Anyone hear suffer from OCD? Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear or worry (obsessions), repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety (compulsions), or a combination of such obsessions and compulsions.
More and more in my adult life I seem to be having issues with this. I have always been branded as a perfectionist, except for my gramer, however this is different. I have really started to notice it with the house build. I will be sitting eating having breakfast and notice a slight mistake in the hardwood racking, from there I can’t stop thinking about the mistakes. I do not have any specific compulsions that I am aware of but the intrusive thoughts are quite regular.
If anyone else has had to deal with this do you have any tips?
Anyone hear suffer from OCD?.. I will be sitting eating having breakfast and notice a slight mistake in the hardwood racking, from there I can’t stop thinking about the mistakes.
I think its perfectly normal to obsess to a certain degree about the things we are passionate about, and most people experience this to some degree. It only becomes a problem or medical issue if that obsession is interfering with your life. Are you unable to focus on your regular work because of this obsession? Are you straining relationships? Are the compulsive thoughts leading to actions or activities that prevent you from living normally?
I’ve decided that all of us are suffering from any number of various “Disorders” to one degree or another. That being said I’m not sure when one considers it a large enough issue to seek help or take action.
Personally I’ve wondered about the OCD factor for myself. From the relative benign, “Did I lock the front door…better check…you already checked…better check again just to make sure” Repeat and rinse. To the more complex worrying about problems that I can’t let go, wake me up etc, I’ve wondered if I have some low level of OCD. Certain things bother me, certain things out of place, things not being just so, but OTOH I’m the opposite of a neat freak and tend to lean more toward “Get it done” then “Get it perfect”.
FWIW I think I would lean towards ADHD and Autistic/Asperger spectrum as well. Not enough to actually be diagnosed, but like the OCD significantly above average on the spectrum away from “Normal”.
They due interfere with relationships and often work. Sometimes I will spend hours trapped in the same thought pattern. I will be playing with the kids and drift into thought on a concern. And it is getting worse not better.
It is very hard for me to admit to it, but it is becoming an issue. That is why I brought it up here, looking for some real life advice. And a few good insults thrown into the mix.
It’s not being on the spectrum that’s the problem…it’s being abnormally high on it that becomes an issue
I think there’s a WHOLE lot of grey area from “Completely normal and average” to “Needs medication/occupational therapy” etc. I think there are a whole lot of us that would benefit from some level of therapy on these various spectrums. It has only been the last 10-20 years that we even started looking for and trying to identify any of these issues and for the most part we are still only identifing the severe cases of them not the “Would probably benefit from…” groups.
I think that my problem is that I just don’t care about stuff. I am way too mellow in life.
Oddly this is my conflict as well. I can obsessively dwell on things and can get to the point of not being able to let them go. In other areas of life, some where I should actually obsess more I suppose, I just don’t give a rats ass. It’s weird.
I’ve decided that all of us are suffering from any number of various “Disorders” to one degree or another.
Anyone who doesn’t is seriously abnormal and should be seeking professional help.
FWIW I think I would lean towards ADHD and Autistic/Asperger spectrum as well.
I think I definitely lean toward the latter. But is it really possible to lean toward both of those at the same time? They seem to be almost opposites.
Yea, I have to exercise or I’m a basket case. It take a few days but when I get real busy, which is what I love, I tend to go mucho anal about everything. I know you have had alot on your plate the last year at least so I can see how you could get to this place. it’s pretty easy if your super busy. Usually one of my family members will point it out or, on rare occasions, I catch myself. If I run 4-5 times a week I can handle everything better but sometimes it’s tough to do that. I also meditate and that really helps alot too. I do have a general belief that everything will work out but sometimes that goes out the window when I’m really busy.
I sometimes think that I will end up being a mean old bastard and that motivates me to try and be aware of when I’m slipping into that mode. One of the joys of getting old I guess. Good luck.
Oh sure, you’re totally correct. I was trying to be pithy.
But I had this same realization about 6 months ago, that basically we’re all on some sort of spectrum, and that there’s probably a million of them. But whatever the ADD/ADHD, asperger’s to down’s syndrome stuff is we’re all on it. I work with FAR too many people who exhibit at least mild Asperger’s. Lots of highly scientific folks with PhD’s. The old “How do you tell the extrovert? He’s the one starting at your shoes.”
But is it really possible to lean toward both of those at the same time? They seem to be almost opposites.
Which ones ADHD and Autistic/Asperger or Autistic and Asperger?
I’m by no means an expert but I think that low level Asperger tend to lack “Social Skills” and some level of being able to understand emotional responses. I don’t think that is opposite of ADHD nor is ADHD excluded by the possibility of certain low level Asperger symptoms. Certainly certain aspects of autism are opposite of ADHD but I’m talking about the entire spectrum and being on the low end of the spectrum.
I’m not saying that I actually have Aspergers or even on the scale because if anything I’m nearly positive I have ADHD to some degree. That being said I pretty regularly simply can’t comprehend some peoples “Emotional” reaction and have never been “Social” and felt uncomfortable, strongly so, in large social settings.
The other issue, for me, that probably excludes me from the Asbergers spectrum is that I’m fairly, to extremely, capable of reading emotions in other people, I simply don’t understand why they are in various states of emotions under some conditions. “I know you’re upset…I have no idea why that upsets you.” Type of thing.
Yes, I was picking up that you were on the pithy spectrum.
ut I had this same realization about 6 months ago, that basically we’re all on some sort of spectrum, and that there’s probably a million of them. But whatever the ADD/ADHD, asperger’s to down’s syndrome stuff is we’re all on it. I work with FAR too many people who exhibit at least mild Asperger’s. Lots of highly scientific folks with PhD’s. The old “How do you tell the extrovert? He’s the one starting at your shoes.”
As I’ve stated on here many times I think we are really in our infancy of understanding the human mind and probably even earlier in our understand of emotional status of our minds. For the most part discussing mental health is still close to a taboo in our society. We have a long way to go before we can say “Well I should probably go to a therapist to work of this little bit of OCD” in the same manner we can say “I should go see a personal trainer to work off these 10 pounds”.
No one should or can diagnose you over the internet. If you feel like it’s an issue in your everyday life, I’d suggest going to see a psychiatrist.
FWIW, my understanding is, OCD is truly an extremely severe form of what you have noticed, and the compulsion point is a big part of it. It would be more like you notice the mistake in the hardwood during breakfast, and you immediately stop eating breakfast and have to fix it. If anyone tried to interrupt you, you would shoo them away, and nothing could get in the way of you fixing the issue. OCD has become exaggerated slightly by popular media, where anyone who thinks they like a clean house thinks they are being OCD. What you have noticed could be a minor form of OCD, or a symptom of something else.
I get very hung up on the issues. I will have difficulty not thinking about the issue or it’s solution for a few days until I move on to another issue. The real problem is th invasive thoughts. It is frustrating to say the least.
