OCD Obssessive Compulsive Disorder

[LaughOutLoud]

Anyone suffering with this? If so, what are your 'obsessions', how do you deal with these and has it affected your family and kids?

I suffer from hygiene issues, so I hate seeing filth which isnt mine and brought into the house ie from shoes. I dont have any issues with my baby and her messes or other babies but its things like seeing people urinating in public on the streets and the kinda filth you wouldnt normally see but know of which does happen on a Saturday night!

It does bog me down alot and I get kinda lonely with it all so would love to hear of your experiences.

 

[SKATERBUN]

With me its smells. I have this ultra sensitive nose. I can sniff out the slightest whiff.
If something doesnt smell the way I want it to I wash it and wash it until its does. If I cook dinner I have to go and change my clothes after Ive eaten. If someone has eaten garlic or something bad I have to let them know!! (Rude I know!)
If i'm stuck in a room with a bad smell and cant do anything about it I get aggitated, I have to open all the windows even if its cold outside and spray the room with fabreeze.
I actually feel sick if I cannot remove a smell, and the weird thing is some people say they cant even smell it so it makes me think its in my head, but I know its just my sensitive nose. I've always had it even as a child. I still remember the school teachers bad breath and the school dinner smell that made me retch!!
It does disrupt things when we are out occasionally as if I'm somewhere and it doesnt smell nice I literally have to leave!

 

[cleckner04]

I don't know if I'm truly an OCD but I do have obsessive tendencies. Organization is one of my things. We have an extensive DVD/bluray collection and they have to be sorted by genre and alphabetical otherwise I'd go nuts. All the labels in my house have to face outwards in cabinets, shampoo bottles in the shower, etc. Crumbs on any countertops drive me nuts. I literally can't focus on anything if I see crumbs on a table. I will go out of my way to wipe it off. I cannot stand clutter. People that have a bunch of knick-knacks in their house gets on my nerves. And I don't like used things. I would never buy used furniture/baby clothes/toys... I think it's dirty and I always picture people doing horrible things with stuff. Only with baby things and furniture though. Oddly, I have no problem buying clothes for myself at garage sales and I have no problem with buying used cars although I'd prefer new if I could. It's weird and I know I'm a crazy person.

In high school I had a friend that was so messy and I had a sleepover at her house. Well, when she left the room to take a shower, I cleaned her room. She got so angry at me but I literally could not sit there in a messy room. I had to clean it.

There is so much more but those were the first things to pop in my head. Does it affect my relationships? Well, I upset my friend by cleaning her room. At the time I truly couldn't understand why she'd be mad but my cleaning was a violation of her privacy. I literally couldn't control myself. And it affects my relationship with DH when I get on his case about things. He enjoys having a wife that is obsessive about cleaning but at the same time he gets sick of me nagging. He will come home and within minutes random crap is scattered around the house. I have relaxed so much since having Emma and I hope I continue to relax with more kids because obviously you can't have a perfect looking house with a house full of kids running around.

 

[whitelilly]

ocd can be a severe mental health disorder. obessions are intrusive thoughts, impulses or images that go through peoples mind over and over and the compulsions are behaviours that they do to 'neutralise' their obsessions. it's not just a case of being a clean freak. ocd severly dictates people's lives and when a compulsion cannot be neutralised then their anxiety levels shoot through the roof. if it starts to affect your relationships and everyday life then there is a problem and you should see your gp xxx

 

[LaughOutLoud]

ocd can be a severe mental health disorder. obessions are intrusive thoughts, impulses or images that go through peoples mind over and over and the compulsions are behaviours that they do to 'neutralise' their obsessions. it's not just a case of being a clean freak. ocd severly dictates people's lives and when a compulsion cannot be neutralised then their anxiety levels shoot through the roof. if it starts to affect your relationships and everyday life then there is a problem and you should see your gp xxx

I do understand the severity of OCD. Sometimes going to the doctors is just not that easy. I also want to point out that im not just being a 'clean freak' and yes it has affected my marriage. I struggle with this on my own. DH doesnt understand my issues, I cant talk to him about this or when im getting anxious throughout the day/night. To him im just always being silly. He doesnt understand or grasp the concept of OCD, I feel very alone.

 

[Abigailly]

ocd can be a severe mental health disorder. obessions are intrusive thoughts, impulses or images that go through peoples mind over and over and the compulsions are behaviours that they do to 'neutralise' their obsessions. it's not just a case of being a clean freak. ocd severly dictates people's lives and when a compulsion cannot be neutralised then their anxiety levels shoot through the roof. if it starts to affect your relationships and everyday life then there is a problem and you should see your gp xxx

There is a HUGE spectrum to OCD. To something just been on your mind a lot (to the point its always 'there') - to the extreme cases you are talking about.

I DID have 'OCD'. Hair. When I was 11 a girl in my class got nits. After this I couldn't have hair un checked OR hair on anything. I would hoover several times a day, my mattress and everything, sleep with a towel over my pillow and set alarms through out the night so I could change the towel, towel over the back of the sofa, clean and dish wash my hairbrush every time it was used and use a nit comb a few times a day.

