dumb overachiever
New member
I’m sure this forum gets a lot of these types of questions, and I apologize, but it’s been bugging me for years and I would love to get closure and certainty on the subject. If I were to diagnose myself, I would say I am a neat freak, but I’d love to get input from someone who has been previously diagnosed with OCD, something similar, or someone with expertise in the field.
I don't feel like this is a big problem at the moment (I am currently 19 years old), but I need to know now if this is going to be a bigger problem later so I can take steps into treating this and reaching out for help as soon as possible. My friends label me as OCD, and I've heard it enough times to feel a little concerned. Here are some examples…
__________
I...
-always make my bed. If I don't do it first thing in the morning, I will think about it all day. It stresses me to a great degree. Even if I come home late and it's messy, and I'm about to sleep, I'll still have to clean it before I get into bed.
-have my wallet categorized by least to greatest monetary worth.
-always keep my room/workstation as minimalist as possible. If it serves no purpose, it will be thrown/stored away. Items such as posters, toys, or any other decorations do not exist within my room. My backpack, computer, cell phone, car, etc. are also as minimalist as possible.
-always have the volume set on my radio or television to “in the middle” number. An example of this would be 3, 5, 8, 10, 13, 15, 18, 20, and so on. This applies to most things that have a numbered system.
-consider the start of the week Monday. If I don't go to the gym on Monday, I can’t go on the other days, and then I have to wait until the next Monday for the next opportunity to work out. Also, if I don't do my whole gym routine, I feel like I wasted my whole time there.
-am very serious about things being equal and even. When I fold a piece of paper, I make it a point to make sure the edges all line up evenly. I take extra care when I draw borders around a piece of paper, before I start drawing. Items on my desk have to be straight and orderly. A ritual (maybe the only one I have) I have is that before I sleep, my laptop must be against the wall, the external keyboard has to be aligned properly, the fan facing the computer has to be pointed correctly, the window must be open at least one inch, and the mouse has to be unplugged and put into a drawer.
-always wash my hands with soap when I handle things that leave residue on my hands. Some examples would include the powder on potato chips, handling oily foods, or shaking hands with someone that I view as “dirty.” If I can’t, the thought of dirty hands stays in my mind until I can clean them.
-do things half-assed if I don't start from the beginning. For example, my teeth cleaning schedule starts with flossing, tongue cleaner, brushing for 3 minutes exact, mouthwash, then putting in my retainers. If I go straight to brushing my teeth, I disregard my 3 minute rule, and skip anything before and afterwards.
-sometimes go on a diet or detoxify my body, but the moment I eat something “bad,” I disregard the whole diet and eat/drink whatever I want.
-cannot go to sleep if I know something has to be done. I’ve tried to sleep before when there were items on the floor of my room, and it drove me crazy, so I had to clean up before I could sleep soundly.
-don’t let people, even close friends, in my room because I’m afraid they’ll plague my room with their germs. When people do somehow manage to get in, I change the sheets immediately after they leave my house.
-have to sleep at times on increments of 15 minutes. For example: 10:00, 10:15, 10:30, 10:45, 11:00, and so on. If I decide to sleep at 10:00, and I look on my clock that it’s 10:03, I’ll have to wait until 10:15 to climb into bed.
__________
I’m sure some of the examples don’t mean anything, but I find it weird that I do them.
As I look through the Wikipedia article (I know, I know. Wikipedia. It’s never steered me wrong before though) on OCD, I see that I can relate to a lot of things on here, but one thing especially frightens me:
I know it’s a long read, but I’d appreciate it if anyone can give me their input.
Please ask me if you need additional details or have questions!
Thank you for your time~
I don't feel like this is a big problem at the moment (I am currently 19 years old), but I need to know now if this is going to be a bigger problem later so I can take steps into treating this and reaching out for help as soon as possible. My friends label me as OCD, and I've heard it enough times to feel a little concerned. Here are some examples…
__________
I...
-always make my bed. If I don't do it first thing in the morning, I will think about it all day. It stresses me to a great degree. Even if I come home late and it's messy, and I'm about to sleep, I'll still have to clean it before I get into bed.
-have my wallet categorized by least to greatest monetary worth.
-always keep my room/workstation as minimalist as possible. If it serves no purpose, it will be thrown/stored away. Items such as posters, toys, or any other decorations do not exist within my room. My backpack, computer, cell phone, car, etc. are also as minimalist as possible.
-always have the volume set on my radio or television to “in the middle” number. An example of this would be 3, 5, 8, 10, 13, 15, 18, 20, and so on. This applies to most things that have a numbered system.
-consider the start of the week Monday. If I don't go to the gym on Monday, I can’t go on the other days, and then I have to wait until the next Monday for the next opportunity to work out. Also, if I don't do my whole gym routine, I feel like I wasted my whole time there.
-am very serious about things being equal and even. When I fold a piece of paper, I make it a point to make sure the edges all line up evenly. I take extra care when I draw borders around a piece of paper, before I start drawing. Items on my desk have to be straight and orderly. A ritual (maybe the only one I have) I have is that before I sleep, my laptop must be against the wall, the external keyboard has to be aligned properly, the fan facing the computer has to be pointed correctly, the window must be open at least one inch, and the mouse has to be unplugged and put into a drawer.
-always wash my hands with soap when I handle things that leave residue on my hands. Some examples would include the powder on potato chips, handling oily foods, or shaking hands with someone that I view as “dirty.” If I can’t, the thought of dirty hands stays in my mind until I can clean them.
-do things half-assed if I don't start from the beginning. For example, my teeth cleaning schedule starts with flossing, tongue cleaner, brushing for 3 minutes exact, mouthwash, then putting in my retainers. If I go straight to brushing my teeth, I disregard my 3 minute rule, and skip anything before and afterwards.
-sometimes go on a diet or detoxify my body, but the moment I eat something “bad,” I disregard the whole diet and eat/drink whatever I want.
-cannot go to sleep if I know something has to be done. I’ve tried to sleep before when there were items on the floor of my room, and it drove me crazy, so I had to clean up before I could sleep soundly.
-don’t let people, even close friends, in my room because I’m afraid they’ll plague my room with their germs. When people do somehow manage to get in, I change the sheets immediately after they leave my house.
-have to sleep at times on increments of 15 minutes. For example: 10:00, 10:15, 10:30, 10:45, 11:00, and so on. If I decide to sleep at 10:00, and I look on my clock that it’s 10:03, I’ll have to wait until 10:15 to climb into bed.
__________
I’m sure some of the examples don’t mean anything, but I find it weird that I do them.
As I look through the Wikipedia article (I know, I know. Wikipedia. It’s never steered me wrong before though) on OCD, I see that I can relate to a lot of things on here, but one thing especially frightens me:
I am a heterosexual male with no doubt in my mind. I have no questions about my sexuality, but all of the things above relate to me. Of course, I would never act upon these “fantasies”; such as incest, rape, family, animals, etc., but I do find it extremely scary that I think about these things from time to time.
I know it’s a long read, but I’d appreciate it if anyone can give me their input.
Please ask me if you need additional details or have questions!
Thank you for your time~
