Do I have OCD?

No, no it wouldn't. Not unless she is extremely anxious and has distressing intrusive thoughts about contamination that impact significantly on her work, hobbies or family life.

OCD is a medical condition that it does not sound like you have.

Contamination fears in OCD are all consuming and present as intrusive thoughts about harm coming to oneself or others from contaminants (ranging from asbestos, to AIDS, to viruses and bacteria or even 'mental contamination' where things just feel contaminated). More often than not people with contamination OCD cannot clean the thing that they are worried is contaminated, for example being unable to clean the toilet for fear of contracting an illness or even in extreme cases unable to shower for fear of spreading germs from shower to themselves or vice versa. It always causes extreme distress and does not cause a nice, tidy, orderly house and life!

Family aren't doctors. My family are fat and accuse me of an ED because I'm not. Having a clean house is normal. Dysfunctional people are not qualified to judge functionality. Ignore and carry on.

You hoover daily? That could perhaps qualify as OCD.

To be fair I have 3 children and 2 animals (cat and dog) so have to Hoover daily 😂

This is normal. Although, it’s hard to keep on top of whilst working FT and bringing up kids.

Same (minus the cleaner)

My OCD consists of intrusive thoughts. If I don't do something a certain way, something bad will happen. Do you get intrusive thoughts to the point where the anxiety can be crippling?

I have OCD. I have had many themes over the years, and I wouldn’t wish this vile illness on anyone. My themes are not centred around germs but I do have perfectionism which I believe is linked, though not strictly OCD related. For example, I cannot leave something that’s ‘out of place’, but in those scenarios, I don’t feel the fear or panic of something bad happening if I don’t, rather it just makes me really uncomfortable.

My daughter has symmetry OCD, although she’s learning to cope with it with meds and therapy.

What you have is most definitely not OCD.

Being " super clean and tidy" is not the same as having OCD.

Please read the thread.

This sounds perfectly normal and similar to what we do. I could invite people into my home at any time but I should add that no children or pets live here which I am sure makes a massive difference.

I think your post was a bit insensitive to people who do have experience of OCD. It might have been better to word it as "AIBU to think this does not constitute OCD?" considering that you never thought you had it and your point is that your family are being silly to suggest it.

Because no, you're right, the cleaning schedule you mention is completely normal AND you're not cleaning in a way which suggests obsessive compulsive behaviours.

Your family sound defensive like they can't accept their way is the one which is unhealthy so they have to skew things so that your way is "wrong".

But for some people who have OCD it is about being super clean and tidy!!

Really? That’s what I do and consider myself very clean. We also clean up as we go along so it’s not a huge blitz every one to two weeks.

But OCD can be all those things, just in an obsessive compulsive way.

I'd agree with others that your routine is just standard housework routine. I don't think your family should be accusing you of OCD though.

Thank you! I wouldn't call it an obsessive or even usual amount, it's definitely leaning into clarty territory.

Accusing? What a strange term to use.

That is not OCD. It has nothing to do with being tidy. Some sufferers have specific compulsions and cleaning may be one of them, but not how you describe.
i keep my house to a similar standard and I def don’t have OCD! You need to educate yourself and your family about what OCD really is.

No

It's not really about the cleaning, it's about the reason for it. Could you skip it if you were ill? How would you feel about that? Do you have intrusive thoughts about contamination? If not, I think you just come from a family of people with very different standards. My sister is like this, and because on some level she knows it's not great, she will sometimes mock me for being clean.

In that case the thread title is very misleading. DH has actual, diagnosed OCD and I opened the thread thinking I might be able to offer some insight. Not read a load of rubbish about cleaning.

BUT YOU ASKED THE QUESTION!

If you already know you don’t have OCD, why ask? I have a child who has been pretty much housebound for two years due to OCD. I definitely don’t need to ask anybody whether he has it. If cleaning your house makes you happy/satisfied, you don’t have OCD. If you think something terrible will happen if you don’t clean your house and you have a burning compulsion to do it and it stops you going to work and living a normal life, then OCD is a possibility.

OCD has a whole spectrum of “themes” it takes on, of which obsessive cleanliness is just one, and it tends to be a side effect of the actual issue/theme which is often (not always) “contamination”.

In a case like this, whether this would be OCD or not is far less about you having a regimented house cleaning routine, preference for a tidy space or the knowledge you’re always able to invite people in without embarrassment, and more about how not being able to do it for one reason or another would make you feel.

For example if you come across an unexpected mess in your home, would you just tut and give it a wipe or think “I’ll have to deal with that later”, or would your brain force you to deal with it there and then irrespective of if it was convenient, re-clean the area multiple times to feel ‘satisfied’ or use overly excessive products to do so so you can be sure there’s no contamination risk and to stop you being plagued with intrusive thoughts of what would happen if you didn’t. If you became unwell on one of your cleaning days, would you just sort it once you felt better, or would you have to do it before you could allow yourself any rest?

Essentially, the main difference is whether intrusive thoughts about it take over your life and if anything that hindered your ability to do those tasks it would bring you extreme levels of distress.

Then why make a post asking so? 😂 Very strange!