Food poisoning/germ anxiety

[Mumworrier]

Hello,

I am new here and just coming to terms with the fact I likely have anxiety/OCD. I am currently spinning myself out because I let my children lick the beaters when we made cookies and now am sure I have given them salmonella. It is exhausting in my head and each day I get through feels like I have just barely survived. As there always is at schools there is a vomity big going around at the moment and from the second I hear about it, I feel sick and unwell. My body cooperates with my anxiety and I do often have an upset stomach etc which compounds it. I could hardly eat at a friends house the other day because I had no idea how long the roast chicken had been sitting out for. I am planning on going for help soon because I can’t continue to live like this but can anyone give me some reassurances in the meantime?

[Croix]

Dear Mumworrier~
I’m glad you came and posted here at the Forum, you are most welcome and hopefully people here can help ease your anxiety.

The problem with anxiety conditions is that that skew our thinking. The thoughts latch on to something that is basically pretty reasonable – that spoiled food can make you ill – and apply that knowledge to ordinary situations that do not warrant it.

So you take all the knowledge of what happens when spoiled food is consumed and apply it to perfectly OK matters.

There is no reason to think beaters used in your cooking are a source of anything except cake-mix or whatever. Perfectly wholesome.

Normal domestic cooking practices work fine. If they didn’t there would be no population :) A chicken normally cooked and served is not going to be a hazard.

You are right in saying your body reacts to anxiety – mine does too. I’ve no idea what the technical reasons are, however in my case it a straight cause and effect.

I’m very glad you are going to seek help. It does take professional help to get out of this way of thinking, and that may mean meds and hopefully therapy.

Perhaps in the meantime talking to someone you have faith in about each incident as it happens may give a little perspective

Please feel you can talk here as often as you’d like

Croix

[Mumworrier]

Thank you for your response. I look back to how relaxed I used to be with cooking and germs and wonder how that could have been me! I freak out for days after any risky exposure and usually everything is fine and I look back and wonder why I wasted all that time feeling so anxious and consumed. Looking forward to getting back to a place where the world doesn’t seem so frightening.

[something_missing]

hi mum worrier. i am 56 yr old male and when married had to boys and lived on a farm. we killed our own meat grew vegies , played in the mud when it rained ,yeah, had a great time. god knows what else they got up to but really ,i know mums have a built in protection mode but i feel u r worrying to much. i know easier said than done but a little bit of dirt & germs are not such a bad thing . helps build the immune system.and while u r worrying so much u r also draging yourself down . which in turn will make u feel like crap. germs r a part of life and i am sure ur kids r healthy happy little vegemites.my to boys r now happy not so little vegemites. anxeity and the body do seem to work together which can be very annoying. any way i hope this helps a bit and i am sure you r a wonderful mum .life is great keep smiling