Can you have an addiction to something that isn't 'addictive'? Or is it perhaps OCD?

[canyousmellthefumes]

I've always been top dog on cleaning and keeping everything organised and 'nice'.

However, within the last few months I am excited to get cleaning at every opportunity. I feel giddy with excited if I'm home from work and DH has left a bit of mess in the kitchen. It given me the perfect excuse to blitz the place again. Typing out that sentence, I know it's not 'the norm', and most people would be really pissed off about cleaning up after other people.

I think it's definitely the smell of all the lovely products, in addition to the aesthetic result. I just love it all. Don't get me starting on shopping for cleaning products. I love it!

I have now found that I'm starting to look forward to it so much that I can't help but offer my services to friends and family. I know they aren't offended and think I think their house is messy (mine is clean and I still do it all over again all the time to keep it fresh). They all can't believe their luck and I'm absolutely thrilled that they allow me in to clean for them and are happy with the result.

I'm beginning to feel as if this may be an addiction, of sorts. I feel slightly shaky with happiness when I know I can do something like clean my bathroom from top to bottom and have some music on. I can feel myself twitching to smell the fresh scents etc.

Is this normal? I do not think OCD at all since it doesn't upset me/makes me feel bad if I can't clean. I just feel disappointed, like missing a swimming class or something for people who adore swimming.

I have even considered a career change as a cleaner but I know it wouldn't bring in anywhere near the £££ I currently earn.

OCD requires compulsive thoughts that take up much of your thoughts, preventing you from doing things normally.

You don't sound stressed out by the cleaning.

That’s not OCD. OCD involves doing something to relieve anxiety that you cannot not do without feeling really stressed. It’s not pleasurable at all. It sounds like you just have a weird hobby.

If that's OCD I really wish I had it.

It's not OCD. I wish I felt that way about cleaning.

Definitely not OCD. OCD is a crippling crippling, often life threatening disorder. It does not make you feel giddy or excited in any sense. You sound passionate about cleaning more than anything

If you don't go beyond being disappointed and you only think about it as much as you might any other hobby you enjoyed then I think it's fine. If you find it getting more of an obsession so you become anxious if you can't do it and are thinking about it constantly then it may be a problem. The