Hand washing

Well, I’m back. My cast is off and my left arm is not very sore. Funny, how something like a broken arm can interfere so much with your life.
I did discover something OCD-related in this experience. I don’t wash my hands excessively anymore, but I am careful to wash my hands at appropriate times. With only my fingers and thumb free my left hand never felt completely clean. Which was a good test of my tolerance. I did fine.

I also noticed that I tried not to wash my hands anymore than necessary just because it was a hassle. Washing but not getting my cast wet and drying my hands was a bit difficult, especially at first because I didn’t have full use of my hand and it hurt to move it much. I waited to use the restroom until I really had to go just because it was such a hassle. I combined tasks and washed my hands afterwards. For example, I would do some food preparation, and then clean the counter before washing my hands.

This makes me wonder, would it be helpful for others, those with full-blown OCD, to maybe pretend they have a broken arm? If excessive hand washing is a problem for you, try this. Pretend one had is bound up or that it is actually painful to wash your hands. It might help you to think before washing and reduce the number of hand washes.