Any diagnosed germophobes or hoarders on this forum?

Hah, believe me, you wouldn't want that type of obsession! 😄 @Fonz80

I'm glad it's not interfering with your life at the moment, and hope it stays that way.

@NatureLover

💐☕

@NatureLover Just dropping off a 👋👋👋

I’ve read some of your thread. I haven’t heard of germophobes before. It must be really hard to live with.

I have mild OCD, counting and cleaning when stressed. More annoying than anything.

Thank you @outlander for your coffee and flowers 🙂 and for visiting me ❤

Thank you also @Maggie for visiting me on this lonely thread ❤ (lonely as Escaped_Goat is taking time away).

I'm glad your mild OCD doesn't interfere too much with your life, by the sound of it? I hope not.

@NatureLover @Maggie @Fonz80 @Shaz51 @Escaped_Goat

You are so lovely @outlander ❤

Thank you, but I am feeling a bit better... Your support here has helped already - just knowing I can tag you if I need is a great help. ❤ I'm feeling stronger and my fears have gone to a simmer now, so I think I will be OK.

Hi @NatureLover and thanks for the link to this thread.

I too have OCD, as diagnosed by my clinical psychologist. But it does not present as germophobia with me. I am very much the counting, checking, precision, patterns etc presentation. The intensity of my OCD varies depending on my PTSD symptoms. My OCD only became a problem after I developed PTSD, and its become a coping mechanism. Trying to control the uncontrollable I guess.

So although I do not share your particular OCD traits, I do understand the feelings you experience as we go through life on a daily basis trying to cope with our obsessive and compulsive habits and thoughts.

My Mum and Dad were both dreadful hoarders. We grew up with very little, and I think my parents just collected everything they ever got. As life became a little easier financially for them, their collection grew and grew. My Dad particularly collects absolutely everything. He has a 6 bay large shed and in it he has half a dozen old vintage cars and pieces of cars. Some quite valuable, but others just junk. But thats always been a hobby of his, and he loves his old cars. I dont really have a problem with that.

What I do have a problem with though, is that a couple of the shed bays are chock a block full of large boxes. My dad has about 60 years worth of every magazine my Mum ever bought. That includes Womans Day, Pix, New Idea, People, Old Car Magazines, etc. I mean my Mum was an avid reader and would buy several magazines every week. And Dad would always get his monthly old car books. Not one magazine ever goes in the recycling. They are all kept until the stack becomes too high in the loungeroom. And whenever I get down to visit, I will pack up as many as I can and confiscate them to the shed. He gets furious if I even suggest putting some in the bin.

And its not just magazines .. its also school text books, and things like that. He used to be a school cleaner in his latter working life, and whenever they tossed out old books .. he would grab them and bring them home.

So I always swore that I would never be a hoarder myself, after living with it all my growing up years. My place is very orderly (okay so blame my OCD there) very neat and I only ever keep what I use and need.

Please tag me next time you post. I am interested in following along.

Sherry 💕

Thank you @Former-Member for your post and for visiting me 🙂

Am feeling overwhelmed tonight in general, so need to go and lie down. Will reply tomorrow.

I hope you can get some sleep tonight.