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Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

Hi, I have just joined. I have a few mental illnesses, but am especially interested in hearing if there are any diagnosed germophobes or people with hoarding disorder on these forums?

I don't know any germophobes in real life, and would be interested to know how any of you pre-Corona germophobes are doing. Can you find enough sanitiser? If not, what are you using instead? Has your germophobia gone sky-high in this pandemic? Do you find it less or more lonely now that nearly everyone is a self-confessed germophobe?

My germophobia is quite bad - I can't have anyone in my house, and need lots of sanitiser when I go out. E.g. I use it after leaving my house and before I get in the car; again before I touch the steering wheel, again after touching my purse, again before putting my seat belt on, etc. I am struggling to find enough sanitiser. If I run out, I was thinking about diluting some disinfectant and putting it into an old water bottle to take out with me. I had one really bad panic lasting 3 days that was debilitating, due to COVID-19, but after that thankfully my germophobia came back down to normal levels. I guess normal levels are not that great but at least I am used to them!

I am strangely finding it more lonely as a diagnosed germophobe now, and would really like to meet some other germophobes online and hear how you're going. At least I had a friend tell me that I was in a stronger position than him, during this health crisis, as he had trouble remembering to wash his hands, whereas I wash them a hundred times a day already!

6457 replies

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In response to: Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

Re: Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

Hi @Dimity , I'm sorry you were too unwell for your visitor yesterday. I hope today feels better.

I can imagine that if you have to be at the hospital early, you will probably have to leave in the dark to catch public transport? You said the hospital is far away 😢

For many reasons, I'm not up to working a paid job. At my volunteer job, I can take mental health days whenever I need (which is a lot). I can also say "I'm not up to doing that" if a staff member asks me to do something.

I hope that today is successful for you in whatever you decide to do ❤️

In response to: Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

Re: Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

Thanks, @NatureLover .🙂🤗

In response to: Re: Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

Re: Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

@NatureLover if I'd taken public transport it would probably take about 3 hours. The taxis were expensive but more direct, and I have a taxicard so only pay half fare.

I'm sorry you and @chibam had such bad experiences with therapists. I had a therapist once whose preconceptions and assumptions only emerged years down the track, as they weren't explicitly stated, and I was surprised as I realised he'd had very little understanding despite years of contact. He was actually struck off for his dealings with other patients.

Good luck with the boxes, if you decide to continue with them over the weekend. I'll have to redress a week and a half's inactivity, if I'm up to it.

In response to: Re: Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

Re: Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

I'm glad you were able to take a taxi with the taxicard...it was worth going through that application process!

Oh gosh - you had a therapist who was struck off?! 😮 @Dimity

I'm not working on the shed boxes any more at the moment - I've got out from the shed all that I needed to put in the new storage trunk. But I do need to go to Bunnings again. And work on the inside of the house this weekend.

I actually ended up with 3 tradesmen inside my house yesterday 😮 - and 2 were unexpected! The handyman knocked without warning, he also rang an aircon specialist for me, plus I finally had the smoke detector test. I managed to cope with all that - amazing!

I'm home today, then an errand day tomorrow.

I hope that you're feeling stronger and able to do some things you want... 🤞

In response to: Re: Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

Re: Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

Well done coping with all 3 tradies @NatureLover - 3 at once should mean 1/3 the clean-up afterwards. And well done for setting up the trunk.

I'm trying to catch up on cleaning but could hardly walk today so was slow and things went wrong. I'll try again tomorrow to fix the vacuum cleaner. Hopefully it will be a better day.

Good luck with your errands tomorrow - both the going out and the unpacking afterwards.

In response to: Re: Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

Re: Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?


@Dimity wrote:

3 at once should mean 1/3 the clean-up afterwards.


You're right - I hadn't articulated it to myself, but that was what I was feeling @Dimity . They mostly touched different areas of the house, but I must've been feeling strong that day luckily.

You have great insight and memory...such an attentive friend, thank you.

Sorry to hear things went wrong yesterday and that the vacuum cleaner is broken. It isn't that old, is it? I though it was fairly new?

I'm going out to Bunnings shortly...am reluctant to spend more money at the moment, but I need the items and would only be putting it off if I didn't go.

I tagged you in a forum changes thread that has now been temporarily locked - about new categories for the sections of the forum. For instance, combining the Lived Experience and Carers forums. But the feedback will be open all month I think.

I really hope you feel some easing of your pain today and can walk better 🤞❤️

In response to: Re: Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

Re: Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

@NatureLover I'll muse over what to contribute, if anything re forum categories. I don't really use them. But I respect the need for carers to communicate with other carers, and feel sometimes those on the "other side" from each other don't always comprehend each other's concerns. Cross fertilisation has its place but sometimes people need their space.

The new stick vacuum has been problematic from the start. It doesn't empty cleanly and is always clogging and needing disassembly from the complicated filters to the tubes. And it's difficult to store as it's so top-heavy and I don't have a spot to mount a wall bracket.

Yes thanks the pain has eased, it was unbearable Saturday but I'm still not walking anywhere much.

Well done for braving Bunnings. I did too, it was hard but I got most of what I needed and ordered something else online.

In response to: Re: Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

Re: Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

Hi @Dimity , am so pleased to hear your pain has eased a little. ❤️

Sorry to hear your stick vacuum seems to be a lemon, what a bugger.

Well done for braving Bunnings - it's more than I did! My agoraphobia kicked in. Plus I'm undecided about buying the shadecloth or not so may take more time to think about it.

In response to: Re: Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

Re: Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

Putting up shade cloth can be tricky @NatureLover . Some people use ready-made shade sails but it's still probably a job for the handyman.

I'll try to catch up on cleaning and decluttering this weekend. I've been busy and distracted this week and forgot to do my paperwork today - just remembered it now!

In response to: Re: Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

Re: Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

Hi @Dimity , the shadecloth is only for draping over the fence for privacy...I've already got some that I did myself, so it's just a matter of deciding whether I can live without it.

I need to catch up on cleaning and decluttering too this weekend.

I hope you feel able to tackle the paprwork this weekend, if that's the priority...

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