Apart from the ongoing Corona crisis and the repeated advices from our doctors and health experts to wash hands frequently, and keep the chances of getting affected by the virus away, washing hands is one of the best ways to keep away various illnesses including food-borne illnesses, colds, flu, and other infections and diseases. However, many people are too worried about picking up germs from public places including railway stations, airports, public toilets, etc., and avoid touching surfaces since they might be infested by bacteria and viruses. They frequently take refuge in remedies like antibacterial soaps, hand sanitizers, etc., so as to minimize the possible risks.
For many of them, taking these precautions temporarily put their concerns away, and they make this habit a part of their everyday routine. However, for the others, such cleanliness concern might unfurl itself as some obsession, eventually leading to ritualized and compulsive behavior, which might prove to be affecting their health in the long run, instead!
Such obsessive phobia of dirt and germs resulting in the compulsion of washing the hands from time to time has been vividly discussed in the books of psychology as one of the commonest manifestations of what we call OCD or, ‘obsessive-compulsive disorder’.
For the victims of such disorder, handwashing keeps no connection with cleanliness or hygiene and turns out to be an extreme condition of psychosis, the real purpose of which is to get rid of the fear and anxiety of being exposed to germs ‘lurking all around them’. The difference between obsessive-compulsive disorder and the genuine concern about germs is based on the intensity to which the issue disrupts and affects the lives of the victims, and even dominates them.
OCD, as a disorder, is characterized by uncontrollable imaginations and phobias that induce ritualized and repetitive psychotic behaviors to varying degrees that the victims carry on as a subconscious attempt to drive out their obsessive thoughts from within. The victims of this disorder usually begin to understand that the compulsive behaviors and obsessions that they nurture are far from rational thoughts; however, by then, they are so much engrossed in it that they do not get the natural confidence of resisting them.
The sufferers of obsessive-compulsive disorder with their characteristic compulsions of hand-washing are trapped with a fear of contaminating different things like food, clothes, children, and so on, and keep washing the hands over and over again, until their hands end up being raw, coarse, chapped, and, at times, even bleeding. Some victims of the disorder might as well ritualize the entire hand-washing process in their own ways, e.g., washing fingers individually, often in a particular order. If an interruption occurs, they might as well feel compelled to start the process all over again.
Interestingly, those who are too much concerned about dirt and germs will apply soap on their hands very cautiously, and might even avoid turning off the water in fear of touching the faucet and end up contaminating their hands again. They are often seen liberally using hand sanitizers between two washes. On the contrary, people suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder will rarely end their hand-cleaning process at one go, i.e., a single washing. Even after several washings, they feel it is still not enough, and the anxiety of contamination continues throughout the day even to the extent of affecting and interrupting their normal thought processes, eventually even disrupting their personal lives and relationships.
Till date, the real or actual cause of the OCD has not been pointed out in particular by any psychiatrist or researcher, but, in general, it is thought to have been backed by quite a few factors, including psychological, biological, and even environmental. Though scientists understand that changes in the thought process or brains of the sufferers of OCD do take place, no test or scan has been seen to be able to detect or diagnose it in particular.
Presently, OCD is diagnosed usually based on comprehensive interview sessions conducted by an expert, a mental health professional, or by a counselor. Medication, psychotherapy, or both, can usually treat obsessive-compulsive disorder effectively. This particularly includes CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), a structured, short-term technique, which focuses on adopting ways to deal with various obsessive thoughts without resorting to the characteristic behaviors associated to the syndrome.
If you start to believe that you are developing chances of the disorder, you can begin with asking yourself these questions:
If the answer to a few of the above questions is ‘yes’, then it probably indicates that you are vulnerable to the disorder. In such a case, it is advisable that you talk to an experienced psychologist, a specialist, or a counselor. You do not, however, need to live with further depression or anxiety of facing a treatment or counseling, since OCD is readily treatable.
Research has shown that there is probably a link between stress and skin issues. So, consider taking some time for self-care in order to reduce mental stress.
In case your prolonged or ignored skin issues give you eczema, go for prescribed medications. Your skin specialist might give you steroids creams for local application, or a course of antibiotic to be taken orally.
Try a good quality moisturizer lotion or cream several times a day to help your skin retain moisture and seal the damaged skin back into place.
If you need to frequently immerse your hands in water (like, while washing clothes or dishes), go for a pair of gloves to prevent the water from constantly wetting your skin. This will retain natural oils in your hands.
Ultraviolet or UV light therapy have been seen to be effective for some cases of psoriasis; however, you need to talk to the specialist before considering UV therapy.
Consult your doctor if you think you need a wet dressing, since, skin that has formed cracks because of dryness need to be treated with this treatment to help your hands heal completely.
In order to get a pair of baby-soft palms, apply some hand lotion or a petroleum jelly (like Vaseline), hydrocortisone cream, a heavy-duty moisturizer, or any prescription cream that containing lactic acid or urea, and keep them covered using a pair of soft socks or hand gloves. This will help trap the moisturizer in a better way and so that your skin can absorb it thoroughly.
