Obsessions- Wednesday's programme...

[binker]

I wondered whether anyone had watched this on Wednesday evening - I'd been meaning to post on mumsnet before about OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) as it is something I have suffered from and am aware that it is a pretty widespread problem,though understandably people often keep quiet about it. I am thankfully ok now but seeing the girl with the contamination obsession struggling to overcome her compulsions and going through the rituals that OCD compels you to do made me feel pretty emotional. I can remember the dreadfully sore hands and the hours spent repeating cleaning/washing rituals...truly,truly horrendous. Interestingly I relapsed into OCD when pregnant with my son.

Yes, v interesting programme. I play with my hair as a habit, and that poor girl brought it home to me how bad it could be.

I also used to do the 'counting' thing that the young mother did - where if you do one thing with one hand, you have to mirror it with the other, and then reverse the movements. I think that it was a protection thing for me, as I was a very unhappy child (too long to go into, and already covered with a counsellor!)

It is so easy to fall into rituals, and I think that even 'normal' people do have some rituals, even if it is only rechecking that you have switched the oven off.

It was a very interesting programme, especially when they said that the hair thing might be a defective 'grooming' gene. I still cannot understand though why that woman and man could not bear to throw anything away. It's all relative I suppose.