Funny OCD Moments

[Lisa0315]

Okay, I just caught myself doing something OCD and I have to laugh (or cry), right?

Cyber hugs cause me to count the open and closed parentheses over and over. I have to make sure there are enough. Please do not cyber hug me or make me return one.

For example (((Lisa))) I have to keep looking at that to make sure there are really an even number on either side and are 3 standard? Do more () mean the hug is harder, deeper, longer?

Do you have any moments like this?

Lisa

 

[NPH]

Hey Lisa, thanks for pointing me in the direction of this forum!

The biggest online problem I end up having is that I am constantly scrolling pages up and down as I'm reading until the page finally feels 'just right'.

It's kind of funny when someone is trying to read over my shoulder lol. I know where I am in the thread and can read while the forum is 'jumping' (though it makes my eyes really tired sometimes) but anyone else goes nuts about it.

 

[Lisa0315]

Hey Lisa, thanks for pointing me in the direction of this forum!

The biggest online problem I end up having is that I am constantly scrolling pages up and down as I'm reading until the page finally feels 'just right'.

It's kind of funny when someone is trying to read over my shoulder lol. I know where I am in the thread and can read while the forum is 'jumping' (though it makes my eyes really tired sometimes) but anyone else goes nuts about it.

I count everything. There are exactly 20 blue dots as you are waiting on Excel or Access to finish saving or running a query. Of course, that was back in the day when they were super slow computers.

 

[snoochface]

I count a lot too, Lisa. Up or down stairs, street sign poles as I'm driving, just about anything.

My big thing is evenness. It will drive my husband a little crazy sometimes. Like, he'll go to put his laptop back on the table where he keeps it when it's not being used, which is right in front of a small window. I'll suddenly realize, after months of not noticing, that the laptop is slightly off-center in front of the window. So I'll make him move it, which usually goes along the lines of:

Me: You need to scoot your laptop an inch to the right.
Him: ..... ??
Me: Just do it? Please?
Him: *sigh* You're so weird. [scoots laptop an inch to the right]
Him: Is that okay? (because he knows it's not)
Me: Move it a snick to the left.
Him: *sigh*



But he's so good about it and always does what I ask. And then next time, he'll put it down on the table, glance over his shoulder at me, sigh, and without me ever saying a word start scooting it around until I say it's just right.

 

[Lisa0315]

I count a lot too, Lisa. Up or down stairs, street sign poles as I'm driving, just about anything.

My big thing is evenness. It will drive my husband a little crazy sometimes. Like, he'll go to put his laptop back on the table where he keeps it when it's not being used, which is right in front of a small window. I'll suddenly realize, after months of not noticing, that the laptop is slightly off-center in front of the window. So I'll make him move it, which usually goes along the lines of:

Me: You need to scoot your laptop an inch to the right.
Him: ..... ??
Me: Just do it? Please?
Him: *sigh* You're so weird. [scoots laptop an inch to the right]
Him: Is that okay? (because he knows it's not)
Me: Move it a snick to the left.
Him: *sigh*



But he's so good about it and always does what I ask. And then next time, he'll put it down on the table, glance over his shoulder at me, sigh, and without me ever saying a word start scooting it around until I say it's just right.

I count everything in my age, or the day of the month. For example, if I am cleaning up my e-mail folders...

Today is the 29th, so I would write the alphabet down on a piece of paper, count to the 29th letter which would be C, I think. Then, I would move or delete any e-mails with names starting with C. Then, go to the next 29th letter.

I blow my hair dry in sections of 40 seconds. I am 40 years old.

My biggest thing though is repetitive phrases. When I remember something bad, I say something over and over and over and the memory is gone again. I have done this for years and only very recently realized what I was doing.

My Mom is classic OCD. She has to check everything to make sure it is off and locked. I talked to her right before I went to the MD, and she said she didn't have OCD, but BC. "What is BC?", I asked her. "Being Careful!"

Lisa

 

[snoochface]

My Mom is classic OCD. She has to check everything to make sure it is off and locked. I talked to her right before I went to the MD, and she said she didn't have OCD, but BC. "What is BC?", I asked her. "Being Careful!"

