How often do you wash your hands?

[amarkham01]

Is seems there are a lot of different "types" of emetophobics. I am just wondering if you all would be so kind as to answer a question for me. I have to do an honours thesis next year, and need to find a supervisor. I"m leaning more towards the neuropsych guy as my supervisor and he's more into memory and stuff, but another doctor who actually asked me to work with her is more into the OCD type stuff, and I could probably get away with something emetophobia related with her, if I could find something interesting enough. Anyways, this is only a very small piece, but I'm just interested in finding out if there is a correlation between two things.

First part: handwashing. Some of us are big, preventative, compulsive handwashers. Others, don't much worry about it.

Second part: It seems (to me, anyways) there are two sort of types of "self-vomiting-fearing-emetophobics" First, those of us who are primarily focused/concerned with other people's state of health, preventing their own future illness, catching things from others, (co-workers kids are sick, they panic) sort of thing (PREVENTING ILLNESS TYPE). Obviously we would all freak if someone in our house was sick, I'm talking about those of us who are all about the prevention. If they don't know anyone who's sick, they typically feel good, phobia-wise. They are likely to have a panic attack just because they've been around someone who was sick recently. They may avoid many many different foods out of fear.

The other 'type' (ALREADY SICK TYPE) are more focused on their own CURRENT bodily sensations. They think they're actually ill very often (and aren't). (I'm ALREADY sick, I don't know where I got it, but I know I have it), less concern about foods, but anxious very often thinking they're already ill. They may have a panic attack just because something doesn't feel quite right. They feel ill very often and may be pre-occupied with their own bodily sensations.

I am not sure if this makes sense. I tried to explain it as best as I could. I'm sure many of us are both, but just choose the one that best describes you.

This is obviously not including those emetophobics who only fear others vomiting but I'll put a place for you to vote too Thanks!

Of course some of us are both, and some of us are neither. I am going to try to include as many options as possible.

[turbokinetic]

I wash my hands alot but my line of work makes this necassary. I work on things that get oil and grease on my hands.

My phobia only centered around my own getting sick; and only when I thought I might already be sick. But I mistook all sorts of things as "getting sick omens" that were not.

The thought of others getting sick causes me an adrenaline rush, but not panic.

Later,
David

[amarkham01]

I should have thought more about the wording of the options. But there is no way to delete or edit the poll, so I guess it's stuck.

[pretendworld_]

This is quite interesting. I answered the poll with the first option as I only wash my hands before preparing food, after using the bathroom, if my hands are dirty and when I come home from the shops. I'm definately not obsessive about it but my main goal is to avoid ALL kinds of illness, mainly spread from other people. I freak out massively using public bathrooms and convince myself everytime I use one that I will get s* from it.

[hairyfairy]

I think people in this country ( england) are not nearly as hygeinic as they should be. Whenever I use a public toilet, all too often it`s in a terrible state, no soap, & often no peper, either, & the last person to use it has`nt even bothered to flush. If someone is too lazy to flush, they won`t be bothered about handwashing. I wash my hands every time use the bathroom, even at home. If everyone did that, there would`nt be nearly as many people coming down with SVs as there is at the moment. I don`t much like shaking hands with people, as I`ve heard that unwashed hands can spread bugs faster than anything else.

[SaSa]

I wash my hands an awful lot. People tell me I do it a vit too much but it is one of the ways I cope with my phobia.

[StaceySGMW]

Far too much, I admit, but, it gives me peace of mind and I know *touch wood* I can't catch anything that way.

[ButterfliesInHerEyes]

Way more than necessary.