Cleaning mania can be a disease called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or simply, OCD. In addition to being a psychological disorder that can cause discomfort for the person himself, this habit of wanting everything clean, can cause allergies in those who live in the same house.
Dirt and germs present in our daily lives are partly responsible for strengthening our immune system, especially during childhood,
helping the body to build its own defenses. For this reason, excessive cleaning and the use of products that promise to kill 99.9% of germs can be detrimental to the construction of the necessary defenses, damaging health.
Signs that Cleaning Mania is a disease
When the obsession with keeping the house clean grows and becomes the main task of the day, this may be a sign that it has become a psychological disorder.
Some of the signs that may indicate the presence of an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder due to cleanliness and organization include:
- Spend more than 3 hours a day cleaning the house; Presence of redness or sores on the hands, which indicate the constant need to repeatedly wash or disinfect the hands; Exaggerated concern about dirt, germs or mites and always disinfecting the sofa and the refrigerator, for example; Failing to participate in social events, such as birthday parties, so as not to waste time; Do not let events take place in the house, because it must always be clean, at all times; in the most serious cases, the family itself may be restricted to certain rooms in the house and never receive visitors, so as not to soil the floor; constant need to check if everything is clean or in place; Need to clean objects that are not usually cleaned, such as credit card, cell phone, milk carton, or car key, for example.
Cleaning mania becomes a disorder when habits stop being healthy and become a daily obligation, and dominate the person's life, and in the presence of these symptoms it is recommended to consult a psychologist or psychiatrist.
Usually the symptoms start slowly and gradually intensify. Initially the person starts washing his hands repeatedly, and then starts washing his hands and arms and then starts washing up to his shoulder, every time he remembers, which can happen every hour.
How to treat OCD for cleanliness and organization
Treatment for OCD due to cleanliness and organization, which is a mental illness, is done with the advice of a psychologist or psychiatrist because it may be necessary to take antidepressant medication, which reduces anxiety, and to undergo psychotherapy. Usually the affected people also suffer from other disorders such as anxiety and depression and therefore need professional help in order to overcome this disease.
The drugs can take up to 3 months to start having the expected effect, but to complement this treatment, cognitive-behavioral therapy can be done, because this association is the best strategy to cure OCD. Find out more details about treatment for OCD here.
When this disease is not treated, the symptoms remain for a lifetime, with only an attenuation or worsening of the symptoms.
