Paranoid about being hospitalized.

[Persona_Is_Life]

My friend is currently in a psych ward (which I had a role in contacting PESS) and is frustrated with me. She said she doesn't mention my contamination OCD even when my hands are constantly bleeding from handwashing. She respects my decision.

She told me someone is in there and has contamination OCD. They're working on his disorder but she isn't sure if he's there for something else.

Can I get locked up for my contamination issues? Would PESS actually intervene? Does it meet the criteria for harming myself? I don't harm myself on purpose like someone who cuts or anything. I want to be left alone but she has me a bit paranoid. Especially having brought this up I'm worried she'll retaliate and call them on me.

[CrazyRedhead]

5 hours ago, Persona_Is_Life said:

My friend is currently in a psych ward (which I had a role in contacting PESS) and is frustrated with me. She said she doesn't mention my contamination OCD even when my hands are constantly bleeding from handwashing. She respects my decision.

She told me someone is in there and has contamination OCD. They're working on his disorder but she isn't sure if he's there for something else.

Can I get locked up for my contamination issues? Would PESS actually intervene? Does it meet the criteria for harming myself? I don't harm myself on purpose like someone who cuts or anything. I want to be left alone but she has me a bit paranoid. Especially having brought this up I'm worried she'll retaliate and call them on me.

I have mostly "checking" OCD, but I do wash my hands a LOT, too, so I have a bit of contamination OCD as well.....My hands are very dry, but not to the bleeding point, mainly because I use a very gentle liquid soap with all organic ingredients. (I'm picky about my soap, LOL).....I use sulfate-free soaps with no harsh chemicals.

Anyway, my pdoc and tdoc both know about my  handwashing, and know that I use extremely gentle soaps to minimize the damage to my hands, and they've never indicated that I was self-harming at all

I'm not a doc, but IMO, I don't think you're at risk of being "locked up" from your handwashing compulsion....I personally don't think it meets the criteria for self-harm, because your purpose in handwashing is to "decontaminate" your hands, just like I do.......You are not doing the handwashing on purpose to hurt yourself.

[Persona_Is_Life]

2 hours ago, CrazyRedhead said:

I have mostly "checking" OCD, but I do wash my hands a LOT, too, so I have a bit of contamination OCD as well.....My hands are very dry, but not to the bleeding point, mainly because I use a very gentle liquid soap with all organic ingredients. (I'm picky about my soap, LOL).....I use sulfate-free soaps with no harsh chemicals.

Anyway, my pdoc and tdoc both know about my  handwashing, and know that I use extremely gentle soaps to minimize the damage to my hands, and they've never indicated that I was self-harming at all

I'm not a doc, but IMO, I don't think you're at risk of being "locked up" from your handwashing compulsion....I personally don't think it meets the criteria for self-harm, because your purpose in handwashing is to "decontaminate" your hands, just like I do.......You are not doing the handwashing on purpose to hurt yourself.

Thank you for your response. That's a relief for sure.

[sming]

11 hours ago, Persona_Is_Life said:

My friend is currently in a psych ward (which I had a role in contacting PESS) and is frustrated with me. She said she doesn't mention my contamination OCD even when my hands are constantly bleeding from handwashing. She respects my decision.

She told me someone is in there and has contamination OCD. They're working on his disorder but she isn't sure if he's there for something else.

Can I get locked up for my contamination issues? Would PESS actually intervene? Does it meet the criteria for harming myself? I don't harm myself on purpose like someone who cuts or anything. I want to be left alone but she has me a bit paranoid. Especially having brought this up I'm worried she'll retaliate and call them on me.

I don't think so. If it were life-threatening somehow then they'd be interested for sure. When I went inpatient it was all about determining how likely I was to top myself.

FWIW I have severe, TR "pure" OCD about - topically - topping myself. Anyway, I found that ERP (Exposure Response Prevention) with a great T was game-changing for me. I still get it every day but it no longer competes with my depression and chronic pain for first place in the "worst thing in my life" league any more.

HTH