In light of what is happening right now with the Coronavirus Covid-19 Pandemic, we have to look on the bright side of things whilst also being serious about what we are going through globally as well appreciating that some people with mental health and OCD may be terrified of venturing out.

I suffer from OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – Contamination of Germs) I have suffered from this for about 35 years now and have coped to a certain degree, but always found that if I was in a public place where I was not comfortable being in, especially if I had to sit down or touch elevator buttons or door handles I always made sure I was equipped with tissue paper and a small spray bottle of disinfectant.

So even though I have this disability I am still approachable and am not a ‘freak’ or a ‘ car crash’ as I have been called in the past. People can be very cruel.

I am normal to a certain extent I still do everything other people do but with limitations, the only difference is when I feel insecure my barriers come up and I try to protect myself from harm by socially distancing myself from the outside world.

People deal with stress and anxiety differently, some smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, or take drugs recreational or prescribed.

I must admit I am on medication but all it does is mellow me out and I usually take it a night time before I go to sleep to stop me feeling zombified during the day. I have trouble sleeping, so if anything it does its job. If anyone is wondering I am on ‘Mirtazapine’ 30 mg tablets.

So even though as an OCD sufferer the following video made me laugh and I would not go to these lengths, there is an element of seriousness involved as some people may take it to the extreme. Always try to understand a person if they are doing something that you may not necessarily do, they have their reasons for doing things like cleaning the seat before sitting down. Worst case scenario for me if I was not able to disinfect the seating would be to wash my clothes as soon as I got in.

Obviously, this video is a joke as someone with OCD would not allow for anything to touch the floor (the spray bottle and backpack touched the floor).

Since Lockdown back in March, I have not ventured out other than to meet and greet Amazon drivers, the postman, or grocery delivery drivers.

I find staying away gives me some sense of security and I prefer it that way until I am confident to venture into the big bad world again.

I even bought myself a set of my own cutlery which is stainless steel and also good for camping and kids’ lunch boxes.

Mine came with two cases a soft a case and a hard case.

For all intents and purposes, I have recommended a similar one to the one I bought which I think may have sold out.

Do use the radio buttons to scroll from low prices to high and don’t forget to use Amazon Prime if you are subscribed, which I am.

The things I will never leave home without is hand sanitizer, a travel spray bottle of decanted Dettol. A quick burst of this on surfaces kills germs instantaneously. Because Dettol has been hard to source I usually buy it bulk on Amazon along with disposable gloves. I prefer the Nitrile or Vinyl gloves rather than the latex versions which are like party balloons and rip easier. In fact, I just bought the very same box of gloves I am advertising only today as a matter of fact. They used to be readily available at the beginning of the year and they did cost £49.99 for ten boxes but as you can see they have increased in value to £79.99 it is still better than paying £12.00 plus for a box of 100 gloves. It is was it is and it will take care of my needs for about a month.

Here are my recommendations.

Do stay safe and be germ aware!