r/OCD•
jake354k89

Best friend lectured me about just "resisting" my hand sanitizer compulsions after I explained why I have to have it with me.

I need support - advice welcome

I was pretty upset yesterday and when I was hanging out with my best friend, he asked me what was wrong. I told him about how my compulsions seemed to be getting worse, and they're horrible and throw me into a tailspin every time I have to wash my hands one more time, or spend more money on hand sanitizer.

They seemed to get angry and lectured me about how I'm just being irrational, and I should just tell myself that hand sanitizer isn't as good as washing hands anyway, and I should just resist it. I told him that I'm trying and he said that I have a choice, I can just not do it and that I'm self sabotaging by "giving in" to my compulsions. He also said he experienced the exact same thing and he just resists it.

I honestly don't know how to communicate to him how horrible it is, and that I'm doing therapy to try and help myself. He acts like it's entirely my choice and that I'm an asshole for even having compulsions at all. They don't affect him, and they're unobtrusive. I'm trying to work on it, but he gets upset every time I use hand sanitizer even though it doesn't affect him. I just don't know how to communicate this to him.

Posted Jan 4, 2023, 6:24 PM UTC

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