Is this OCD?

whit3tig3y · Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 1:01 am Post subject: Is this OCD?

For the last 2 years or so, i've developed the habit of constantly having to have something to "fiddle" with. Be it a pen, a piece of string, a zipper on a shirt or even my own fingers(clicking, flicking etc), i have to be doing something. When i'm at work, if my hands are occupied by work, i'll need to have my foot tapping or my knee jiggling. Sometimes I even rest my chin on my drink bottle and just move that around. If I don't do this I feel kind of anxious, nervous, not afraid, just frustrated and anxious. Small things like sitting at my desk moving around a folded up sticky note in one hand is ok. Its when im out and about, im playing with a cord on my jumper or have something in my pocket i can play with, that I really feel silly because alot of people find these things rude. I've noticed when I go to the doctor or I had a job interview or something i'd play with the strap of my bag either next to me or under the desk. My latest big embarrasment because of this was playing with a cord on my jacket. I've played with it so much it actually broke, and someone noticed. I don't know what this is. Could this be OCD? I've never looked up OCD i don't know what the symptoms are. But just the name suggests an compulsion such as this may come under it!

YankeeBob · Intermediate User Joined: Aug 29, 2007 Posts: 113

There is a view that OCD includes :

* Constantly thinking about something,

* A feeling of elation,

* Behaviour connected with the first two.

And the behaviour escalates as years go by. And the person who has the OCD is in denial that its a problem.

Take care. Be well.

Musicocd · Newbie User Joined: May 16, 2007 Posts: 57

Why do you fiddle with things? Is it because it just 'feels' like you have to, or 'feels right' when you do? Does it frustrate you because no matter how hard you want to, you can't stop? Try resisting the urge to fiddle and see what happens. If you become more and more anxious and eventually give in then you could indeed have some form of anxiety disorder. Do you have any other things like this? What sort of thoughts accompany the fiddling?

This sort of thing is how my ocd began. Not necessarily fiddling with things, but a preoccupation with things being in the correct place, then it escalated and now it's completely taken over my life.

In response to the previous response, if you have ocd you WILL realise it's a problem as people with this condition have much insight into the fact that the thoughts they have are just coming from their own minds. There is also NO feeling of elation. You might be talking about impulse control disorders, where the sufferer gets a quick burst of elation from doing the thing they shouldn't have done (eg. stealing, of setting something on fire...my knowledge of impulse disorders is very minimal by the way!). Ocd sufferers will never 'enjoy' their compulsions, though they may become accustomed to them (as I have with many of mine) they cause great levels of anxiety and stress, so no happiness there!

Hope that helps...

Musicocd

whit3tig3y · Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 10:53 pm Post subject:

If I don't do it, I get very nervous, frustrated, anxious and feel out of place and fell like crying. I don't know when it really began, i only noticed it in the last 2 years or so. Only noticed it as a PROBLEM in the last few weeks. I don't know, maybe i've always been doing it, I used to get in trouble alot at school for clicking my pen. Sometimes if i stop myself from doing it, ill start it again unconciously. As in ill pick something up and play with it, without noticing. Until i go and pick up something i need and realise theres something in my hand.

I don't really know if this is connected to it, but I also have a problem with telling people things. Like things about my relationship mostly. Not sexual, never. But just things like "we had an argument about this" or "we had a disagreement about that" or "he did this" as in i was maybe grumpy and these are the things he did to cheer me up etc. Things people don't need to know. I know people are getting sick of me telling them things. I stopped for maybe a week because I know people have really had enough of me, but I seem to have started again. I'm slowly pushing all my work collegues away because of this.

And I know this one might just be fear related, but every time I get in my car, I have to walk around it and check none of the tyres are flat. I know this came from one day I got in my car pulled out of my driveway only to realise I had a flat tyre and I felt a little embarrased. But its been months now, all wheels and tyres have been checked by mechanics, they are all fine. I'm always checking though, every time I get in it. Well, every time I get in any car that i'm driving. If someone else is driving thats ok. But if im driving I have to check, no matter what car it is. And if I don't all the way to my destination im thinking the tyres flat or its going flat or its going to blow off or something. A few times i've had to pull off the road and check, and if i don't i get extremely worried. Every so often I have to turn the music off to listen if it has that flat tyre sound.

Wait for it.. i'm just crazy.. right? Rolling Eyes

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The best things in life... Aren't things.

Musicocd · Newbie User Joined: May 16, 2007 Posts: 57

Hmm...it might not be ocd because there's parts of it that don't seem to match, but then it might be because some bits do match. Even the thing you have about telling people things, it could be some sort of reassurance thing, which is linked to ocd...but I'm not sure (sorry, that's not very helpful is it!)

I think the best thing to do would be to see a doctor about it. It does sound like there's something going on, but I'm not a doctor so I don't know what it is! If it's causing you stress then you should do something about it before it gets worse!

Let us know how it all goes!

princess_haru · Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 3:45 pm Post subject:

Hi whit3tig3y. I fiddle with things out of nervousness - I tidy my hair or twirl it around my fingers mostly, but I also fiddle with clothing and my bottle/glass if I'm drinking. I used to smoke mainly for the sake of having something to do with my hands, and I liked rollies especially for that reason because then you have to go through the little ritual of making the cigarette before smoking it, lol. I also compulsively doodle if I have a pen to hand, especially during meetings and phone calls. Oh, and I do the foot tapping/knee jigging thing you mentioned a lot too.

I know fidgeting and fiddling like this just makes my nervousness obvious to people, but it's a crutch I just can't seem to do without. Kids do it all the time and it looks cute and perfectly natural when they do, but it makes me feel like a fool to still be doing it as an adult Crying or Very sad

It's just so comforting to me though that I can't imagine how other people people sit so calm and motionless when they're having a conversation. I don't just fidget when I'm around people though - I also do it a lot of the time when I'm alone. It definitely gets worse though when I'm talking to someone and feeling jittery.

I've never really thought of it possibly being related to OCD until I read this - I've always thought of it as an anxiety issue.

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When you're strange
Faces come out of the rain
When you're strange
No one remembers your name

whit3tig3y · Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 2:10 am Post subject:

I don't know if this is OCD. I just found it while looking for a reason why I can't stop doing what I do. Maybe it is an anxiety issue I don't know. Thats what i'm trying to find out.

I don't want to see a doctor about it, because I would feel EXTREMELY out of place talking to a doctor about needing to "fiddle" with things. Doctors are for sick people, and I don't feel sick, just crazy.

The biggest problem I have is I come across shy because of it, when really, i'm not. People look at me, see me fidgeting and fiddling and think i'm nervous, when i'm not. It's like "well she's been working here a year and she's still nervous, she must be really shy or just weird".

Its amazing someone does the same things that I do! I thought i'd only find that among little kids. Also, people tend to think i'm destrctive. Tearing off the cord of my jumper for one. Tearing and folding and scrunching small bits of paper. Bending paperclips, chewing on my drink bottle etc. I think they generally think i'm just a destructive person.

_________________
The best things in life... Aren't things.