Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: anyone? (page 3)

OrbitingTheSun

That's a really good idea, Waiting. Thanks for sharing that with us.

I've be aware that I've got OCD for years.....I rememer counting being an issue when I was little, and I'm also a hoarder too.....I save everything and have a really hard time throwing stuff out sometimes....but years ago I saw a special on the Discovery Channel about OCD and they suggested trying to reason with yourself "this is irrational, it's OKAY to throw this out" etc....and it did help me to try and change my self-talk and thought patterns and in turn that helped me to modify my behavior.

I have rituals that I have to do, or I feel like something terrible will happen....like at soon as I leave the house, I'm gripped with fear that I left the stove on (I have a wicked old oven/stove and it heats my apartment)....so I have to go back to check it, sometimes several times.....but mostly I have rituals about hand washing. When I was in highschool, I had "wash the school off my hands" as I would say, as soon as I got home. Now that they have Purell (instant hand sanitizer) I can't function without it.....I carry a small bottle of Purell everywhere I go. I use it constantly, everytime I touch anything like a doornob or anything that anyone else has touched.

Now....some of that started as just a health conscious thing....I saw a special on 20/20 years ago about how the common cold is spread when people touch their noses or eyes when they haven't washed their hands....so I NEVER touch my eyes or nose in public, I have to wash my hands or use Purell first. BUT I justify myself by pointing out that I hardly ever get sick. Case in point: everyone at my work is sick, but not me.....whenever I touch common areas, I use my Purell, and if someone else touches my computer keyboard or pen, I use disinfecting wipes before I will use them again.

In the ladies room, this is my routine. Open the door, head right for the sink. I first push the lever on the paper towel dispenser to release a towel, then I turn on the facet, use the soap from the soap dispencer, wash my hands, then I use the paper towell to turn off the facet (I used my dirty hand to turn it on, so I don't want to touch that!) then I use the paper towel to push the towel dispencer lever again to get another paper towel sheet to dry my hands completely. Then I can use the toilet. Then I repeat the aforementioned sink ritual, and I use a paper towel to open the doors until I get back to my desk, where I am in a "clean zone" and I can discard the paper towel.

In the winter, such as now, I have a pair of gloves that I use to touch things like door and such, to keep my hands clean. When I don't have gloves, before I had Purell, I would use the sleeve of my jacket to cover my hand, and open doors that way.

I know I have a problem, but I can live with it...it's not "out of control", so I'm okay with it. BUT not everyone else is.....I had one boyfriend who left me because he was freaked out by my rituals, his loss.

Thanks goodness for Purell!

jgnat

I know that OCD is a serious disease, and if your doorknob is getting loose, it is time to see a doctor. There are some very effective treatments available. My honey has a mild form of OCD, and I find it an endless source of amusement. If you have a loved one with this disorder, try some of these.

Twist the bottles of ointments and lotions so the labels are facing AWAY from the front.
Switch around items on the bedstand.
Listen to him check the latch on the trunk. Twice. Wait until he gets to the driver's door. "Honey, are you SURE the trunk is closed?" Watch him go back and check again. Laugh hilariously.
Your first week together, wash his navy fleece joggers in with his white nylon gym shorts. Spend the next 10 evenings picking lint off and apologizing. Promise never to do laundry again.

A little bit of levity helps him to see the silliness of it all, and it really seems to help him keep it in check. Plus I don't have to watch as much television. My entertainment is built-in.

Truth2Me

jgnat that is so true.....and funny!!!! LOL

others sometimes do get a kick outta my little OCD quorks. Though, I have started a trend...now several other woman here at work use a paper towel to open the doors when exiting the ladies room.

zev

...now several other woman here at work use a paper towel to open the doors when exiting the ladies room.

truth2me,

us men do it too.

its the only thing i can honestly say i am ocd about.

but its not a bad thing

YERU2

bttt

YERU2

One more time, bttt

YERU2

No, really guys, KEEP THIS POST ON TOP!

YERU2

THE POST MUST STAY ON TOP, Ya'll are driving me crazy here. KEEP IT ON TOP!

berten

So *that's* what it 's called! I can finally give it a name:OCD.
In my case it was mostly door locks and the gas stove.A well known British
comedian Ben Elton talked about it in one of his shows about this gas stove
of which he jiggled each knob to check it was really in the "Off" position.
I could not stop laughing,he described it very well,it was so recognizable.
And just like he I sometimes closed the main faucet at the gasmeter just
to be sure when going out for a whole day or longer.
And the frontdoor suffered more than necessary under the frequent checks too...

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: anyone?

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