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The Antibacterial OCD Follies
http://www.lockergnome.com/leftystrat/2011/01/13/the-antibacterial-ocd-follies/
I don’t use the antibacterial washes that have become ubiquitous these days. In fact, at work they have dispensers outside of every bathroom and in halls. I semi-jokingly suggested that they put pamphlets about obsessive compulsive disorder under the dispensers.
As it turns out, we have rather a lot of hand-washers, germphobes and whatever else at work. Therefore they didn’t find my suggestion all that relevant (or amusing). After looking around a bit, OCD seems to be almost everywhere at work, which leads me to believe it’s fairly prevalent outside the workplace.
I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised. When I asked if anybody knew where I could find some cleaner for my desk, a coworker opened his drawer and offered me his own personal extra large germicidal spraycan.
- Darling of French folks everywhere, Jerry Lewis, would only wear a pair of socks once.
- A relative leaves for work, then returns a few times to check that the stove is off. She locks the door three times on each visit.
- There is even a television show called Hoarders, about people who `collect’ things. OCD has gone national.
- My wife has an alter who is a hand-washer. Constantly.
Doctors and even regular people with some sense have realized that antibacterial soaps are counter-productive. The crazed desire to be germ-free will simply bight us in the backside later on, when we need our immune system, which will no longer be up to the task of defending us. We will produce all manner of super bugs.
WHY DOES ANY OF THIS MATTER?
Last night I used antibacterial handwash for the first time. I was at the hospital, visiting a relative with cancer. There was a sign at the door stating that everyone who entered the room had to use the handwash, to not further damage the patient’s already compromised immune system.
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