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Do you worry about germs and getting ill?

Toxic

Do germs and the idea of getting ill worry you? I’ve wondered if this is related to autism as no one else in my family gets anxious about germs and illnesses. I’m the only neurodiverse one in my family and I’ve realized no one is freaked out by getting sick. I heard on the car radio about the recent norovirus outbreak and after work yesterday and this morning after going in town I came home washed my hands several times with soap and water, washed my phone with disinfectant and then changed all my clothes and put the worn clothes through the wash. I'm always told I overreact over this but to me it’s normal and makes sense to do this. Why risk infecting myself when I can disinfect items and reduce my chances of getting a cold of stomach virus? An early example was when I was at school a girl came in class and said she had been ill yesterday and I got so frightened I nearly had a panic attack and moved to a different table. It's always been something that worries me.

Parents

  • I have worked with bacteria, very dangerous parasitic pathogens (that kill half a million people a year) and human blood for most of my working life. I am autistic, but I understand disease and the reality of risk. There is an opposing rationale to the one you have described. This is that in isolating yourself from minor infections you are doing two things that could be detrimental. Firstly, if you are not giving your immune system anything to work on, it could increase your chances of developing allergies and autoimmune diseases. In the absence of challenges from bacteria and viruses there is a greater chance of your immune system targeting benign foreign proteins (from peanuts, gluten etc. - allergies), or your own proteins (autoimmune diseases). Secondly, if you are not giving your immune system anything to work on then it will not build up a  'molecular memory' of minor illness viruses and bacteria. Many minor illness 'germs' are related to more serious illness bacteria and viruses, so exposing yourself to more run-of-the-mill diseases can give you a measure of protection from more serious disease.

    As a practical example, I would usually have four or five bad colds a year, plus the occasional bout of 'flu, when I drove to work every day. After I changed to taking the bus, I was exposed far more often to disease causing viruses. As a result of this increased stimulation of my immune system, my annual incidence of colds dropped to one or two and I have not had 'flu since (since 2008).

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  • I have worked with bacteria, very dangerous parasitic pathogens (that kill half a million people a year) and human blood for most of my working life. I am autistic, but I understand disease and the reality of risk. There is an opposing rationale to the one you have described. This is that in isolating yourself from minor infections you are doing two things that could be detrimental. Firstly, if you are not giving your immune system anything to work on, it could increase your chances of developing allergies and autoimmune diseases. In the absence of challenges from bacteria and viruses there is a greater chance of your immune system targeting benign foreign proteins (from peanuts, gluten etc. - allergies), or your own proteins (autoimmune diseases). Secondly, if you are not giving your immune system anything to work on then it will not build up a  'molecular memory' of minor illness viruses and bacteria. Many minor illness 'germs' are related to more serious illness bacteria and viruses, so exposing yourself to more run-of-the-mill diseases can give you a measure of protection from more serious disease.

    As a practical example, I would usually have four or five bad colds a year, plus the occasional bout of 'flu, when I drove to work every day. After I changed to taking the bus, I was exposed far more often to disease causing viruses. As a result of this increased stimulation of my immune system, my annual incidence of colds dropped to one or two and I have not had 'flu since (since 2008).

Children
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