LOL, that is so me. I check the stove, the door locks and chains, make sure the garage door is down -- like, 10 times before I go to bed, even if I haven't used the stove or left the house all day. And I agree, it's just being careful.

 

[Lisa0315]

LOL, that is so me. I check the stove, the door locks and chains, make sure the garage door is down -- like, 10 times before I go to bed, even if I haven't used the stove or left the house all day. And I agree, it's just being careful.

Snooch, I had been so depressed. I prayed and prayed to be able to serve God without guilt. One morning I woke up and caught myself saying my phrases. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew it was true when I remembered my Bible from when I was a kid and how nearly every verse is underlined. I would underline it in some kind of sequence. I don't remember now how or why, but I did it for hours in church and at home. I felt guilty for doing it but I could not stop. I feel like this diagnosis is an answer to my prayer. I am feeling my way, and testing the waters to see if something is really "sin" or if it is made up sin in my mind. I am forcing myself to remember my abuse instead of using my phrases to surpress them. At first, I was so angry, but I am getting past that already.

Lisa

 

[snoochface]

Snooch, I had been so depressed. I prayed and prayed to be able to serve God without guilt. One morning I woke up and caught myself saying my phrases. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew it was true when I remembered my Bible from when I was a kid and how nearly every verse is underlined. I would underline it in some kind of sequence. I don't remember now how or why, but I did it for hours in church and at home. I felt guilty for doing it but I could not stop. I feel like this diagnosis is an answer to my prayer. I am feeling my way, and testing the waters to see if something is really "sin" or if it is made up sin in my mind. I am forcing myself to remember my abuse instead of using my phrases to surpress them. At first, I was so angry, but I am getting past that already.

Lisa

That's really wonderful, Lisa. I have been having a horrible time of things lately, one of the worst of my life (which is saying a lot), and I'm trying so hard to discern truth from fear, remember my blessings instead of my losses, and forgive the past. Prayer has helped a lot. I'll pray for you as well, and I'm so glad you are beginning to get a handle on things.

 

[Lisa0315]

That's really wonderful, Lisa. I have been having a horrible time of things lately, one of the worst of my life (which is saying a lot), and I'm trying so hard to discern truth from fear, remember my blessings instead of my losses, and forgive the past. Prayer has helped a lot. I'll pray for you as well, and I'm so glad you are beginning to get a handle on things.

Right back at ya!

 

[kaykay9.0]

Okay, I'm not going to do the one with parentheses!

Hugs and prayers for you, Lisa. Glad you are getting some answers for your life.

 

[NPH]

I count everything. There are exactly 20 blue dots as you are waiting on Excel or Access to finish saving or running a query. Of course, that was back in the day when they were super slow computers.

I'm glad I don't have a counting thing going on. That would be the plain end of it and time for me to huddle under the covers lol.

My big thing is evenness.

I think what I go through is similar. Mostly it's physical for me rather than external items. Kinda like bumping your elbow then having to bump the other arms elbow and keep bumping them against the walls back and forth until they feel even.

The worst is the glancing, echolalia and skipping. My eyes get tired, my throat gets sore and I look a total idiot trying to drag/skip my feet to evenness lol.

My Mom is classic OCD. She has to check everything to make sure it is off and locked.

Ugh. I do the same as well. For close to an hour sometimes I will repeatedly get up and check the locks on the door. Sometimes I even walk back and forth checking the one I just checked before the one i'm currently at.

 

[snoochface]

I think what I go through is similar. Mostly it's physical for me rather than external items. Kinda like bumping your elbow then having to bump the other arms elbow and keep bumping them against the walls back and forth until they feel even.

YES!! I totally do that. If my left foot steps on a crack, my right foot has to. If I scratch my left arm, I have to scratch my right. And yes, the back and forth until they "feel" even, yes yes yes.

Ugh. I do the same as well. For close to an hour sometimes I will repeatedly get up and check the locks on the door. Sometimes I even walk back and forth checking the one I just checked before the one i'm currently at.

