In the worst stage of his disease Jonas washed 60 Times a day, the hands – so long to the hand of bloody Furrows back, stay back.
After the shopping, he cleans minutes all the food: Who knows who has touched, he tells himself.
Jonas, whose real Name is actually different, has a Problem: He belongs to two percent of the German population, who have a obsessive compulsive disorder.
Fear of infection with the Coronavirus
In the long term, more patients of obsessive-compulsive disorder are due to the Corona-pandemic – especially washing compulsions – ill, such as psychiatry specialist Andreas choice predicts-cordon.
Due to the high presence of the pandemic in the media, many fear that otherwise would have had nothing to do with enforced and “contamination fears” to get.
The current situation meet but disease is also a “good breeding ground” for people with existing constraint, such as choice-cordon, the Director of the Oberberg clinic Schwarzwald, reported.
In his youth, Jonas teased, changing the school and pulls back. In 2011, Jonas’ father dies of a heart attack. “Since it started,” he says.
The then eleven-year-old listens carefully to his heartbeat. You heard him, similar to his father? In the case of chest pains, he goes to the doctor. In the case of a Crack in the neck, he thinks of a broken neck and goes at night to the hospital.
The trigger for an obsessive compulsive disorder
According to Dietrich Munz, President of the Federal chamber of psychotherapists, are compulsive disorders such as in Jonas’ case, is often associated with a blow of fate.
“Stress and serious life events, such as the death or serious illness of family members can play a role.”
But family conflicts can trigger constraints. Obsessive thoughts, which later forced actions can occur, based according to the choice-cordon also on the genetic predisposition.
Jonas thinks that he might have rabies. He reads on the Internet from the viral infection that is usually transmitted through animal bites to humans.
Actually, he always finds the note, that the disease in Europe was largely eradicated, but he feels increasingly threatened.
“The infections are in the parts per thousand range, but for me, it felt like night-time searches in the Internet, such as a ten percent probability,” he says. He is now in the forest, because he feared to infect there.
Compulsive disorders usually begin in youth, such as mental health specialist option-cordon says. Who consults on the verge of Leaving the house, whether the stove is really off, don’t be ill, he says.
The Compulsion would have to occur almost every day, and a total of about an hour to continue to speak of a disease.
When is a Tick to the Problem?
As long as the pressure is not high and you miss washing any important events due to excessive hands, keeps Wolf Hartmann, it is not a problem.
He is the managing Director of the German society compulsive disorders (DGZ), and like the example of a student in the US, with a day trip to Mexico, poor hygienic conditions and experienced with disgust back to the USA departs.
Back in his lodging he experienced the showers to be a blessing to a burden, and later developed a compulsion.
In 90 percent of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder has a parent itself is a Form of anxiety disorder, says psychologist Oliviero Lombardi from Stuttgart.
“The Patients do not need to be made clear that the fear comes from outside, but from themselves,” he says.
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The Known, the knowledge of Jonas ‘ illness fears, not to stamp him: introduce yourself, tell him. He is aware that his behavior is limiting him more and more everyday.
Jonas thinks about suicide, before deciding in February for a therapy. The current Corona pandemic makes Jonas in addition to create.
He is still a little more cautious than before: He changes the side of the road to avoid contact with others, or uses gloves when he takes off money.
Jonas is afraid that his therapy progress in the Corona of the world to be made with clearance rules and mask obligation at issue.
“Finally, all of them are like me”
Jonas is afraid of the Virus, but also feels relief: “Now everyone is acting like I have no Corona earlier behavior.”
In the practice of a psychologist, Lombardi was recently a client, who told him how gorgeous it was: “Finally, all of them are like me. I have never felt so good as now.”
Psychologist Lombardi expects new patients to the pandemic – but only if the real danger had passed. Many of his patients had no major Fears of the Coronavirus, because the risk is too concrete. They often think of diseases that are more abstract.
“When the crisis is over, then it will certainly be a whole lot left, in which an obsessive-compulsive disorder”, says Hartmann of the DGZ.
The Federal chamber of psychotherapists holding an increase in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorders in the current Situation to be realistic. Sure, the could not yet say. Z
wangsgedanken in the case of already sick people, could get worse by Corona. Mental illnesses such as depression could also deteriorate or patients ill new about it.
Jonas learns in therapies of various techniques – in addition, he takes antidepressants. What is for others to Walk on hot coals for him, to touch with the Hand on the doorknob and then his face.
The fear of rabies to get rid of, he circles through the under-wood in the forest, and in burrows.
It will, however, better: “If I have been through, then that is a nice feeling. As a load of a fall would be.”
In the future, he wants to make his diploma in the health care sector. The washing of hands has become less. For him it is a success: Now he washes himself only 10 to 15 Times a day the hands.
Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa)
*The contribution of “Excessive Hygiene: Corona-crisis could be released will cause more people washing compulsion” by FitForFun. Contact with the executives here.