Brief obsession/compulsion

Hello. I am not diagnosed with OCD, but I am working a diagnosis. Anyways, lately, I have been having brief times (like a month or two) where I feel like there is dirt/dust on my hands, and I need to wash them or put hand sanitizer on. These type of episodes never happened before. My main OCD symptom is checking and rechecking with number issues. But anyways, with the hand washing thing, it wasn't like it was two times a day, it would be almost every hour. I would have to interrupt what I was doing and do my compulsion. I wanted to wash with a disinfectant cloth, but I luckily didn't. I would have dug myself into a deeper hole. Has anyone else had brief obsessions/compulsions aside from the symptoms that made you get diagnosed with OCD? I would like to think that this isn't abnormal or crazy. Thanks.

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Oh definatley. Years ago I was treated for the whole germ thing and in the years after I have worried about my appearance, violent thoughts, unwanted sexual thoughts, and stuff relating to my religion. Totally normal!

Are these episodes brief? I am usually not worried about dirt or contamination, but when I am in one if these "episodes" I am really focused into germs. I have had two of these episodes so far. Not sure if I'll get more.

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Um I don't know if I'd call them brief exactly. My obsessions tend to 'rotate' as I say. For a month or two I will be worried about X and nothing will matter but X. Then just one day for no apparent reason I'll worry about Y, and now X doesn't matter, just Y. Then in a bfew months, I'll worry about X again.

Oh okay, ya. That's what I mean. I have considered it brief because I think there is a 6 month criteria thingy for OCD. But ya, that's what I meant. Good. Didn't want to feel like I was the only one who does this.

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I feel like its because a person can only have so much on their plate. We can't worry about everything all at once. Then when you manage to get rid of one thing, you have room on the plate for another thing. It's like the OCD always wants to be at full capacity. A continuous cycle of remission and relapse.

Wonder if as child someone possibly saying "let me check your hands and see if they are dirty...go wash your hands." Child seeing "clean" hands puzzled thinking "okay...nothing there but I guess I should wash my hands." What were you supposed to do argue with someone "strange" or wash hands?