Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Was I being weird?

41 replies

alittlehelp · 02/01/2018 20:23

I've got anxiety issues about contamination which make it hard to have perspective on some household matters so would like a general opinion on whether I behaved irrationally/ unreasonably today.

We have had rats in our loft. Pest man came to deal with it. Walked through the house without removing shoes, which will presumably have been in lots of pesty places today. I've been on my own with two small children so haven't been able to hoover since.

I got my three year old to wear socks to go between the bathroom (after his bath) and his bedroom, so that he wouldn't be walking with bare feet on the rat-man-shoe-contaminated carpet and then getting into his bed (he climbs in at the pillow end so his feet touch where his face goes later, if that makes any sense at all).

Was that odd? I don't want to pass my issues on to him.

OP posts:

Motherwell91 · 02/01/2018 23:14

I also suffer with these types of anxiety I have thrown belongings out as there contaminated. I fight through it daily. Here as a support OP. Sometimes it can feel very isolating and lonely with anxiety but there are others out there

Motherwell91 · 02/01/2018 23:16

Meant to put 'contaminated' like this I know deep down its not but thoughts run away with me

Kitsharrington · 02/01/2018 23:30

Honestly? Yes that’s odd.

RestingGrinchFace · 02/01/2018 23:32

No, that's not odd. Even if they were ordinary shoes and not rat man shoes it would still be disgusting. The bottoms of shoes are commonly found to have horrible things on them like e.coli etc. Just think about where they have been.

mirime · 02/01/2018 23:39

On the one hand I'd say slightly odd, but then I remember my contamination phobia about dead woodlice and your actions seem perfectly reasonable.

ReadyForGoodNews · 02/01/2018 23:42

My mum had this OP (as I've said elsewhere she had severe anxiety issues). So I can somehow understand the link in your head because I grew up watching my mum clean the whole house whenever the plumber fixed something in the bathroom and sneezed in the general direction of the kitchen She did pass it on to me and DSis but to a lesser degree and we both eventually grew out of it. Now it's like a family joke.

NC4now · 02/01/2018 23:45

Ewww, rat juice. I can see your point, even if it is a bit OTT.

ObscuredbyFog · 02/01/2018 23:45

OP could you use a steam-mop cleaner on your floor? They aren't noisy like a vac and they do "sanitise" and leave the area pretty dry afterwards.
Some makes heat really quickly and are lightweight enough to use in one hand. If it only allays your fears about contamination, it could be a Good Thing.

Raindancer411 · 03/01/2018 00:01

I feel for you as we have had a rat in the loft and I suffer the same as you. Luckily mine work special shoe coverings in the house, BUT he wore the gloves he used to handle the poison and I was paranoidly watching where he touched and had to have the hubby wipe down all the areas. He also put the poison tub down on the carpet and I felt the same about that. Luckily the hubby knows and tried to reassure me that if it was still on anywhere it's so minute amounts it wouldn't hurt anyone.

I have also felt no where in the house is clean either and have had to rewash multiple items several times.

I know how odd I am at times but no matter now I try to reason it, my mind just won't accept things. It's hard for anyone else to really understand unless they have the same anxiety problems

Mrscaindingle · 03/01/2018 00:03

I think you need to go back to your GP op and ask for some help with these thoughts if they are worrying you enough to seek reassurance on line. It does sound like OCD type obsessive thoughts but hard to tell from your post how much they are impacting on your life and daily functioning. If you feel like they are there is help available other than meds.

quizqueen · 03/01/2018 00:08

To be honest, I expect there are lots of people who are much dirtier than rats who touch surfaces that you come into contact with every day out there in the real world. It's really not worth worrying about it and you've, obviously, survived so far without dying from contamination!!!

Ohmyfuck · 03/01/2018 00:17

I would have preferred him to take off his shoes. I'm with you on this, although I may be weird too because I can't leave any soap residue on me after a shower. I can't relax if I'm not fully rinsed. It's ridiculous.

SilverySurfer · 03/01/2018 00:52

Yes.

Original poster

alittlehelp · 03/01/2018 12:26

Thanks for the perspectives! Food for thought. I might go back to the GP.

OP posts:

jaseyraex · 03/01/2018 12:31

Given that the virgin media engineers put covers over their shoes when coming in to your house, I think it's very weird that a pest control person didn't cover his shoes! I dont think you're weird at all OP.

MysweetAudrina · 03/01/2018 12:33

I have a rat phobia so no way I could stay in the house with the kids if I had to cohabit with them. In fact I think I would leave and sell the house. In my mind that would be a completely reasonable solution. Just goes to show one person's phobia is something that wouldn't phase another person. It wouldn't even cross my mind to be worrying about ratmans shoes.

Flip

1 2