At home, when a family member or yourself are sick, what should you do? Clean and disinfect! You go to all door knobs and handles; furniture and light switches and you disinfect them to ensure that the sickness isn’t contracted by anyone else. This is not pathological, but rather good hygiene and best practice.
In the workplace, if someone is sick, the same process is done. Each staff cleans during their shift, to ensure no one else gets sick. Just like you would at home (while being mindful that our facilities are also congregate settings, demanding perhaps even more rigorous methods).
And as many of know, during the Coronavirus, cleaning was done more frequently and more in depth to ensure no one got sick. If someone was sick, it would not affect other staff or persons within the workplace. When the pandemic hit, it was seen to affect others more than some, especially those with obsessive compulsive disorder. So, when does a “best practice,” such as cleaning, become counterproductive? Where is the point of diminishing returns?
According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), obsessive compulsive disorder is a “disorder in which people have recurring, unwanted thoughts, ideas or sensations (obsessions) that make them feel driven to do something repetitively (compulsions). The repetitive behaviors, such as hand washing, checking on things or cleaning, can significantly interfere with a person’s daily activities and social interactions.” So, the crux of the matter is impact. To what extent do the cons outweigh the pros? But how do we know when we cross that line?
I have seen first-hand how this affects someone with obsessive compulsive disorder: the cleaning supplies were running out faster, the individual washed their hands more frequently, and the worry was high. Once the vaccines started being distributed en masse, and the talk of the coronavirus declined, I noticed the individual’s excessive cleaning and worry were reduced. There is no longer a shortage on cleaning supplies, gloves, or every day necessities. While staff are still doing the appropriate amount of cleaning at my facilities, to ensure an illness isn’t contracted form one another, the supplies are lasting longer. Perhaps the folks with OCD or OCD-related symptoms can rest a little bit easier.
So how do we know when our well-intended behaviors start to become excessive? At what point does “it’s better to be safe than sorry” become counterproductive? One “reality check” is to seek guidance from the experts. Places like the CDC, World Health Organization, or the policies more specific to our very own facilities can be great resources to give you an idea of how fastidious one should be when it comes to cleaning and the like.