I feel everything in the world is dirty, what's wrong with me?

Hello, host! I'm July.

I understand your question, and I'm here to help. Let's work through this together.

From your description, it's clear that you're in a forced situation. You said you repeatedly check things before going out, even though you've done so many times. You still feel there's something wrong. You also feel the whole world is dirty. When you get home, you desperately try to wash away the dirt you encounter to relieve your anxiety.

Let's start with the basics: OCD is characterized by obsessive thoughts, compulsive urges, or compulsive behaviors.

Let me be clear: your obsessive thoughts can be understood in this way. Take the example of repeatedly checking to see if the door is locked before you leave the house. This clearly shows how your obsessive thoughts work. You think that if you don't lock the door, a thief will break in or something bad will happen. So you keep thinking this way, to the point where you keep checking to see if the door is locked.

You are compelled to repeatedly check whether the door is closed properly to reduce your anxiety through behavior.

You know the above-mentioned thoughts and behaviors are unnecessary and abnormal. You know you're acting against your own will, but you can't stop them. They make you feel deeply anxious and painful.

I have also summarized ways to help alleviate the situation. I am confident that these will help you.

(1) Relax, take things slowly, and don't put too much pressure on yourself. You're doing great, so don't make it harder on yourself.

(2) Talk about your thoughts and feelings with a close friend or family member. This will help you release your emotions rather than suppressing them.

(3) If conditions permit, seek professional psychological help, rather than resisting psychotherapy. People can get sick not only physically but also mentally. Don't be overly concerned about worldly thoughts. Use yourself as a starting point to help yourself.

(4) You can relieve your anxiety and tension through relaxation therapies like deep breathing and meditation.

(5) You can reduce your obsessive behavior through specific methods. Set rules to limit your obsessive thoughts and behaviors. For example, at first, you can only check the door lock three times, and then reduce the number of times after a certain period of time, so as to reduce the impact of obsessive thoughts on yourself.

(6) Give yourself positive self-suggestions instead of indulging in compulsive thoughts and behaviors.

The world and I love you.

Take care.

Hello! I just wanted to give you a big hug from afar.

I just wanted to say well done for being aware of your obsessive behavior. It's a great start to making some positive changes!

Your relationship with the outside world is a reflection of your connection with your inner self. It's understandable that you might feel a bit disconnected from the world around you, as your inner self might not be fully accepting of who you are.

Your compulsive repetitive behavior is really about trying to relieve the anxiety and unease caused by your inner self's lack of acceptance. It's totally normal to have this kind of inner critic! It's just that sometimes we're not very aware of this part of ourselves. So, we unconsciously fantasize about a perfect self to ease the frustration of not being good enough.

So, compulsive behavior is often driven by an inner self that is overly perfect. This inner self is like a harsh little instructor, constantly criticizing and rejecting the real self that is not good enough.

The good news is that you can change your compulsive behavior! All you have to do is learn to accept yourself, let go of the expectation of perfection, and allow yourself to be out of control. You'll see both the deficiencies and inadequacies in yourself, as well as the bright spots and advantages.

You might find it helpful to try relaxation training, desensitization therapy, or to cultivate some interests and hobbies for yourself and try doing some sports you like. Anything that can relax you is worth a try!

Hi, I'm Lily, the little ear of the Q&A Museum. I just wanted to say that the world and I love you!