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Mental health

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Original poster

Am I a bit OCD?

18 replies

AuntieMabelsSister · 07/03/2022 16:31

I'm wondering....

It's not serious but I feel it's an issue at times.

I have some 'superstitious' behaviour patterns.

For example, they revolve around wearing certain clothes, mainly.
If I wear something and something 'bad' happens on that day, I regard the clothes as bad luck and don't want to wear them again when there is a risk of something 'bad' happening. (ie- a medical appt. or travelling long distance where things can go wrong.)

Many years ago, I had to put the items on my dressing table in exactly the same place before going off on a car journey (me driving) even though I'm not a nervous driver- far from it (I drive for 5 hours on my own.) I'd come back into the bedroom to be sure they were all in the 'right' place.

I know this behaviour over the clothes is simply ridiculous and illogical - what do you think?

It doesn't warrant professional help but I know it's odd behaviour.

OP posts:

userxzfyjoot · 07/03/2022 16:37

Firstly, you can't be OCD.

Secondly, OCD is dependant on how much it interacts with your daily living. These sound minor and wouldn't equate to OCD.

Original poster

AuntieMabelsSister · 07/03/2022 16:42

@userxzfyjoot

Firstly, you can't be OCD.

Secondly, OCD is dependant on how much it interacts with your daily living. These sound minor and wouldn't equate to OCD.

What do you mean 'can't be OCD'?

So how would you phrase it? 'Suffer' from OCD?

As far as I was aware, OCD was on a spectrum of obsessive and compulsive behaviour that ranged from very slight to very serious.

OP posts:

LizDoingTheCanCan · 07/03/2022 16:48

"Am I a bit obsessive compulsive disorder?"

That makes no sense.

OCD is a very debilitating condition, it's far more than liking things in the right place.

You don't have OCD. You may be a bit ignorant.

Original poster

AuntieMabelsSister · 07/03/2022 16:57

I assume both of you are MH professionals then, and thank you for your kind support. It really helps. That's why I asked on this forum.

FWIW @LizDoingTheCanCan I corrected my first post so it was more 'acceptable'.

From what I had read online, OCD can take many forms and vary in severity. If that doesn't fit with your own knowledge, sorry.

OP posts:

userxzfyjoot · 07/03/2022 17:02

As someone who has had OCD since I was 4 your ignorance is very offensive.

drawingpad · 07/03/2022 17:06

Goodness OP not only are you offensive but rude as well

drawingpad · 07/03/2022 17:10

Oh, and I don't think you have OCD, no. If you did you would know more about it, in fact you would almost obsess over the details...

ClumpingBambooIsALie · 07/03/2022 17:12

No.

Beamur · 07/03/2022 17:13

An amount of anxiety, reassurance seeking in checking items, seeing patterns in behaviour are all quite normal and most, if not all people experience them to a degree.
OCD is this to a debilitating degree which affects your life significantly.
From your own description I think you experience a fairly 'normal' level of day to day anxiety, as you put it yourself, this is superstition and it's illogical, but pretty harmless - I agree that you don't need professional intervention if this is how much it affects you.

Tsuni · 07/03/2022 17:13

If you had done any research at all you would have found out that you can't be "a bit OCD."

TabithaTittlemouse · 07/03/2022 17:17

I think your wording is quite unfortunate but I want to be kind.

What do you want from your post? Do you want a diagnosis?

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 07/03/2022 17:17

I've had similar behaviours to yours and have anxiety. Cbt helped with that kind of thinking. I would think if I went a certain way to work nothing bad would happen for example so I kind of get what you mean but you can't be 'a bit ocd'. I get obsessive about buying certain things, books, toiletries, pyjamas then move on to something else. I think this is my anxiety too.

BobLep0nge · 07/03/2022 17:21

OCD is a very debilitating condition, it's far more than liking things in the right place

It's not always very debilitating, it ranges in severity.
The op didn't say she just likes things to be in the right place, from what she says it seems like it is anxiety that is driving the placement of certain objects.

Oh, and I don't think you have OCD, no. If you did you would know more about it, in fact you would almost obsess over the details...

Complete bullshit. Not everyone with OCD obsesses over details or the same things.

OP, there are self help books and IAPT (if that's available in your area?) that could help with the anxiety.

drawingpad · 07/03/2022 17:27

@BobLep0nge

Complete bullshit. Not everyone with OCD obsesses over details or the same things.

I was making a bad joke there. The point was if OP did have OCD they would at the very least have read the basics about it, which they very obviously haven't done.

BobLep0nge · 07/03/2022 17:35

I was making a bad joke there. The point was if OP did have OCD they would at the very least have read the basics about it, which they very obviously haven't done

I miss jokes all the time, sorry!

Yaty · 07/03/2022 17:39

I think your wording was unfortunate and the responses have been a little harsh. Although i do understand why, its very hard to get people to take you seriously when you have OCD because of all this "I'm a little bit ocd" nonsense.....but to answer your question I would say if it is not significantly impacting on your day to day life its unlikely to be OCD. I have OCD and for example I can obsess about the gas being on and the doors not being locked, it's all I can think about, I can spend hours going round in circles in my house checking for gas, checking doors are locked. Before I go to sleep I can be up and down 20 times checking things. It's not just the obsession it's the compulsion to have to do a repetitive behaviour to try and 'fix' it.

BobLep0nge · 07/03/2022 17:42

I don't think I it's fair to say that all people will read the basics though. Over the years I've seen many posts on here by people who think they might have a certain condition but haven't really even read the basics. Some people just don't think/ struggle to understand and absorb the information they've read.

wfrances · 07/03/2022 19:07

I have a diagnosis of ocd traits ( amongst other things )
I was surprised as my father has ocd and compared to him my symptoms are not as severe

Mine are mainly hoarding , ruminating and checking doors can open and be locked to the point I have to sometimes barricade the doors with furniture as I still don't believe they're locked and I open car doors while they're still moving just to check I can open them ( obviously I know how dangerous this is , but I just can't stop myself )

Another example was , I was never able to bath any of my 4 children on my own as my obsessive thoughts told me I would drown them

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