Is your OCD Noticable?

[aNOTfox]

For me, there are certain compultions that people don't see, such as checking the wardobe to make sure there are no psychos before I go to sleep or re-writing a post until its perfect XD.
Other things I do are more noticeble however, such as the repetitive hand washing. A while ago, when my OCD was particularly bad, I was on my way out with a friend and I had to lock/unlock the door several times before we could leave. They found it unusual and called me a "nutcase"- in a jokey way but I still couldn't help feeling a little hurt.
Just wondered if anyone else has experienced the same; people noticing and judging them as a "looney".

and should we make an effort to make our OCD as un-noticable as possible for fear of being judged?

 

[johan]

i don't have things that is noticeable. so no one know except my psychologist. and i would be afraid of tell someone about them but i don't think we should hav to hide them. it is symptoms off a illness. you don't judge someone with a broken leg if he/she can't run.

 

[laure15]

Hey, you are just like me! Everytime before I go to bed, I check my closet, under the bed and behind the curtains just to make sure nothing's there. I remember reading about the axe murderer and that's what got me checking for psychos. I also check for bugs because I don't want to sleep with any hidden surprises.

I wash my hands a lot too; I'm afraid to get sick (partly because I can't afford to). A while ago, I also heard news about flesh-eating bacteria...

Anyways, I think my OCD is caused by fear and the need for perfection. When I was in class taking a test, I would double or even triple check my answers just to make sure. And when I used to drive, I locked the car door and then tried to open the door again just to make sure the door was really locked. I did that with the apartment door too.

I think OCD is ok as long as you don't overdo it. Triple checking exams is definitely too obsessive and should be eliminated. On the other hand, it doesn't hurt to make sure your car door's completely locked or to double check something to make sure it's right.

 

[aNOTfox]

Hey, you are just like me! Everytime before I go to bed, I check my closet, under the bed and behind the curtains just to make sure nothing's there. I remember reading about the axe murderer and that's what got me checking for psychos. I also check for bugs because I don't want to sleep with any hidden surprises.

Yeah I'm the same with the curtains! As if someone could even hide behind there XD. I'm the same with bugs too, checking for spiders especially.

 

[razzle dazzle rose]

My compulsions were noticeable and people often commented. I did try really hard to hide it. Getting comments from people made everything that much harder. I am lucky now that my OCD is under control (some things do improve!) I still have OCDish behaviors, but those don't bother me as much.

 

[A Many Splendored Thing]

I have restless leg syndrome, but people don't really notice the movement all that much. I guess that can't really be considered OCD since it's a nervous system disorder.

I also rub my fingers together when I'm walking in public. It keeps my mind off of where I am, and it's not too noticeable either.

The only other 'must do' objective is using something efficient or 'green'. Seeing somebody buy incandescent bulbs over flourescent or LED bulbs really irks me. It's not even the fact that it's burning more coal/oil; it's the fact that it's less efficient at the job that it's supposed to do. I've even removed the covers on my light sockets on my fan so that I can use two lightbulbs that provide more light than four.

Actually, I'll also close curtains/blinds at night so that nobody could watch me without me knowing. Creeps me out too much.

Then there's the need to remove useless stuff that just fills up space...

Messing with my hair when I see my shadow in the sun because it looks imperfect.(that might be a bit noticeable)

So much OCD, I can't let it all out at once.

Hard to say which is worse, hiding it and having the urge or indulging yourself and fearing the judgement. Depending the odds of somebody noticing, I will either indulge or not.

If the person is supposed to be a real friend, then showing them your OCD would be ok, because friends should accept things like that.

 

[OCDd]

yea mine was pretty noticeable, but i went to a great extent to make mine not noticeable, i was very embarrassed and still am a little. i waited till no one was home to wash my hands but recently it all spilled out and i have had to see a psychologist and psychiatrist and my parents have found out now. last night i was washing my hands for a while, as usual, and then left the room and then my dad went to get something to eat and he wash his hands (he doesn't have ocd) but felt the water and immediately called me down and said were you washing your hands with the water on hot all the way? and i said yes and he didnt want me to hurt myself. i feel like a jerk now. i have never told anyone this except my psychologist, but i have de-sensitized my nerves because of the years of washing my hands for so long with such hot water, meaning i cant feel that much with my hands, and hot water doesnt burn that much to me anymore. :sad: i dont think we should hide it though, if we hide it that is saying we are embarrassed about it and dont want to deal with it, we should be getting help, which i am. hope you get better, and we all get 110% better. good luck!

 

[truffleshuffle]

I don;t have ocd but I can understand why you guys check your closets and stuff. Closets are creepy. They have always creeped me out but I don;t know why.

 

[ebot]

My compulsive whistling is noticeable and unwelcome where I live. It gets on this lady's nerves and she constantly tells me to "Pipe down!" It's usually the same tune over and over again. I guess I can understand how that would drive someone else nuts, but I really find it irresistable when I get these obsessive thoughts running through my head.

 

[VictorHernandez]

Yes, for me the most common is having to go back and re-touch or step on things until I feel better. When I was very young, I would just tell people it was my "Happy Dance".. I've decided to just straight up tell people I have OCD.
People also notice I wash my hands every second for like 2 minutes, but I don't think they think much of it other than me not liking germs or something.

 

[Kingfisher]

I was particularly stressed about a month ago and my student and her mom saw me doing a stepping ritual. I was so embarrassed. I think I'm going to control it from now on so people don't notice.

 

[LoyalXenite]

People tend to notice and i do randomly get comments but i try to make a joke of it to lessen the awkwardness.

 

[Duzmiu]

i often get the "OCD much?" comment from my mother, my sister normally ignores it but she laughed at me yesterday when i trying to write something but had about 8 pages torn out on the floor because i kept messing up...was'nt even something important was writing down some films i want to watch lol

 

[jaim38]

Sometimes it is noticeable. I put a cup in its proper place, then I go back and fix its position, and then I go back again to make sure it doesn't tilt over. OCD makes me do repetitive things.

 

[WishingICould]

I hide my compulsions pretty well. Most people don't know i have it. The only thing that's noticeable would be my anxiety.

 

[Onimaru]

i think it might be noticeable...sometimes i go over repetitive thoughts in my head and kind of zone out.


I also check the shower curtain and closet. i think i do that because my brother would hide there and scare me when i was very young though hahah

 

[WishingICould]

i think it might be noticeable...sometimes i go over repetitive thoughts in my head and kind of zone out.


I also check the shower curtain and closet. i think i do that because my brother would hide there and scare me when i was very young though hahah

I know what you mean about the zoning out thing. I tend to do that when people are speaking to me and they have to snap me out of it. I'm not sure why i do it.

 

[Onimaru]

Right? i get kind of angry at myself when i do that because there are times when i do it a bit too often and someone stares like "...." that usually snaps me out of it and i feel all embarrassed.

maybe it has to do with anxiety as well? like we stress over things too much and kind of space out hahah
it's usually random repetitive thoughts for me though, not really bad/stressful ones.

 

[WishingICould]

Right? i get kind of angry at myself when i do that because there are times when i do it a bit too often and someone stares like "...." that usually snaps me out of it and i feel all embarrassed.

maybe it has to do with anxiety as well? like we stress over things too much and kind of space out hahah

I think that sometimes our minds just get so overwhelmed with all the constant anxiety/thoughts that it just sort of needs a break so we space out.

 

[Isolated_Writer]

Yeah, unfortunately my friends had it figured out before I did because to me, the things I did (checking the locks, washing my hands, touching the poles ect.) didn't seem all that serious at first, then it got worse and I was forced to acknowledge that something might not be right.