Healthy Anxiety and OCD on ASBESTOS/EMF

[Ez94]

Hi,

Wanted to voice and get some help on my health anxiety. I had a period in my life, during my teens where I was the most stress and anxious free, but in my childhood and in my early adulthood now, my health anxiety has started to creep back in.

I have just started my MHCP and saw a psychologist for the first time the other day, since I was 9/10.

My health anxieties were very small the big with over the last year, with little stresses here and there, but in the last 3 months I feel it has become an all consuming and exhausting thing!

The main thing I am worried about is Asbestos. I know it was banned a while ago now, but to my knowledge there are still fences and homes that still may contain it.

My uncle moved to a new home and low and behold his fences were asbestos. My cousins were playing outside and the soccer ball was hitting the fence at times and made me think to an obsessive amount that fibres could've made it onto the ball/my cousins clothes etc and then transferred to my car and then to my house and all my belongings etc. There was no physical damage or breakage of the fence, but it still concerns me to this day.

I am so aware of the effects it could have, that I am now hyper aware of where asbestos could be in the environment?? I.e could it be in my families house roof( we recently moved to a new house) My stepdad cleaned the gutters the other day and had to climb on the roof and over the cement tiling and I am worried that Maybe something has broken or cracked or something and that his clothes and any items that he had with him and what he touches in the house may affect me.

It already seems to be affecting me as I don't want to using the washing machine and I worried to walk bare foot in the house or sit on the couch, and constantly washing my skin.

I feel so embarrassed to want to ask and get reassured that it isn’t asbestos, but worried I will be judged for what seems to be to be silly worries.

There are two family members with cancer and the last thing I want is to be sick.

I am also concerned about EMF and the introduction to 5G and the potential health concerns there. I am also turning my phone to airplane mode all the time.. but as I am in a family home, I sleep close to the modem 😞

what advice does everyone have? 🙂 Thank you in advance!!
sorry for the long rant hahaha.

[geoff]

Hello Ez, and a warm welcome to the forums.

I'm pleased that your mental health plan has begun, but it's a worry that asbestosis is a great concern.

'Asbestos has not been used in domestic building materials since the 1980s but it was not until 31 December 2003 that asbestos and all products containing asbestos were banned throughout Australia.

Can I ask you, by new home does it mean another house and not a brand new place, which is maybe what you are saying.

I realise you have OCD, just as I do, plus someone very close to me also suffers from it and has also had a great concern about an old shed on his property and whether or not it contains asbestos, after talking with him, the shed has been removed by the appropriate people.

Asbestos and OCD maybe two different issues, but if they are both combined can certainly cause a great fear as I've experienced from the person close to me.

We hope to hear back from you so we can continue this concern.

Geoff.

[Ez94]

Hi Geoff,

Thanks for replying!

It is another house, not a brand new home.
I was told the home is about 20 years old. But the roofing is like clay tiling...

It also came to my concern that fragments/small palm sized pieces of fence were found when my parents were doing gardening and pulling out old plants etc. Whether it was super six fence Asbestos fence or not, I am unsure?

My parents put the few pieces in a box and left it near the bin, but I am inclined to get the council EHO to come and check it out.

is it silly to want to ask the EHO? Especially considering the house doesnt have any asbestos fences anymore and it could just have been remains from previous owners before the new fences went up?

I am worried my dogs would be at risk too!

This asbestos concern just seems to creep back haha.

[geoff]

Hello Ez94, asbestos roofing came in sheets, rather than the terracotta tiles that are currently used or colour bond sheeting.

If the house is 20 years old, I don't believe asbestos would be on the roof, especially if the house is made out of bricks built after 1990.

After 1985 the 'Super Six fence' was replaced by a similar looking product known as Hardifence which eliminated the deadly asbestos fibres.

If however, the fence which you may feel as though it's asbestos, it will be if it has a capping on top of it if it's NOT timber or tin, but an old worn cloth looking like material.

When builders finish building the house they use all the debris to fill the holes, so the material could be asbestos, I can't say, but if you are concerned you can contact in Vic. www.asbestos.vic.gov.au › about › contact-us, other States will be similar.

I know that you have to bag material several times, however, is there someone near you who handles asbestos.

Keen to know.

Geoff.

[Ez94]

Hi Geoff,

Yeah, the house was built around '96. And of brick, so you are probably right about the roof.

I am more concerned about the pieces of fibre cement that my parents found in the garden when digging up soil during gardening. From my understanding they are just pieces that were found in the dirt, but I am unsure whether it is hardifence or not, so I am going to get it tested to ease my worry.

We have colour bond fences.

If it is asbestos 'super six' fence, what is the likelihood that fibres were released from those small pieces if the shovel stabbed it, or my parents touched it? and then would it go on to clothing/shoes? I am now so worried that it has contaminated everything in the house and even the washing machine. I think the fibres are everywhere now.

What advice do you have? is it worth forking out $100 to get it tested?, because say if it was, is it even a huge risk and should I be losing sleep on everything being contaminated, and from second hand exposure? It is really worrying me.

thank you!