I will check the alarm clock at night easily 10 times in a row. It's like I can't believe my eyes, "Does it really say 5:55 a.m.? Did I mistake a PM for an AM? Is it still set for 5:55? Did I accidentally change it the last time I checked it?" Ugh.

 

[Lisa0315]

Are y'all getting any kind of treatment, or are you just living with it like my Mom?

Lisa

 

[Lisa0315]

Oh, and I just want to say how great it is to be able to talk about these things openly.

Lisa

 

[snoochface]

Are y'all getting any kind of treatment, or are you just living with it like my Mom?

Lisa

I'm just living with it. But I'm finding as my stress/anxiety/depression gets worse, so do my phobias and OCD. Just last night my husband and I talked about maybe it being time for me to talk to someone about all of it.

So, maybe I'll get help, but I think of all my problems, the OCD is the least of it. It'll get better when everything else does, though.

 

[NPH]

Are y'all getting any kind of treatment, or are you just living with it like my Mom?

Uninsured so I can't afford a specialist. And all the bloody family doctor's will say is "Oh, it's neuroses" and prescribe garbage medication that just makes you feel worse.

One of these days I'll get myself in to see a neurologist or psychologist and walk out feeling brilliant for finally getting an actual diagnosis. But, TBH, after researching I'm pretty worried that's it's not actual OCD that I suffer from but Tourette's. The symptons really line up more with TS than classic OCD.

Oh, and I just want to say how great it is to be able to talk about these things openly.

Tell me about it. Most people act like you're a freak or get annoyed. Almost the worst is the people who think it's somehow funny or 'cute'. Fie on them I say!

 

[Lisa0315]

I'm just living with it. But I'm finding as my stress/anxiety/depression gets worse, so do my phobias and OCD. Just last night my husband and I talked about maybe it being time for me to talk to someone about all of it.

So, maybe I'll get help, but I think of all my problems, the OCD is the least of it. It'll get better when everything else does, though.

Well, I have been on anti-depressants now for almost two years. I just started a different medicine of the OCD, and after a week and a half, I feel better. I have been having much clearer thoughts just starting today, actually. If you have noticed on other boards, I have been joking alot. That is *me* in a good mood.

So, if you can afford it, do it. It is the best thing I ever did for myself, and I cannot even imagine how much better I am going to be in a year.

Lisa

 

[Lisa0315]

Uninsured so I can't afford a specialist. And all the bloody family doctor's will say is "Oh, it's neuroses" and prescribe garbage medication that just makes you feel worse.

One of these days I'll get myself in to see a neurologist or psychologist and walk out feeling brilliant for finally getting an actual diagnosis. But, TBH, after researching I'm pretty worried that's it's not actual OCD that I suffer from but Tourette's. The symptons really line up more with TS than classic OCD.



Tell me about it. Most people act like you're a freak or get annoyed. Almost the worst is the people who think it's somehow funny or 'cute'. Fie on them I say!

That sucks. Do you have a county mental health department? We have those here in North Carolina. No one should have to suffer with this untreated.

Lisa

 

[NPH]

That sucks. Do you have a county mental health department? We have those here in North Carolina. No one should have to suffer with this untreated.

I've never really looked. I know I don't qualify for Medicare so it'd have to be a completely free clinic. But yeah, it'd be worth looking into.

Just a question, since you've been diagnosed, but you don't suffer from echolalia do you? That, plus being awareness of an outbreak well before it occurs, are two of the things that lead me to wonder if it might be TS in my case.

 

[Lisa0315]

I've never really looked. I know I don't qualify for Medicare so it'd have to be a completely free clinic. But yeah, it'd be worth looking into.

Just a question, since you've been diagnosed, but you don't suffer from echolalia do you? That, plus being awareness of an outbreak well before it occurs, are two of the things that lead me to wonder if it might be TS in my case.

I don't know what that is. Understand, I didn't even know what scrupulosity was until a few weeks ago. I just never connected my own things with OCD. I thought you had to be like my Mom.

Lisa