Hello Dear Chaim,
Hope you had a great week and all is well. This week I would like to ask your advice regarding a problem I seem to have developed. If you remember from a few weeks ago I mentioned that I work in a social service environment with many undesirable people, namely affirmative action types and other lower elements of society. Hopefully I will be leaving this element quite soon as I mentioned. However, in the meantime, I have become so disgusted from these people. They smell, have poor hygeine, and are all-together quite filthy. As a result, perhaps to counteract me being around these people, I believe I have developed OCD behaviors. I have become obsessed with cleanliness myself, to the point where I try to keep my apartment meticulously clean. Sometimes I can spend hours cleaning, both myself and the objects around me. I have found that I am washing my hands, face, etc., and taking extra long showers. I understand it is desirable to be clean, but I believe I may be taking it too far. These symptoms have begun to cause me unhapiness and interfere with my lifestyle. For instance, I had considered getting a pet, but I now believe it would make too much of a mess. I would appreciate your advice as I value your opinion greatly. Hopefully I can overcome this issue, leave the job, and move on with my life. Until next week G-d willing. All the best to you and yours.
Ari