To ask if you suffer/suffered with OCD?

[Lailaloo747]

and did you learn to control it?

My OCD started after I had my DD2 12 years ago. Personally I think it came about due to a mixture of boredom and lack of being in control. I’d always worked and suddenly I was at home all day with a baby and apart from looking after her, all I had to do was clean...and clean....and clean.
I thought if the house wasn’t spotless when I went to bed that something awful would happen to DD. I thought that if her clothes had the tiniest bit of sick/food on, that she’d get ill...so I’d change her. Constantly.

It got better for a while when I went back to work, I think focusing my attention on other things helped...but during lockdown I’ve felt old habits coming back.
I can’t stand water droplets in the sink, I’m constantly wiping and drying it. I can’t stand the sofa cushions being at the wrong angle, a newspaper being on the carpet, the tele remotes not being on the ‘right’ sofa facing the tv. I’m bleaching and scrubbing the showers twice a day, putting toilet duck in the toilets 3/4 times a day...

It’s doing my head in. I know I don’t NEED to do it, I know my house is clean but this time it’s different....I don’t feel like anything bad will happen If I don’t do it, I just HATE these things not being done. I hate mess.
Is it the OCD rearing it’s ugly head again or am I just a clean freak with too much time on my hands in lockdown??

[Treaclepie19]

How does it make you feel if its not done? If you don't clean the shower for a day or of you leave the sink?
That's your answer. If you can easily leave it it's more likely routine or an obsession without a compulsion.
If you feel uncomfortable, irritable or panicky then I'd say it sounds OCD like.

(Diagnosed OCD so no expert apart from my own experience)

[Lailaloo747]

It makes me feel very anxious. I certainly wouldn’t leave the house until those things had been done. I just feel irritated and it keeps playing on my mind till I do it

[Celerysam]

I had checking OCD that got steadily worse until I was making myself late and taking pictures of the oven after I switched it off.

I just forced myself to stop it. Occasionally I have pangs of it but I'd say I'm in control of it.

[Treaclepie19]

@Lailaloo747 I'd say then yeah it likely needs some intervention.
Best to catch it and get in control of it best you can

[FromTheTopPlease]

Yes and yes, to your first two questions. Can’t really answer the last one. Were you formally diagnosed in the first place?

It’s tough, I know. Took me years figure out how to control it; for me it basically boiled down to learning to live with, then finally conquer, the panicky feelings of not “complying”.