Hepatitis C and Sensitive Skin

[Dmitriy1982]

I had a severe version of ocd that's slowly getting better after hospitalization and correct medication. I used hand sanitizers and I think permanently damaged my skin on my hands 3 years ago. My skin cracks very easily and uncontrollable during cold months.  I used Lubriderm and Eucerin and they help sometimes but I still manage to get the breaks in my skin. My ocd is not completely gone and I still wash my hands with dove sensitive skin soap and liquid antibacterial soap when I need to clean something on the sink.
Hepatitis c lives outside the body for up to 4 days and it freaks me out when my hands crack and blood comes out of them. I am very scared to shake hands, touch objects such as door knobs and so on.
What can I do to have a more normal life without putting anyone at risk. I was stabbed 5 times with a 13" knife and strangers saved my life. Most things people do have some level of risk, my brain can't take any risk and I struggle.
If I put sanitizer on my hands now my hands instantly crack like an allergic reaction.
Tags: Hepatit

[Dmitriy1982]

I tried talking to myself and to a degree it has helped me. Before hospitalization OCD mentally paralyzed my judgement and made me clean after the bathroom for 3 hours now its 5 or 10 minutes.
If I had a guest come over and leave without washing hands I cleaned my entire building because strangers saved my life.
Right now after a lot of meds and partial hospitalization I am doing a bit better.
I was stabbed 5 times with a 13" knife and strangers saved my life.
Right now I had a paper cut from a soap box and I am freaking out about it because of my hep c.
My gums are bleeding when I brush them and if I eat a sandwich at the hospital I cant just get up and leave it because hep c lives outside the body for 4 days but my doctors and mental health therapists are telling me not to clean because the risk is very small.
The problem for me is the chance that I survived my trauma and the chance of me giving someone hep c is the same.

[JGF25]

During those 6 weeks did they implement any cognitive behavioral strategies for you to fall back on when you are stressed and the hand washing becomes more of a problem?  You know at some point you are going to have to say ENOUGH.  I like the book Self-Coaching by Joseph Luciani because it helps you to talk to yourself.  So for instance if I'm afraid I will have a panic attack, I talk to myself in my head and say things like "bring it on, I can handle it" because none of them have killed me before so what's a little bit of discomfort.  AND I don't have one because of it.  Maybe a bit of self-coaching would help you.  

[Dmitriy1982]

Hello,

Thanks for the reply
I am washing my hands much less than before but still a lot more than an average person. I was hospitalized for ocd for 6 weeks and that really helped my overall health.

[JGF25]

I think you need to continue your therapy.  Is somebody working with you to curb your handwashing?  It takes time.  It has become a habit for you and it needs to be broken.  How many times are you washing your hands daily?