u/WealthOrganic8963

I am going to be living in an apartment for college this upcoming school year, and I'm going to be having roommates for the first time (2, to be exact). They're both my friends. Thing is, I have mild/moderate contamination OCD, which obviously is a hurdle. My main issue is the kitchen. I don't care what they do around the apartment (I mean, I do, but I can cope with it totally fine). I'm just so afraid about using the kitchen when I know it's going to be contaminated by people coming inside with their contaminated outside clothes, and what if my roommates don't wash their hands immediately when they come inside and then start doing things in the kitchen?? It makes me feel panicky since then I'm going to be using those appliances and those food items to make my own food, which in turn could make me sick (you know, cause they're contaminated from people not washing and changing when they come in). I'm aware I probably sound like an annoying bitch to y'all (and you're totally valid for thinking that). *I* feel annoying and overbearing, but not setting any boundaries about the kitchen and eating contaminated food makes me feel like crying. And wiping down all the appliances every time I want to use them is way too much. what do I do? How would you feel living with me? Would you care if I set a couple simple rules about the kitchen only, or would you be like 'bitch please'? please advise.

Note: I am aware my OCD is my problem and I need to deal with it myself and not make it everyone else's problem. I am in no way going to dictate what my friends do around the apartment because that's crazy. It's just the kitchen that I need to stay at least somewhat sanitary.

as we speak, my dad's about 10-15 feet away from me eating chips and it sounds like he's eating in my ear. I can hear every crunch, the spit in his mouth, I can hear when he opens his mouth, and the squelch when he swallows. Yes, it's a literal, audible, almost painful-sounding squelching noise. And he's belching and sighing and groaning on top of that. just constant grotesque noises of all varieties. he always sounds like this. if he's eating downstairs and im sitting at the top of the stairs, I can still hear him chewing without even straining my ears. it's just constant, I dread every time he eats. I used to leave the room or turn on the microwave fan but I have been stopped from doing so since I've been told by my mom, 'it'll make him develop a complex' which I understand. but like dude. this is my house too and every day I become increasingly more aware of the noises *I* make when eating even if they're barely audible. it makes my insides recoil. I struggle to eat at the same time as him because the sounds make me want to gag. he's eating peanuts too, shaking them into his hands and tossing it into his mouth and smacking and smacking and smacking, which he also always does. literally just the noise of a can of peanuts shaking triggers me now, almost as bad as the eating noises. I cannot stand it. before we sat down to eat at the Thanksgiving table last year, I tried to turn the TV up discreetly (we usually don't just have the TV running but we did have it on the parade or dog show or whatever it was on) and my mom made me turn it back down. enduring that meal was the ultimate challenge - I had to force myself to eat through my disgust while simultaneously not displaying any disgust on my face, and I was successful, but I hated every second. I only became like this maybe two years ago or so. I wish I could go back to not being disgusted by my father. I feel like a terrible person because of all the rage simply hearing him eat induces in me. And any kind of coping mechanism I try to do, discreet or indiscreet, is still noticeable and bad since it will give dad a complex. I must endure terrible feelings so others aren't affected by me and my stupid problems. it's gotten a bit better since I've been home for the summer and have had essentially exposure therapy to him eating in my damned ear 24/7, but still. every time I hear him swallow so loudly (I mean genuinely, an honest-to-god SQUELCH, I can't describe it), my stomach shrivels up. how do I kill this stupid disorder? Just keep listening to him eat in my ear? am I mean?

edit: I also want to make it abundantly clear that I like my dad and I know he's not really gross, and that I'm the problem, not him. im just tired dammit

exactly what I said. i have a diploma and no criminal history. i’m absolutely bamboozled. they won’t even hire me to wash dirty dishes. i’m so cooked

edit for context my b: I just completed my freshman year of college and have pretty much 0 job experience

I was desperately looking for a job, so I made and conducted my own “employment spell“. while the first job that turned up was not what I was looking for (it was a random offer from a pyramid scheme lmao), the second one that turned up is good, and it’s a remote job (which was the best case scenario)!! I passed the assessment so I’m officially employed and can start tomorrow :D so since my results were so good (and the job market is so shit), I thought I should share my spell.

pre-spell: you need to have already applied for jobs because they won’t just fall in your lap with a spell! this spell is to nudge employers to give you an offer after reviewing your application

1. get a small metal pot or other object that can withstand fire

2. use salt to cleanse your burning dish (or cleanse it any way you wish tbh. I just infused a pinch of salt with my intentions and dusted it in, let it sit, and brushed it out)

3. Obtain bay leaf, write sigils or other preferred magical symbols on the leaf that call in luck and money and employment

4. put the bay leaf in the pot

5. also throw in a pinch of cinnamon, some cloves (ground or whole works), some lemon balm leaves, and a bit of peppermint

6. Hold a quartz rock in your hand to amplify the spell more

7. in a safe area, burn the contents of the pot with a lighter while asking the Universe (or whoever you please) to bring you a good job offer from an honest employer

true story

me: *desperately looking for a summer job bc I’m a college student and broke af*
me: *apply to many jobs*
me: *do a burning ritual with herbs to help attract a job offer*
next day, receive a random piece of mail from company I haven’t applied to

long story short they were trying to trick me into a pyramid scheme

thx burning ritual 😭😭😭😭