My wife keeps washing and cleaning all the time

Now, when I return from work, she has restricted me from coming into the living room unless I first have my bath and change clothes as per her cleaning program. Her cleaning programs are elaborate. She has a specific program for keeping each and every thing clean, from the cupboard to the car.

Our intimate relationship has also stopped as she feels that I am not clean. We are yet to have a baby after 9 years of marriage and she is not willing to meet a doctor to discuss this issue.

Should I be worried? Please help.

Dr Balan Vijay Kumar replies: From the information you provide I can see two distinct medical issues. First, your wife’s mental condition – it is likely that she is suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and needs to be evaluated further to confirm the diagnosis. Second, is the issue of infertility – for this, both partners will need to be investigated by appropriate specialists.

OCD is a condition where the sufferer has obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are recurrent persistent thoughts, impulses or images that enter the mind despite the person’s efforts to exclude them. It is likely that your wife is having recurring thoughts about lack of cleanliness. Compulsions are repetitive actions that the sufferer is compelled to carry out despite the fact that they are recognized as senseless. The ‘cleaning programs’ that you describe are compulsions.

When OCD and infertility present together, both conditions need to be investigated and treated. Several treatment decisions will require the interaction of the psychiatrist, gynecologist and other medical specialists.

I would advise you to encourage her to undertake treatment without delay. Early treatment will give the best results. If she is not willing to take help for infertility, it is advisable to focus first on the treatment of her mental condition. When she is better, her anxiety will be lesser and she may be able to consult regarding infertility also.

Disclaimer: This blog is a conversation and is not an alternative for treatment. The recommendations and suggestions offered by our panel of psychiatrists are their own and Gulf News will not take any responsibility for the advice they provide.