An obsessions with cleanliness is often connected to OCD
Many people openly admit to being germaphobes.
When does a preoccupation with germs cross the line into an obsession?
When does a personal hygiene routine or cleaning regimen become acompulsion?
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Let’s attempt to answer these questions using two examples.
She cringes when she has to take out the garbage each week but does so without fail.
Case 2: John is a 42-year-old part-time computer consultant.
He knows this makes no sense and often feels he is going crazy.
John spends up to five hours a day bleaching all of the surfaces in his home.
His constant cleaning and preoccupation with contamination have put a significant strain on hisrelationshipwith his wife and children.
The Analysis: Germaphobe, OCD or Both?
The problem may run deeper than simply being a germaphobe.
Effective psychological and medical treatment for OCD is available.
American Psychiatric Association.What is obsessive-compulsive disorder?
