To have an overwhelming OCD fear of nuts?

[Servalan]

I wasn't sure where to post this - I thought allergies, but then thought I could do with a broader response.

I have OCD - my main issues are fear of contamination that will accidentally hurt other people. One of these areas is anaphylaxis.

No one in my immediate family suffers with a nut allergy - however, because I am scared of carrying traces of nuts into the outside world and harming someone inadvertantly, I avoid buying anything with nuts in for us to eat.

DH has started buying the nut cornflakes, and DD (aged 4) has taken a liking to them. She had a bowl this morning and I had to go off into another room and have a quiet panic attack. She was due a shower after breakfast today anyway as she didn't have time for her shower last night, so at least I got her clean. She had spilled some on her chair, the floor and the table, all of which I wiped down with dettol wipes (though now I'm worried that the wipe will just have spread the allergens around rather than clean them off).

DD's teeth were brushed after breakfast, but I'm worried about traces of nuts in her mouth and her spreading them around (she is a thumb sucker).

Obviously DD won't always be a due a shower when she eats nuts and I'm doing my best to hide my OCD reactions to things from her, so I don't want to be panicking about nuts when she eats them, and I guess as she gets older she's going to be eating them more and more. However, if for example, her hair brushes against something with nuts in, I will be itching to wash her hair. If something with nuts in gets on her clothes, I'll be itching to change her clothes. However, the last thing I want is for her to be learning OCD behaviours and responses.

The thing about my condition is that I never know when something is really an OCD reaction and when it is a healthy reaction.

Are normal people generally careful around nuts? I really want to try and balance the need to be responsible with the need to be sane.

Thanks for your responses

[squeakytoy]

I am afraid it is your OCD that is making you react like this. If there are no known allergies in the family, then nobody is in any danger at all.

People with nut allergies walk about all the time, past other people eating nuts, touch surfaces that may have come into contact with them, and they are the ones who need to take extra care not to put things into their mouth. You honestly dont need to worry about your daughter eating them. Honest. :)

[ZillionChocolate]

Have you looked into getting some help with your OCD? It sounds like its making life very difficult for you.

[VanillaRooibos]

It is a OCD reaction. as squeakytoy said.
Do you receive any kind of counselling around this? You describe quietly having panic attacks and it sounds as though your thought processes are impacting on your life quite a bit.

No one in family has nut allergies and we eat nuts all the time. I have honestly never heard of anyone having a 'nut' reaction second hand so to speak.

[CareyHunt]

I have food allergies which can result in anaphylaxis. I have NEVER reacted to food that someone else has eaten. My husband eats things that I am allergic to, and prepares them in our house, and eats them from our plates.

I know nut reactions can be v. severe, but the people who have those kind of reactions are always prepared for them. My husband teaches a boy with a very severe peanut allergy, and while there are some safe guards in place ( no sharing lunch boxes etc) no one has ever suggested that there is a need to worry about food that they have eaten earlier. I promise you don't need to worry about this.

[savoycabbage]

My dd is allergic to peanuts but does not have anaphylaxis. I forget about it sometimes It is your OCD that is making you feel like this. I would NEVER EVER EVER think to blame another child or her parent if my child had a reaction to something.

My other dd has no allergies and she loves nuts and we give them to her. My dh and I also sometimes have satay chicken. We make sure the dishwasher is empty but we don't have showers or anything.

[snicker]

One of my dcs has a peanut allergy and other people in the house eat peanut butter and crunchy nut cornflakes right in front of her. We do take precautions such as making sure things are properly cleaned. The peanut butter knife is used, licked clean and put in the dishwasher without touching a surface.

[Morloth]

Definitely OCD talking.

I remember not to send nuts to school/creche in lunch boxes and that is about it.

Other than that I don't think about it at all.

We often have peanut butter toast/crunchy nut cornflakes etc for breakfast.

[ragged]

Are normal people generally careful around nuts?

No, sorry, not like you are. What you're doing is life-inhibiting.
There is said to be a single child (out of 360) at DC school who is contact sensitive (just has to touch) a nut or dog hair to get a strong reaction; if DC shared a class with that child I might be very cautious like you are, at least on school day mornings. But they don't even know the child in question (I am not sure if he's even at the school any more). So as things stand, I eat nuts a lot and handle them like I would any other ordinary food stuff (although I don't send them in school lunches per school request).

A mum at the school whose DD is potentially fatally allergic to nuts, she said that her daughter has to actually digest it to have a bad reaction. So the girl can hold nuts fine in her hands. And if they realise the mistake quickly enough after the girl eats some, she can be made to be sick and then won't have a reaction. I gather that's a more typical risk profile of food sensitivity or allergy people.

[Servalan]

Thanks for your responses. It is really helpful to see what people without my condition do so I can try and get a grip of reality!

[tazmin]

Are normal people generally careful around nuts?

no not at all, except if they seem to be psychopathic :)

[Servalan]

In cleaning up after them, would wiping where they had touched with a dettol wipe be sufficient?

I am getting help for the OCD - just it's a sloooow process!

[Servalan]

thanks :)

[xApx]

Hi there, i have a severe nut and sesame seed allergy and therefore also have a phobia of them.
I do get a reaction if someone who has eaten them touches me which adds to the anxiety.
If the allergy is bad enough for a reaction, the sufferer will have an Epi pen and will know how to avoid and deal with the situation.
My daughter may also have an allergy but there is a lot of help to avoid having a reaction.
I hope this has somehow helped.

[lalabaloo]

This is the OCD but I can understand as I have similar anxiety issues, I am getting help too. I don't want to go into much detail on here but pm me if you want to chat through it

[VirginiaDare]

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