Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

Be careful @scruffypuffball . Yes get help if it's available and you can afford it.

Last time I tried to deal with some of my stuff that's in another location I felt ill, my blood pressure was extreme and I pondered what if anything I could do and decided to ride it out. I'm also hindered by lack of transport and a dodgy back.

Oh gosh, that's so stressful, @scruffypuffball 😢

I hope you can take it easy for a few days now?

Nice to see you, thank you, @tyme

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@tyme wrote:

@NatureLover , I'm interested to know more about how this thread started. Would you be okay to share? (no pressure of course).

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Of course. I wanted to meet other hoarders and/or germophobes. When i joined, I couldn't find many threads on these things. I was surprised. Both of these have a huge daily impact on my life.

Over the last 3.5 years I've met other germophobes briefly on here, but none really stick around. Germophobia is OCD, and there are many forms of OCD, so there are more threads on OCD in general (which I also answer).

I guess some people feel strongly against both germophobia and hoarding, so I was wanting to share stories and get support (and offer support too). Thanks for asking.

Hi @Dimity , thanks. I can agree that we're all on the spectrum somewhere. I think I'm having trouble accepting the new definitions of autism as having "extreme empathy". As my psychologist put it, the extreme empathy causes autistic people to be overwhelmed and shut down or have a meltdown. I'm also shocked that I could've got my identity so wrong.

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@Dimity wrote:

My situation is complicated and dealing with it all involves knotty financial and family ties.

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I think having the knotty family and financial ties makes it even harder - sending hugs @Dimity 🫂

The EMDR does sound tough. I guess it might be like most therapy - it feels worse before it gets better - do you think?

My house is in a desperate state. I hope I can make progress this weekend. Today I have lunch with a friend, so the progress will have to be this morning. I feel overwhelmed with all I have to do (not just the house).

Good luck today with what you have on... 🤞

I'll be honest with you @NatureLover , I'd never come across 'germophobes' and 'hoarders'. I'm honestly interested to hear more. I didn't know it was a 'real' thing in terms of the 'germophobe'. You hear people often misuse the terms 'OCD' and 'germophobes' and 'hoarders' which can really undermine the pain that real sufferers are experiencing.

TW: OCD behaviours

I appreciate you explaining that germophobia is a form of OCD. Hoarding too, I guess? If you don't mind me asking, how do the two both manifest itself in a person?

@NatureLover I hope you had a nice lunch. Hopefully you'll have one of your famous spurts of energy over the weekend. If not now then soon.

What a day. Bad time at the osteopath then my horrible neighbours fighting over an Owners Corporation meeting until 11pm the night before the scheduled meeting. I still don't know the venue and it's tomorrow. The friendly chap next door can't bear to go but attendance is probably futile anyway, we're outnumbered 3 to 2.

I'm so sorry you're overwhelmed, I do sympathise. One step at a time is all we can do sometimes. Don't fret about the empathy thing - when I googled it it seemed to relate to some people not all. Please consider your strengths and achievements and all of your contributions volunteering.

Take care.

Thanks for your interest, @tyme ...I'm sorry to hear you had OCD as a child. It is debilitating, so I'm glad you no longer have it. How did you come to grow out of it?

I don't feel up to answering your quetion yet, but will answer over the weekend, once I've given it some thought.

Thank you so much for your kind message @Dimity ❤️

Am very sorry to hear about your nightmare day yesterday. What went wrong at the osteopath? (No need to answer if you'd rather not)

Do you think you won't go to the Owners Corporation meeting today? It must feel demoralising to be outweighed 3 to 2 and to see the destrcution of the communal garden and be among nasty neighbours - I feel for you 🫂

The lunch lasted 7 hours yesterday; we lost track of time. It was lovely, but it meant that I took my sleeping tablet late and woke up very late this morning. But at least it's sunny so that's nice.

Am not feeling up to much today so will just do what I can. Definitely laundry as it's a good drying day. I will try to keep moving on something, anything really.

Good luck today, and I hope the nastiness of the Owners meeting doesn't spill into today too much...

@Jynxyes she said it as a lesson to take care of myself as in my body was telling me something. She seems ok as a friend, time will tell 🙂

Wow I hope the long lunch was restorative @NatureLover . They must be very good friends.

I'm glad to have weathered the meeting but some of the neighbours really are needlessly destructive and unpleasant. I wonder if it's unreasonable to like gardens!

I've got a lot to process re the osteopath, I won't go into it right now.

Very hot tomorrow. I'm way behind on chores again, let alone decluttering.

Please know that I'm thinking of you and your challenging upcoming inspection. Good luck for tomorrow.