Ocd

[Mazemazie]

If I could get rid of my OCD that would be great but it is with me. I see a therapist and we talk about it...but sometimes...it does not work

[Mazemazie]

Does anyone else have trouble with OCD????????

[Mark]

A few people here have identified OCD as a sort of secondary diagnosis but I'm not recalling that anyone is presenting with it as their primary concern. I'm sorry, nevertheless, that no one has responded here. It is troubling enough to have the problem in the first place, and it can not feel good to feel alone or ignored.

OCD is commonly treated with both therapy and medication. Have you ever consulted with a psychiatrist about your anxiety in this regard? It might possibly help.

I'm interested to know what sort of therapy your therapist is offering you - for instance, when you talk about your OCD, how does the conversation generally go? So far as I am aware, it isn't productive all that much to try to talk someone out of OCD. Exposure therapy with relapse prevention and possibly with a cognitive orientation as well tends to be more useful.

Mark

[WinterSky]

I have trouble with collecting things. I used to collect beanie babies and I had so many that I had stacks and stacks and STACKS in display cases all over the place. Then it was Boyds bears, then Madame Alexander dolls, Lenox, now Kingspoint Design collectibles. I am obsessed. Each collection it was all I talked about. And I have a one track mind.

Once my doctor asked me if I was in danger of stalking Lance Armstrong :eek: . I could not believe he'd think that of me! Lance was a real hero to me. I used to be into cycling when I was young. So watching his pedaling action/cadence and other techniques I was in awe. (Okay so I developed a crush, but I am not the type to overextend myself to anyone.) One time when I was in a Walgreens there was a woman that appeared to be in her late 70's or early 80's and was in a hurry to buy a magazine and had been looking all over for it. I asked her what was in it. She said it was about Lance Armstrong! So I was not the only female obsessed with Lance Armstrong!

Last night I spent much time printing photos of my budgies and putting them in my new photo album (my other received water damage). I admired them for awhile after I was done. They always looked to the camera at me every time. I even have a photo of the male sticking his tongue out!

I do not think I have OCD but I sure am obsessed and compulsive to a certain degree. I have this unique concept of perfection. When I'd pick a beanie out for example, the shoulders would have to be just right, no flaws whatsoever.

Welcome MazeMazie!

[Proverbs31:28]

I am on one of those with secondary OCD. In the past it was much more severe than it is now. My OCD developed initially after nearling losing my second child shortly after childbirth which brought up a whole host of memories about nearly losing my first child during childbirth. Both children are now thriving at 7 and 9 years old but during the first few years of life they both really struggled. I became so concerned about losing my daughter (2nd child) I didn't want to leave her. I would stay awake all night and check and recheck her breathing. That is how it started. Then, I started folding and refolding all of her clothes until they were exactly how I wanted them. Nobody else was allowed to wash or fold her laundry. Then, I started doing the same with my son's clothese. Then, towels. Then, I started lining things up until they were in perfect lines. Everything around me had to be perfect. I think, for me, OCD developed as a coping mechanism to deal with the intrusive thoughts that I would lose my children. I had become convinced my DD would not survive infancy. When she did, the thought became she would not survive childhood. My psychiatrist felt I had develope OCD as a method of controlling what I could because I could not control my children's health. I went through therapy to deal with the OCD, anxiety and perfectionism. While in therapy, my DS was diagnosed with a severe, life-threatening heart defect that nobody had ever seen before and nobody knew how to fix. I found myself unable to cope with his illness without resorting to my OCD behavior. I can honestly say that WITH THERAPY, I have improved tremendously. I still have some OCD traits- counting and recounting things, making sure my kids' hair and clothes are "perfect", spelling words in my head and reorganizing them again and again, etc. But, most of my "symptoms" are now internal, rather than external. I still feel it is a coping mechanism for me and I have told my therapist I am not ready to let go of those things and she does not push it.

[paula]

I think I could also suffer from OCD. I'm another perfectionist!

The tie backs on my curtains have to be exactly equal, same amount of drape and pleats, beds made with no creases left in them, when I hang my washing out on the line, I have to hang all the pants together inc pj pants, all long sleeved tops 2gether, all short sleeved tops 2gether.

My worst obsession is stainless steel & mirrors/windows. My kitchen is decor in stainless steel inc: oven, canopy, microwave, bin, bread bin, kettle, light switches etc, they have all got to be polished with no marks on them. All windows, mirrors, hob, tables, ove is half/half, s/steel & glass. they too have got to have no marks left on them.

When My son makes a drink of coffee, I tell him to pull his sleeves over his hands so he doesn't leave finger marks over my canisters. He keeps telling me that I have got a problem!

Other things that I'm obsessed with is: the back gate has to be closed at all times, the blinds have to be closed before any lights are turned on, all doors have to be closed at all times and my wooden floors have to be swept at all times before the dust even settles.

To be honest, I have not thought of this being a problem but my son does! I have got to have my house so clean and tidy at all times. I cannot settle if I see any dirt anywhere. Yet I have not spoke to anyone about it? My family and friends know what I'm like and have noticed haw obsessed I am, yet none of them have suggested that I see my doctor about this? I think it's because I really hate going to my docs and I get in a state when I go!