OCD - do you have it? I just took a test online

[FlightAttendent]

and I think it is telling me that I have it.

It's here

I scored 82.

I recognised the behaviours as things I used to do much, much more seriously as a child and have since grown out of gradually but still carry on.

I think my answers when I was 9 or 11 would have been off the scale.

Also my mother had OCD and it was diagnosed - she isn't so bad now.

Is there a treatment or anything I can do about it? I am already waiting for some psychotherapy but have never addressed this issue before, it has always been about depression.

TIA

[mumtoo3]

hi

i have ocd and it was officially diagnosed a few weeks ago if you want help with your ocd and you feel its taking over your life, it is well worth going to see your gp, and getting refered, as there is a long waiting list in most areas, its worth getting your name down i have got to wait between 3-6 months for treatment.

mine was first to do with my pnd, but then that settled, your gp can give you medication as well which has helped me, dh said it was great and calmed me a great deal

[FlightAttendent]

Thanks

I'm glad you managed to get some treatment that helped.

I just took this one as well and scored 28

I think I'll mention it to the GP next time I see them.

[MrsJohnCusack]

Do mention it
DH had been on antidepressants for absolutely ages until we moved areas/doctors and he was sent to the mental health unit and discovered that the underlying reason for his depression/anxiety was OCD. At one point I think he came very close to a breakdown. So it's possible that it's what contributes to your depression, or even is the root cause.

he changed medication which helped, and had a long course of CBT which also helped a lot - but I think mainly because he did have a lot of sessions; I often read on here of people have only 6 or so sessions which I'm not sure is really enough. He has relapses (is having one at the moment) at times of stress but on the whole it is all waaaaaaaay better than it was.

I have slight OCD (has been much, much worse with PND) which is currently controlled with antidepressants. We both take Citalopram, which is a drug that is supposed to be very effective for OCD/anxiety.

Anyway, good luck!

[FlightAttendent]

Oh thankyou MrsJC! That's really helpful. I've never taken antidepressants before, I will definitely mention this to the Dr and see what he says. I have a feeling my therapy is just never going to happen - they offered us family therapy which we couldn't do (parents both working on the only possible day) and they said I could join a group therapy set up, if that didn't work out, but I haven't heard since and I think they have just put me at the back of the queue again as it were.

It's interesting to hear that there is a different protocol with treatment, between OCD and depression.

[Gobbledigook]

I agree - you should mention it.

Like you if I'd done that test as a child it would have been a higher score. I got 69 on that first one - there are certain things I do that I know are obsessive and people would think are a bit odd so I know I have it but it's mild I would say in terms of it doesn't take over my life.

My main ones are rituals and repeating things and also hyper-analysing situations going over and over them (the one at teh end about checking emails made me laugh!). In fact I went over a situation all day yesterday and spent an hour last night crying to dh about it. So at times it's bad but mostly I recognise it so I can stop it (e.g. imaging distressing images and also worrying about harm coming to me or family - I just distract myself and get busy thinking about something else as soon as it starts because when I was younger something like that could go on for weeks and I have been on antidepressants because of it before).

So I would say get help if yours is worse - I'm sure CBT could help.

[FlightAttendent]

Thankyou - yes the emails!! Lol...

I mainly have words and so on in my mind - when I think, I have to process each thought throughmy 'bad word filter' and if it sounds remotely like a 'bad' word I have to edit it, or reinforce the 'anti-bad' thing but spelling it out over and over precisely in my head. To make sure it isn't actually the 'bad' word.

I am very good at acting normal so people dont know the hard work that goes into it.

Gawd I sound like a loony!

It is worse when I am anxious and other times I barely notice - but when I was little, you know that line of mixed up words and letters and symbols that appears at the bottom of your computer screen when it's searching for a URL - well my thoughts were a bit like that. Every T & I had to be crossed and dotted, over and over again.

[Gobbledigook]

Ditto - I think most people would have a clue that I'm like this!

When I was little I used to memorise number plates as they went past.

I also had a weird 'balance' thing. I remember if I sat in the car and I was resting my head on the seat in front (remember no seat belts back then!) and I was resting on the right side of my head, I'd have to turn and make sure I rested the left side for the same amount of time!

