OCD – good/bad/ugly
- Thread starter CerIs
- Start date
I assume you're being facetious, but my point here is that the majority of times when people think they have OCD, they just have fixations. OCD is debilitating to the point of requiring treatment/therapy/medication.
Sorry for bumping an old thread, I honestly hope you guys (especially those who are dealing with OCD themselves or who have family members that are dealing with OCD) can help me with some advice. My dad has the type of OCD dchuk is referring to, can't think of a better way to describe it than debilitating.
Not debilitating as in "it's diluting his quality of life" but rather debilitating as in "90% of his day is spent on OCD-related rituals"... it's that bad.
In his case, everything revolves around his fear of contamination.
He washes his hands so often that his skin in that area is completely compromised.
Other than his OCD, he's just a regular guy.
So if you bump into him and have a conversation about whatever, I honestly doubt you'd be able to figure out something's wrong.
Only after a few encounters would you notice his reluctance to shake your hand, the condition of his skin and stuff like that.
I'm trying to get through to him but nothing seems to be working.
We eventually managed to convince him to see a local therapist but the person in question is pretty much admitting that this case is beyond her realm of competence.
He understands he has a problem.
He wants to find a solution.
He, however, refuses to take any kind of medication and that complicates things a lot.
If you're dealing with OCD yourself or know someone who is and are familiar with the topic, I'd appreciate it if you could share some advice, links and so on.
I realize I'm asking for advice related to a complex medical situation on a gay webmaster forum but a lot of WF members think outside the box and believe me, I could sure use a few outside the box ideas right about now.
Sorry for the long post.
Check fb/email to make sure its off.
Check pockets multiple times for phone/keys.
Mess with hair/eyebrows while reading interesting shit.
Walk to the fridge every 2 minutes to check for food.
Clean up desk, make sure the books are evenly positioned.
Write on something/run around the house during phone calls.
Check if the door is locked, close all doors/windows before going to sleep.
Check pockets multiple times for phone/keys.
Mess with hair/eyebrows while reading interesting shit.
Walk to the fridge every 2 minutes to check for food.
Clean up desk, make sure the books are evenly positioned.
Write on something/run around the house during phone calls.
Check if the door is locked, close all doors/windows before going to sleep.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIsdSND-BGo]Friends - Monica Geller and the vacuum [lg pt br] - YouTube[/ame]
My daughter has OCD. It's rough because if your child has OCD and they are little then you by proxy have OCD too lol. Like she needs all the cabinet doors/drawers to be closed at all times but can't reach the high ones. It's not her being a brat, the doors being open makes her obsessively anxious, she is 2 and she cries until I close them.
Other weirdness:
-Bottles and containers must have their tops/lids on
-Obsessive patterns and rhythms: she takes the top off a water bottle, puts the top on the table to the right side of the bottle, takes a small sip, puts the top on, taps it three times, shakes the bottle to see the water move, sets the bottle on the table and repeats the exact process 20 or 30 times or until there is no more water left in the bottle.
-She counts everything. I'm actually scared to teach her how to count any higher because she gets into long drawn out counting rituals.
-She can't stand to see anything laying around. She is the only two year old on the planet that picks up around the house. She moves through the house checking to make sure nothing is out of place. My keys are on the table "Mom here are your keys" I set them on the counter, she brings them again and again until I hide them out of sight. Same with all other small objects.
-She keeps a rigid schedule all by herself. She wants to eat the same thing at the same time every day and tells me when it's bedtime.
@ Charlie how old is your father and has he always had OCD tendencies? If so, have they always been that bad?
Other weirdness:
-Bottles and containers must have their tops/lids on
-Obsessive patterns and rhythms: she takes the top off a water bottle, puts the top on the table to the right side of the bottle, takes a small sip, puts the top on, taps it three times, shakes the bottle to see the water move, sets the bottle on the table and repeats the exact process 20 or 30 times or until there is no more water left in the bottle.
-She counts everything. I'm actually scared to teach her how to count any higher because she gets into long drawn out counting rituals.