Eventually my mum forced me to the GP and I got it sorted. I started with small things like not using the dishwasher on my hair brushes every day, stopping using a comb between classes and now I'm almost over it. Not completely but to the point I understand I was been unreasonable. I still check my hair every day and regularly hoover etc

I dread the day Niamh gets nits. My biggest worry is that I'll pass on something like this to Niamh, that's the main thing that's loosened me up. The worry that Niamh will have something that rules her day like that.

'Addictive personality' runs on my family, people may say this is rubbish, but when you look at my family you see it. And I don't want it to be there for Niamh and me to add fuel to the fire.

 

[LaughOutLoud]

My biggest worry is that I'll pass on something like this to Niamh, that's the main thing that's loosened me up. The worry that Niamh will have something that rules her day like that.

'Addictive personality' runs on my family, people may say this is rubbish, but when you look at my family you see it. And I don't want it to be there for Niamh and me to add fuel to the fire.[/QUOTE]

Thats what worries me also, that I will be setting bad example for my LO and Id hate that.

The worst is that it has affected what I would like to do with my LO, how we would play, how much time I am wasting and simply tiring myself out doing these endless tasks when really I should be taking LO out and enjoying my time with her or rolling around on the floor with her. The things I would love to do but just cant.....I cant even get to move my day along quicker because I am trying to perfect whatever cleaning I am doing.

It must have been hard withdarwing from what you really were used to doing?

 

[Elli21]

I used to have OCD about the number 8.
I remember one day i had to touch a lampost, i dont know why, but i did, and after i had, i had to touch 7 more.

If i drank, it had to be 8 mouthfuls.
Or if i said something, sometimes if i was having a bad day, id have to say it 8 times, even if it was silently.

But for some reason it left me, im glad it did, and i dont know if it was something i did, or what, but it doesnt bother me anymore.

 

[LaughOutLoud]

I used to have OCD about the number 8.
I remember one day i had to touch a lampost, i dont know why, but i did, and after i had, i had to touch 7 more.

If i drank, it had to be 8 mouthfuls.
Or if i said something, sometimes if i was having a bad day, id have to say it 8 times, even if it was silently.

But for some reason it left me, im glad it did, and i dont know if it was something i did, or what, but it doesnt bother me anymore.

Glad to hear its gone, it can be very tiring isnt it. I just feel v.lonely with this and guess thats why Im trying to keep this thread going. I havent really talked about this before...

 

[samsugar7]

I have OCD tendancies but they come and go!! Doc thinks im extremely wierd lol

My cuttlery drawer is my worst one, they all have to face the right way and be straight! OH cant use the drawer anymore as he doesnt take the top spoon or will mess the pattern

Clothes in the wardrobe have to either have to be in colour order or even brand order!!! Depending on my mood that week. I have been known to throw out clothes if they dont match another colour in the wardrobe.

Jaden drives me mad because colour pencils/crayons have to be laid out in rainbow order and i keep putting them back when he moves them i know he is only 16months old and doesnt understand but i hate them not in order.

Everything in Jadens changing bag has to face the front! Bibs folded so the pattern is facing forwards all Jars/foods facing the front! OH got so annoyed with this one he scrubbed the pattens off his bottles as i would "check" the bottles in his bag about 20 times before i would go out.

The one everyone laughs at me for is that every item of clothing on the washing line has to have the 2 same colour pegs on it but i cant have an item of clothing next to another with the same colour pegs on it!! And i have one of those things with several pegs on for underwear well i have to put matching socks on oposite sides not together.

:happydance

 

[LaughOutLoud]

I have OCD tendancies but they come and go!! Doc thinks im extremely wierd lol

My cuttlery drawer is my worst one, they all have to face the right way and be straight! OH cant use the drawer anymore as he doesnt take the top spoon or will mess the pattern

Clothes in the wardrobe have to either have to be in colour order or even brand order!!! Depending on my mood that week. I have been known to throw out clothes if they dont match another colour in the wardrobe.

Jaden drives me mad because colour pencils/crayons have to be laid out in rainbow order and i keep putting them back when he moves them i know he is only 16months old and doesnt understand but i hate them not in order.

Everything in Jadens changing bag has to face the front! Bibs folded so the pattern is facing forwards all Jars/foods facing the front! OH got so annoyed with this one he scrubbed the pattens off his bottles as i would "check" the bottles in his bag about 20 times before i would go out.

The one everyone laughs at me for is that every item of clothing on the washing line has to have the 2 same colour pegs on it but i cant have an item of clothing next to another with the same colour pegs on it!! And i have one of those things with several pegs on for underwear well i have to put matching socks on oposite sides not together.

:happydance

Thanks for sharing. Its very tiring isnt it and a lot of hard work with a LO. Sometimes I feel like Im going crazy with this.