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Kaija
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Member Since: Sep 2019
Location: Europe
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Default Sep 05, 2019 at 02:51 AM
  #1
Greetings,

I have some questions about a close family member. I cannot figure out what mental health issue this is?


Information/Story:


She is in mid fifties. I believe all this started to manifest around 15 years ago when there was a trigger moment.

She had a known acquaintance visiting once and afterwards she found out he had hepatitis C. People say she freaked out about it since she shook his hand and was nervous she might have caught the virus.

Afterwards, pretty much everything that person had touched became "dirty". Like you could wash it, disinfect it to the extreme but it would always remain dirty.

This accumulated gradually over the years like a chain reaction. If some health person touched a door knob that was "dirty" and then touched a plate or anything else, that other thing also became forever "dirty".

Now this has become more and more noticeable where she can no longer flip light switches without have something to protect the skin like a rubber glove. Or if somewhere else on the street or sidewalk she notices that it could be blood or vomit, she will no longer go over that spot even months later.

Additional information:

Multiple people have in the family have tried to talk and help her numerous times. Try to explain that there are people with many infection in the world and what she is doing is for a lack of a better word "insane". Tried to make her understand with logic and examples but nothing works.

Other than this, she seems completely normal and around unknown people she behaves "normal". For example, dishes at house are "dirty" but dishes in public places are fine even if many people have eaten from them.

Long term wise, people say she always have been very nervous and stressful. Freaking out and even crying before exams but then getting top grades, always checking multiple times if the door is locked, the stove is turned off, etc.

Questions:

Is this a delusion disorder?
How can we help her to get better?
How can we get her to doctor if she does not want to go and there is no danger to anyone from this issue and she is functional overall?
Could the be a hereditary illness?

Thank You for Your time!
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Thanks for this!
Skeezyks

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Smile Sep 05, 2019 at 03:14 PM
  #2
Hello Kaija: I noticed this is your first post here on PC. So... welcome to Psych Central.

We here on PC cannot suggest mental health diagnoses. However, since your post was moved from the General Q & A forum here to the OCD forum, that presumably suggests that someone in admin thought what your family member is dealing with may be Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. And based on what you wrote, while I'm not a mental health professional, I'd say that's likely a pretty good guess. But it is important to note only a mental health professional can diagnose your family member. (We here on PC would not be in a position to say whether or not what your family member is experiencing has a hereditary component to it.)

Since it sounds as though you're here primarily for a family member one additional forum, here on PC, that may be of interest to you would be the Partners of People & Caregivers forum. Here's a link:

https://psychcentralforums.com/partn...ivers-support/

And then here are links to 8 articles, Psych Central's archives, that (hopefully) may be of help in coming to an understanding of what may be going on with your family member & how to help:

10 Things You Should Know About Delusions | Caregivers, Family & Friends

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) | Psych Central

11 Ways to Help a Loved One in Denial

How to Persuade Your Loved One to Seek Professional Help

https://psychcentral.com/lib/15-ways...illness/?all=1

https://blogs.psychcentral.com/careg...dium=popular17

https://psychcentral.com/blog/9-thin...ental-illness/

https://blogs.psychcentral.com/careg...dium=popular17

I hope you find PC to be of benefit.

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"I may be older but I am not wise / I'm still a child's grown-up disguise / and I never can tell you what you want to know / You will find out as you go." (from: "A Nightengale's Lullaby" - Julie Last)
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Kaija
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Default Sep 06, 2019 at 08:34 AM
  #3
Thank You very much!
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