Your family is your family. Gross, normal, clean, whatever, you don't need to worry about what they are - you need to worry about making your relationship with them work despite your differences.
I think both your family AND your reaction to them is normal. I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (diagnosed by a psychiatrist and everything), so I can definitely relate to being disgusted by other people - yes, even my family. What works for me is to remind myself that my dad doesn't wash his hands after he pees, but he did feed me and change my diapers and patch up my scraped knees. My mom hugs everybody at her church and then tries to hug me (GERMS!), but she did grow me inside of her body and push me out of her special place. It's almost like I remind myself they they have 'earned' their right to be germy, or that my love for them outweighs my disgust for their filth.
When it's just TOO MUCH, which it sounds like it is for you, I use very gentle language to kind of remind them that I have different views of cleanliness than them and to please respect that. "Dad, I know your hands aren't really dirty, but I would appreciate it if you'd wash your hands before we share the popcorn bowl, just to make me feel better."
Even if you don't think you're the problem, phrasing it that way makes it go down easier for them, and therefore makes them more likely to listen to you.
Good luck!
Is it normal that my family grosses me out?
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Your family is your family. Gross, normal, clean, whatever, you don't need to worry about what they are - you need to worry about making your relationship with them work despite your differences.
I think both your family AND your reaction to them is normal. I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (diagnosed by a psychiatrist and everything), so I can definitely relate to being disgusted by other people - yes, even my family. What works for me is to remind myself that my dad doesn't wash his hands after he pees, but he did feed me and change my diapers and patch up my scraped knees. My mom hugs everybody at her church and then tries to hug me (GERMS!), but she did grow me inside of her body and push me out of her special place. It's almost like I remind myself they they have 'earned' their right to be germy, or that my love for them outweighs my disgust for their filth.
When it's just TOO MUCH, which it sounds like it is for you, I use very gentle language to kind of remind them that I have different views of cleanliness than them and to please respect that. "Dad, I know your hands aren't really dirty, but I would appreciate it if you'd wash your hands before we share the popcorn bowl, just to make me feel better."
Even if you don't think you're the problem, phrasing it that way makes it go down easier for them, and therefore makes them more likely to listen to you.
Good luck!