OCD - Obsessive compulsive disorder

United States
December 26, 2006 6:24pm CST
Anyone have issues with OCD and is it disruptive to your life? Thankfully mine are mild. I have to straighten and smooth out every wrinkle in my covers and sheets when I get into bed at night. Drives my hubby nuts because it takes me about ten minutes to settle in. I also have to shut drawers and cupboards and make sure all the burners/stove are off, windows and doors locked. I've even gotten up in the middle of the night to check on the stove, lol. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive-compulsive_disorder
2 people like this
6 responses
@Melizzy (1381)
• United States
27 Dec 06
I found out this summer that I have some mild OCD. I'm a counter. I notice the higher my stress level the more I count. I am lucky that it doesn't really control my life. Are you taking any meds for the issue? One of the ways they taught us to cope wit this was to change our routine. I normally count in fives, so they said to count in 3's or 4's.
@deeds14 (815)
• United States
6 Jan 07
The point of doing it differently is because, through repetition, you will be teaching yourself that nothing bad happens when you don't do your rituals. But it still gives you some comfort in performing a ritual, it's just changed.
• United States
27 Dec 06
I'm not taking any medications for it. That's kind of funny to me that they tell you to change your routine to cope because I thought OCD was all about having no control over something you do over and over again. It would make me really anxious if I tried not to do the things I do.
• United States
27 Dec 06
I have OCD as well. I always make sure I turn everything off (Stove, dryer..etc) like 5 times (sometimes more) before I leave my house. It's like I know I turn things off, but I just have to check over and over again to make sure that it's off. It gets annoying.
1 person likes this
• United States
27 Dec 06
It does get annoying, doesn't it? I just figure there are worse things to deal with and I shouldn't complain.
@deeds14 (815)
• United States
6 Jan 07
Just because there are worse things to live with doesn't mean that yours is less meaningful to treat! I have had OCD for many years, starting in young adolescence. I've been using therapy and medication, which mostly lessened my depression but has also helped with the OCD. Mine is counting and touching things "right." I think most of mine is just habit now, so I try to be conscious of when I'm doing it, so I can stop!
@hazydazy (783)
• United States
2 Jan 07
I have it as well. I count, I have to make sure everything is off before I leave the house or go to sleep. I also, have to check the alarm clock. My son's first day of school I was up till 4 AM checking to make sure that it was set right. That was teh final straw and now I am on medication. I also struggle with depression, anxiety and SAD(Seasonal Affective Disorder) SAD is when winter's short days and long nights induce feelings of depression, lethargy, fatigue, cravings for sweets and starches, headaches, sleep problems and irritability. Though seasonal affective disorder commonly begins in young adulthood, it's uncommon in people younger than 20. It's more common in women. The cause is unclear, but it has to do with the amount of sunlight you receive.
• Serbia And Montenegro
2 Jan 07
so seasonal affective disorder commonly begins in young adulthood? how about ocd? does it usually begin in young adulthood too? i'd like to know cos i started to notice this thing when i was in college (only i didnt know it was ocd that time).
• Serbia And Montenegro
2 Jan 07
mine also mild i guess. i didnt even know about this illness until i read about "luvox" and illnesses that it treated, and discover that i actually have this ocd thing. i always stare back at the room i was about to leave, to make sure everything is in its place, for abt 10 mins or more before actually leave.
• United States
17 Jan 08
I have OCD, which thankfully is not terrible anymore. I had terrible obsessions that invovled me washing my hands about 10-15 times a day, sometimes back to back because my hands just didn't feel clean, and me obsessively arranging everything I possibly could because it just didn't feel right the way it was. It was terrible, I'd keep doing it until I got exhausted and didn't feel like doing it anymore.
@mrsjbelle (1640)
• United States
24 Dec 07
OCD is the pits. I have to line toilets with toilet paper. I count. I have to take the 2nd plate. I have to wash my hands till they are so dry. If I touch one I have to touch the other to. I have always had it as far back as I can remember. I used to get made fun of. I have trouble touching door handles.
@mrsjbelle (1640)
• United States
24 Dec 07
I also have to double, triple check things until it feels just right.