The main things I do at home are checking lights, appliances, switches, locks on doors adn windows. I've even checked everything, driven half way down the road and gone back to check again. These days I try to stop myself doing it and just carry on driving.

I always look back on situations, analysing them for anything I might have said that was embarrassing, hurtful, offensive etc. Dh thinks I'm mad because I'll run them by him and he just thinks I think too much.

I'd never really thought of some of the points as being associated with OCD - like the analysing situations and like being unable to avoid conjouring up distressing images and thoughts and worrying about people when they have left the house. I thought that was just me being oversensitive and melodramatic!

[Gobbledigook]

First line should be 'wouldn't have a clue' obviously!

[FlightAttendent]

Gosh - we are so alike! I used to know everyone's birthdays at school - even people who weren't my friends

and could tell people our numberplate and theirs as well, once we parked at the swimming pool, they asked Dad for the reg number and I just said it! He didn't have a clue

I am glad it isn't just me who does daft stuff like this - I don't do the cooker/lock checking so much, but the overanalysing, oh yes indeedy - no partner to take it out on though!!

Thanks for sharing x

[Gobbledigook]

Ha ha - yes I still do numberplates. Not so long ago I was directing someone to someone else's house and I told them what make and colour the car was on teh drive, plus the whole numberplate - they looked at me as if I was nuts!!

[MrsJohnCusack]

The CBT helps you challenge the behaviour and gives you strategies to sort it out.

DH doesn't really have any of the classic OCD things that people joke about - in fact he is horribly messy - it's all to do with thoughts, and going over stuff, and obsessive analysis, and worrying about things like hurting people. For instance, he won't drive - I have given up trying to persuade him to try again because he really, really won't.

I'm similar to you two, as a child I had loads of checks, and had to anything a certain number of times (and if I went over, had to go to the next 'safe' number etc.). I still don't like doing things some numbers of times. I was persuaded to stop 'touching wood' by the counsellor I saw after DD was born, and have never done it since because it really was getting ridiculous!

[cornsilk]

I was terrible when I was about 12/13 and was really miserable during that time due to it. I thought I was the only one.Didn't talk to my parents about it, I had a stammer at the time and my mum said that I was doing it on purpose for attention so definitely wouldn't have told her, although she must have realised my hands were red raw from washing them. I'm okay now I think, though I do tend to overanalyze and still have a thing about dirt - you wouldn't think it from seeing my house some days though!

[FlightAttendent]

The second link tests in a different way - if you actively avoid doing things like for instance tidying up, it can be because you genuinely hate the idea that it can't be done thoroughly enough so don't even want to start - like if you were going out for a trip as a new driver, without a map, and might well end up in a worse place/situation than if you just stay at home iyswim.

I know this is why I avoid - also I avoid touching 'dirty' things as I know I will want to wash my hands too much and it does make them crack when it's cold weather

[FlightAttendent]

2!!

You are so together!!!

[stretchmarkqueen]

I scored 82

I have this thing where if I scratch my left arm, I immediately have to scratch my right arm, or other things like that. Even got to the stage at one point where I had cut my finger on my right hand and it was driving me nuts, so I had to cut it on the other side too.

It's getting quite bad at the minute because my urticaria has flared up again, so I'm itching all the time.

[TotalChaos]

well obviously online tests aren't gospel, but from the perspective of an OCDer in recovery, I thought both the tests you linked to were good, covering a lot of aspects of life OCD can affect. psychotherapy isn't really a treatment for OCD - recommended treatment as per NICE guidelines is ADs and/or CBT. There are lots of good self-help books for OCD - OCD workbook by Hyman and Pedrick is very good. NB the self-help books tend to be best for checkers and handwashers - as they are very tangible things to deal with iyswim.

[TotalChaos]

it can be a form of obsessive thoughts OCD - that a person who isn't gay/bi gets all in an anxious tizzy thinking OMG what if I'm gay. then tries to reassure themselves. then gets worse. probably spending hours a day worrying about it.

[DanJARMouse]

69 on the first
15 on the second

i know where my OCD issues are though, and are totally under control. It only drives DH potty some of the time!