Is this considered a phobia?

[DotheDamnTHing]

I find myself washing my hands not only before eating, but also before putting away the dishes from the washer, laying the table with spoons, glasses etc.
Moreover, I need to check if the drinking glass Im about to use is spotless.
The one that bothers me the most and I see as a problem is that I have a intense, visceral reaction of dislike towards any food that I personally have had a hand in making.

Do I have a problem?

Discuss

 

[FoBoT]

it is a symptom of OCD

 

[frank84]

No, I believe it is a good habit have a clean hands all the time.

I wish i had that kind of habit.. i would be sick less times.

 

[miri]

I do that to.

One reason I hate eating out is that I have worked in many restaurants and I rarely see cooks use gloves. You would see them licking their fingers and then grabbing salad mix and diced tomates and mozzarella with their hand without cleaning them. You would think they would use tongs or gloves at least.

 

[Schadenfreude]

You're wacko.

 

[royaldank]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
it is a symptom of OCD

 

[Eli]

I don't think the washing your hands part is so weird, but

I have a intense, visceral reaction of dislike towards any food that I personally have had a hand in making.

that's a little weirder.

 

[MaverickBP]

it is a symptom of obsessive compulsive disorder..but still a good habit.

 

[DeMeo]

Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

 

[meltdown75]

You're just a germ freak like me, albeit a little more extreme.

I'm training myself *not* to pull my hand inside my jacket / sleeve before I touch door handles. I use hand sanitizer quite a bit though especially when I'm at work in the office.

We just have to develop the mentality that if something that bad is out there, it's going to get to you eventually no matter how clean you are.

I never used to be like this...

 

[franksta]

The not liking food that you helped make is a weird one. The rest of it isn't bad at all. I wash my hands before and after doing the dishes, through the entire grilling process, after preparing the food, after putting it on the grill, and before eating it. As long as you can afford the soap and water and you're not drying your hands out it's not a problem.

 

[bret]

do you step over cracks in the sidewalk and lock the door in a certian way?

 

[RaiderJ]

Washing hands = good

But I think you might take it a little overboard. The stress you put on yourself with all that worrying probably cause more health problems than the germs. Stay clean, but don't lose your sanity.

 

[DotheDamnTHing]

Originally posted by: meltdown75

I'm training myself *not* to pull my hand inside my jacket / sleeve before I touch door handles.

I do the EXACT same thing
:thumbsup:

 

[FrustratedUser]

Originally posted by: DotheDamnTHing
I find myself washing my hands not only before eating, but also before putting away the dishes from the washer, laying the table with spoons, glasses etc.
Moreover, I need to check if the drinking glass Im about to use is spotless.
The one that bothers me the most and I see as a problem is that I have a intense, visceral reaction of dislike towards any food that I personally have had a hand in making.

Do I have a problem?

Discuss

Yes, plz end yourself.

 

[meltdown75]

Originally posted by: DotheDamnTHing

Originally posted by: meltdown75

I'm training myself *not* to pull my hand inside my jacket / sleeve before I touch door handles.
q]



I do the EXACT same thing
:thumbsup:

I'm sure we look a little strange doing that, but oh well. Like I said, I'm getting better. Some people carry their hand sanitizer in their pocket - and I haven't got that bad yet!

 

[FrustratedUser]

Originally posted by: DotheDamnTHing

Originally posted by: meltdown75

I'm training myself *not* to pull my hand inside my jacket / sleeve before I touch door handles.

I do the EXACT same thing
:thumbsup:

That is definately weird. Nobody have ever died from touching a door handle.

 

[Rudee]

I had a friend who was obsessive about washing his hands several times a day at home. When I pointed out to him that he was drying his freshly washed hands on used hand towels in the bathroom which had the other family members germs on, he was immediately repulsed and now uses paper towels.

 

[FrustratedUser]

freaky

 

[meltdown75]

Oh yeah, and allegedly eating at your cubicle is just about the same as eating in one of the bathroom stalls as far as germs go. So I quit doing that too.

:roll: at my germ-paranoid self.

 

[DotheDamnTHing]

Originally posted by: Rudee
I had a friend who was obsessive about washing his hands several times a day at home. When I pointed out to him that he was drying his freshly washed hands on used hand towels in the bathroom which had the other family members germs on, he was immediately repulsed and now uses paper towels.

No communal soaps or towels for me

 

[Bacardi151]

i wouldnt quite classify this as OCD, because this is about you simply being aware (EXTREMELY aware) of germs - as opposed to having a forced disorder towards something silly such as needing to do something almost irrelevant to get a peace of mind. and i'd bet u most likely picked up the habit you described from some sort of information retreieved one way or another whether its your experience or something you've read that somewhat left you "traumatized". lately i've been going down the same path as you. but my habits are somewhat different. i try to stay away from touching door knobs in public restrooms, and other similar VERY public things. and most of it is just paranoia that's been accumulated from reading stuff and watching movies like outbreak.

example of something i read that added to my germaphobia (probably not a word) is when i read in a maxim article about a guy who caught a flesh eating bacteria (he claims it was most likely through his office) because of an open sore/cut on his arm. the result...had to chop off his arm to stop the spreading as it just kept eating and eating into it. granted that maxim isnt remotely any type of medical resource, but its a true story and chances are that stuff may happen - probably not likely to happen, but better safe than sorry.

 

[Hecubus2000]

No. It's considered smart.

 

[mercanucaribe]

What kind of moron puts away the dishes or sets the table with dirty hands? That's like putting your hands in your mouth. Checking your cups is kind of weird, but I don't see how that is a problem.

 

[miri]

.