and from what I could see there was a steady gap from the bottom to the top between the glass of the door itself (the part that moved) and the glass of the rest of the entry way that stayed stationary. Since there is a metal at the top (presumably how it locks), the sticking was mostly likely metal on metal and there wasn't any glass involved. I just can't be sure because I couldn't examine it very long without looking like a nutter.

3. Interior doors like that are surely made from tempered glass, which is harder to break and I don't think could or would have small little shavings come off of it. If it was stressed to the point of having any of it break, then all of it break. I just don't know this for sure.

Despite these attempts at logical thinking and rational thought, I am just spinning with worry. Any advice? Thank you!

[SLA]

You have made 3 great points there and are already on the path to rationality, so well done!

Glass can be a danger, and your brain has identified that, but it has gotten out of control, and is now effecting your quality of life.

The only time to be concerned about glass are when you know it has broken, and there are pieces on the floor. That is when “normal” (you are normal too) people worry. When it does break the laws of physics say that it will all drop to the floor. Glass is heavy, and it doesn’t float in the air.

Can I ask you a bizarre question?

Do you enjoy long romantic walks along the beach?

Glass is made of sand. And miniscule pieces of glass are essentially sand.

So the next time you feel a little worried, think of loads of people sitting on the beach at the sea side.

Not only do they roll around in minicule bits of glass, but they build castles out of it!

Then at the end of the day they go home covered in it, and it is all perfectly safe!!

[laurenmk]

Thank you, SLA. I know that glass falls, of course, but the door opens in and it was sticking up at the top. As such, if bits of tiny, tiny glass were to be sheered off when I opened it (which my OCD is telling me happened), then I would have been walking right through as it fell and it therefore would have landed on me!!

[SLA]

...and then you would have a small bit of sand on you.

Big deal!!

I'm making light of it of course, but I think that is what you need?

[Lucinda07]

Hi, I also have some difficulties with glass.
In April, MyNameIsTerry gave the following advice which you may find helpful.
Glass: The truth is if you can't SEE anything broken off - THERE WONT BE ANYTHING!
As regards transferring tiny/miniscule pieces of glass Terry says - If these pieces are SO tiny , they would not really bother us as as they CAN'T HARM US. Less dangerous than a splinter off a piece of wood.
Its just that we need a 100% guarantee - that we can't have & learning that a 99% scenario is just as good as 100%.
I try to remember these wise words when I feel anxious about broken glass. Hope this helps

[laurenmk]

Thanks. I'm sitting here in tears. OCD is SO powerful. SO overwhelming. And just SO all-consuming. I know that the chances of glass being on my clothes are nearly nil. I know that somewhere. But I don't FEEL that way. I FEEL like my clothes and washing machine are covered in glass. I don't know how to shake it and make my mind listen to what I know and not how I feel.

[randomforeigner]

Have you ever thought of using exposure therapy to get over the fear? Purchasing, at some car boot sale, old glasses and old frames with glass in them, and deliberately cracking them with a hammer? First, obviously, perhaps putting the wine glass in some cardboard box with cloth over so the pieces don't spread, but later on throwing a glass onto the floor, and sweep up the pieces? I'm thinking a bit about exposure therapies at the moment, due to a book I'm reading.

[Dave1]

Hi,
Lauren, I'm really sorry to hear you feeling so anxious. I can't believe someone is worrying about this, I'd have never thought about it. I don't think it would stick glass to glass at the top side because when you closed it you'd have to lift it by pulling the handle up.