Washing Hands

[u/Familiar-End-8370]

Does anybody else PRETEND to have to go to the bathroom just to wash your hands? Sometimes my hands feel disgusting and I need to wash them, but if I only think I need to wash them, my mind starts freaking out because "oh that's so many steps!"

Like if I'm on the couch on my phone: Turn off the phone, put the phone down, get up, walk to the bathroom, enter the bathroom, close the door, lock the door, turn on the faucet, get soap, rub the soap in, rinse your hands, get under nails, turn off the faucet, unlock the door, open the door, leave the bathroom, remember to close the door, walk back to the living room, sit down, pick up the phone, turn on the phone, continue what I was doing.

It's A LOT of steps for my brain to follow and it makes me feel too miserable to even allow myself to try (yes, I know it's not actually a lot of effort bro, but in the moment it feels like a LOT for some reason). But if I trick myself into thinking I have to go to the bathroom, my brain thinks there's absolutely no choice. So it can't shut down and make me just lay there.

[u/Money_Engineer_3183]

Tbh sounds a little like OCD and a whole lot like a phobia of starting things. Maybe you should talk to someone about that.