Is this OCD/ "Pure" O?

Hi I'm new to the forum and think I may have OCD. I haven't seen a therapist simply due to the fact that there is such a long wait to get an appointment, but suspect I have OCD.

Main point: I've had a terrible fear of food poisoning for about a year.

Yesterday, I had a mental breakdown coming to the realization that something is very wrong with me. Everytime I eat a meal, I have intruding thoughts that I might get food poisoning. As a result, I am eating less and constantly worry that I have food posioning. Sometimes I feel sick after eating. I know these feelings are psychosomatic, but can't break this chain of thought. For example, yesterday night I went out with friends to eat and we were supposed to go watch a movie after. In the theatre, I started feeling sick and said I wanted to go home. As a result, we didnt get to see the movie that we had all been dying to see and I felt terrible for doing this to my friends. This isn't the first time it has happened. I mistake normal digestion (every little stomach rumble is amplified times 50 in my mind) with food poisiong cramps.

I don't know if I have habits, b/c I havent seen a therapist yet, but there are a couple other things I do in case of food poisoning like bathroom mapping, carrying pepto bismol stocked in my purse, having to lay down after a meal, waiting a 3 hr period before resuming activities.Its starting to take over my life now.

There are some other issues I need to talk with the therapist about like my mom passing away last year, my dad cheating on my mom and abandoning my family, having to fight my dad in court for my moms estate, and being totally uninterested in sex/intimacy w/ my b/f. The thing is that for the most part I am a very happy person (besides the food poisioning issue). I've had time to deal with my family issues and have just started to feel normal again. I think I am recovered from my family issues for the most part, but you never know. If I could just get rid of this phobia, my life would be one step from perfect. I don't know if any of these things are related, but welcome any opinions. Please help and God Bless.

Hi liquidx,

It could be OCD. I've had several different obsessions that intefere on that scale and I was diagnosed a couple of years ago. On the other hand, it could simply be a really debilitating (right word?) phobia. But I doubt that.

I'm not sure what the difference is like between the mental health system in Australia and where you live. Is there a waiting list you can get yourself onto? Or something? Either way it's important to try and get some help.

Good luck!