Crisis team said to stop washing hands so much

[intrusivethoughts44556]

’m under mental health crisis team at the moment . They’ve told me I’m being irrational but I’m not sure I believe them at all .

Is it rational to wash hands every time I touch something? For example - I wanted grapes for dinner . I had a shower, came downstairs, touched the banister, opened the fridge and then had a handful of grapes . All without scrubbing my hands - because I’ve washed them so much they’re bleeding/burnt . The virus could have been on the banister, on the grape packet and in the fridge ... I’m now shaking as I’m concerned that these actions will put me in ITU next week .

Should I come downstairs, wash hands, open fridge, wash hands, wash grapes, wash hands, get plate, wash that, wash hands, and then have grapes? Is that the correct process? And should I do the same with everything else ?

It’s the same when I’m cleaning - presumably all my cleaning bottles are contaminated too so I have to wash the bottle before and after, and my hands and then the surface the bottle was on and then the cloth I used for cleaning and so on and so on ... it’s a never ending cycle of it .

Or can I ‘relax’ a bit now that the house is sealed and ‘clean’ from the outside world? Crisis team said yes - stop . There are no ways they said of the virus coming in now that it’s just me in the house and I’ve locked the doors and windows . I don’t think I believe them at all .

The crisis team are absolutely correct.

You should wash your hands

• before eating
• after you've been to the toilet

That's it, if you're staying in the house.

The crisis team are right. Their advice is good.

Once you’ve cleaned the banister you don’t need to worry about touching it. Same goes for everything else. I assume you’re talking to the crisis team on the phone? Once you’re in lockdown and have cleaned the house there’s no way for the virus to get in.

Its envelopes and leaflets through the door and food packaging and stuff that’s scaring me . And the thought that I was living a normal life until a fortnight ago . The virus could have come in a week ago and be growing on things .

Yes crisis team phoning daily for last week . Trying to find a way of sorting things .

I cleaned the banister three days ago but I’m deeply concerned as I took an envelope through the door and didn’t immediately bin it and scrub my hands . I put it on the worktop . Like the cereal box .

OP, if you are compulsively washing your hands to the point of bleeding and skin damage, you are putting yourself more at risk, not less - you have open wounds exposed to the virus!
Your house is a safe “clean zone”. When you go out for food shopping or whatever, wash for 20 seconds as soon as you get home, then relax. You need no further washing apart from the normal pre virus hygiene of a simple handwash after using the toilet or before preparing food.
Give your poor hands a chance to recover - it sounds like they’ve had a battering!
Once they are no longer bleeding, a little moisturiser on them at bedtime, left on overnight, will help to soothe the dryness and cracking.
I hope the crisis team are helping with your anxiety and/or ocd, and that you feel a little calmer and more reassured.

Or can I ‘relax’ a bit now that the house is sealed and ‘clean’ from the outside world? Crisis team said yes - stop . There are no ways they said of the virus coming in now that it’s just me in the house and I’ve locked the doors and windows . I don’t think I believe them at all

You can definitely relax
Wash your hands before eating, after using the toilet. Wash them after you get any mail if that's a concern of yours. I have been doing that too. Beyond that you really don't need to worry. You're safe at home.

Do you have underlying health issues OP? Even if you caught the virus you may be unsympomatic, or might just feel like you have a cold. Over 80% of the people seriously affected already have severe health issues such as heart failure, MS, cancer, reduced immunity etc.

If you have no underlying issues you'd probably recover in a fortnight at home with no hospital intervention.

Viruses cannot multiply on inanimate objects.

I haven’t any health issues no - high BMI - high enough to get a flu jag but I’ve got no diabetes , no heart disease, no asthma or anything and I’m under 30 . Only ? was possible sleep aponea as I snore .

I’ve gone out for a short walk for the first time in days, I had a panic as partner touched the door handle and gate when we left and didn’t wash their hands immediately but no one has used our door handle since Tuesday, and the gate only gets used once or twice a day . The two who did were wearing gloves this morning . When got back in I washed hands twice and will now try to leave it until tea . Partner said perfectly safe to touch gate as it can’t live on metal outside for long - they put hands in pockets after . Washed their hands too but not for the required 20 seconds - but said sick of me standing counting . I’ve got handcream thankfully .

Contacted nothing else, a cyclist went past and he didn’t stick to the 2m rule but as he went past at speed I guess that’s less of a worry . He wasn’t facing us or anything .

Crisis team are helping a bit yes, have helped me do a ‘safety plan’ and contacting GP to update her as she’s phoning next week .

The advice on this thread is good.

When my hands started to dry up too much and I began getting cracks I used moisturiser with some cotton gloves or socks overnight and that really helped them heal.

Now I understand how effective soap is at killing viruses (because the soap destroys the viruses lipid shell after 20 seconds) I've stopped having to clean so much (other than obvious times, before eating etc.)

And as willowpatterns says viruses won't grow on surfaces.

Crisis team are right - sensible precautions does not include washing your hands till they bleed.

It is hard for those with anxiety problems - my OH suffered; and the one good thing about his recent death (before the cv outbreak - and unconnected) is that he is not suffering under this pandemic - he would have been just like you - wholly frantic. Please take on board the advice you have been given.

I am going round in the mornings and cleaning door handles etc. - then left till the next morning. And that is a bit of overkill really as I am not receiving visitors as I am in an at-risk group - which you are not. I wash hands after opening post. That is all.

I do hope that you can receive their good advice and act on it - but I do know how all-pervasive anxiety can be.

Leave the post on the doormat for 24 hours. Any virus would be dead by the time you pick it up.

It must be so tough for you, it's such a difficult scary and uncertain time for everyone, but doubly difficult for anyone with underlying anxiety. OCD action have got some specific things on their website around coping with covid19. Take good care of yourself xx

Washing hands for 20 seconds is important () but this is something you want to focus on when returning home, before eating, after toilet etc. and not every time you touch something.

Once you've given the obvious handles, the banister and such a clean (daily if you prefer like Mischance) you'll be fine.

I have moderate OCD which has improved over recent years but even with kids coughing and sneezing on everything, I feel confident that I am airing the place and cleaning it well enough. I just keep my hands away from my face at all times.

I reckon you'll do just fine :)

That’s what I keep saying but apparently that’s ‘overkill’ despite partner having their own health issues . I am praying that as we are both 99% inside it’s OK . I will do that with the mail too (lleave well alone for 24h) . Suspect partner will stroll handle it . Reassuringly half my friends are nurses and they’re handling food gifts from patients and takeaways and not panicking , I need to try to do the same . I’m convinced there’s very low chance it was on that specific part of the gate and the front door, and zero to one chance that the passing cyclist could have passed it on to us , but you never know .

Oh mischance I’m so sorry about your OH