(2021). Squirrel yourself away in your bedroom to catch up on a book, or carve out time for a bubble bath when your loved one is out of the house. Depending on their age, they may experience additional symptoms, such as: Sometimes a fear of germs can lead to obsessive-compulsive disorder. We meet up, eat, grab a drink, and decide to catch a midnight movie. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. "I never liked this arm anyways.". You dont have to stop your partner when they feel like cleaning. I was gone. In the case of germaphobia, someones anxiety about germs must be much greater than the harm they could cause. His life is also ruled by compulsions that are designed to relieve his anxiety, such as hand washing and sanitizing. The washers are too busy acting out their rituals to seek information.". It's impossible to name all the possible fears that people can have, but here's a list of the most common and unique ones, including the fear of, Emetophobia or fear of vomit can make daily tasks, including eating and cooking, distressing. And Irefuseto look when I feel my ring slip from my finger, followed by a distinctkerplop. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 138,627 times. Place bar soap on a soap dish that allows it to drain. Staring down at my bare shoulder, looking at the infected skin my sick boss touched after sneezing into her hand, I have all of these wishesand then,I remember that I chose to be a waitress, in spite of my food-focused mental maladies, and sigh. Like most fears, there are common emotional and psychological symptoms, but unique . You needto look no further than the presence of hand sanitizer dispensers in public spaces or the barrage of advertisements for antibacterial products to realize that our society is, to some extent, preoccupied with germs. Sep 14, 2015, 09:09 AM EDT. You need to be very careful when touching their things because they can embarrass you. Thalassophobia is an intense phobia or fear of large bodies of water. Also, they have short nails, clean clothes, and look very organized. % of people told us that this article helped them. They are scared that you may be having some germs on your hand. (or any other time for that matter)SUBSCRIBE-https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaEPKRM3mq-vXelYRLcI4. I don't bother to look as I stretch my hand behind me to trigger the automatic flusher. According to the APA, 8% to 12% of Americans live with specific phobia. Acting out the rituals is done to relieve anxiety. After a year of living in a new house with strangers for the first time, I have learned more than I . A wave of calm falls over me, hushing my panicked mind. Medication, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), is one option to treat OCD. "People who have OCD really don't want to be that way," Guardino tells WebMD. "But over time he sees her energy level go down, she's irritable, and there's something bizarre about her cleaning. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our. Some people have both germaphobia and OCD. So he reads about OCD on WebMD and gets her into treatment. In addition to experiencing certain symptoms, a phobia typically causes significant distress, impacts your ability to function, and lasts for a period of six months or more. For most, if thoughts of contamination cross the mind, a common-sense approach of washing or sanitizing their hands for a few moments set the mind at ease and they get on with their day. So, for a little background I have been dating a guy for about a year and just recently been noticing things that annoy me more and more. A germaphobe may go out of their way to avoid contamination and dirt. 2023 Healthline Media LLC. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. If this becomes a fear of germs or causes distress in your daily life, a doctor may diagnose a specific phobia or OCD. (2016). CDC guidelines recommend washing: More frequently if someone in your home is sick. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Last medically reviewed on September 18, 2018. You, therefore, need a thick skin and must be able to ignore their petty rhetoric about how you keep yourself. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/80\/Be-Mature-Step-20-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Be-Mature-Step-20-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/80\/Be-Mature-Step-20-Version-2.jpg\/v4-728px-Be-Mature-Step-20-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"