-She can't stand to see anything laying around. She is the only two year old on the planet that picks up around the house. She moves through the house checking to make sure nothing is out of place. My keys are on the table "Mom here are your keys" I set them on the counter, she brings them again and again until I hide them out of sight. Same with all other small objects.
-She keeps a rigid schedule all by herself. She wants to eat the same thing at the same time every day and tells me when it's bedtime.
@ Charlie how old is your father and has he always had OCD tendencies? If so, have they always been that bad?
I had that same "problem" when I was a kid. Had to wash my hands a lot for the most stupid reasons.. I really got a bad feeling in my throat and stomach when I felt the need to wash my hands again. When I look back now it was really crazy. Luckily that got away when I was older but I still have some kind of hygiene habit where I really have a hard time going on a toilet where I can't wash my hands with soap. I could do it and I do it when there is no other way but it does not feel good. That's the thing that stuck to this day. I don't think pills would help with this. Your dad just has to do the things without washing his hands afterwards and after a while he will notice that it isn't that bad and the feeling will go away. It's easier said than done though and as your dad is already grown up I think it is even harder for him to stop it. A slow therapy would probably be the best when he can't overcome it by himself. Good luck.
I think OCD is closely tied to anxiety, maybe see if L-Theanine would help, I have a strong hunch it would.
kinda glad I found this thread.
I use to think I had touches of OCD and ADHD in different areas of my life. Sounds like I just have odd habits though ( instead of OCD ) compared to some what of you guys face. Even if I have low level OCD, its not like some of the stories here.
For example, I might check my car doors 4 times a night ( car got broke into a few months ago which started this ). I might have to check that my front door is locked after I left the house and drive back and check it. I have to check the doors in my house 3-4 times a day if they are locked, etc. Its mostly checking locks in my car or house but it gets annoying as fuck late at night or after I drive off or stuff. I have a few other ones, but no where near the level of some of the real OCD guys here.
Thanks for sharing though.
I use to think I had touches of OCD and ADHD in different areas of my life. Sounds like I just have odd habits though ( instead of OCD ) compared to some what of you guys face. Even if I have low level OCD, its not like some of the stories here.
For example, I might check my car doors 4 times a night ( car got broke into a few months ago which started this ). I might have to check that my front door is locked after I left the house and drive back and check it. I have to check the doors in my house 3-4 times a day if they are locked, etc. Its mostly checking locks in my car or house but it gets annoying as fuck late at night or after I drive off or stuff. I have a few other ones, but no where near the level of some of the real OCD guys here.
Thanks for sharing though.
My ex had OCD. It's serious shit. It was so insane I was relieved when she dumped me.
It was too stressful having to watch her make sure her cigarette was out for 10 minutes. Be that in an ashtray or a wet street. And don't get me started on the hygiene side of it. Sex became an anxiety filled nightmare to the point I really hoped sex wouldn't happen when I stayed over.
It was too stressful having to watch her make sure her cigarette was out for 10 minutes. Be that in an ashtray or a wet street. And don't get me started on the hygiene side of it. Sex became an anxiety filled nightmare to the point I really hoped sex wouldn't happen when I stayed over.
Too add to the list I posted in this thread a while back, I also have the following:
- Check my mailbox every time I walk into my house through the front door.
- Make sure my car is parked in exactly the same spot in front of the house...to the very same inch.
- Have to view pictures of all my family members, girlfriend and pets before falling asleep.
- Check my mailbox every time I walk into my house through the front door.
- Make sure my car is parked in exactly the same spot in front of the house...to the very same inch.
- Have to view pictures of all my family members, girlfriend and pets before falling asleep.
Am I the only one bothered by the fact that this thread should have been bumped a few days earlier to hit the 1 yr mark exactly? God damnit!
Very long story short: saw a neurologist in my teens for my OCD...not debilitating, but it was excessive enough to where people noticed, which feeds into a cycle of anxiety. Wheeee. My stuff was having to repeat certain things a few times and a few ticks that couldn't be pegged as Tourette's. Opted to just be me and I managed to grow out of some of it, and like OP I get up at 4am everyday without an alarm clock and workout when gym opens at 5:30am...piece of cake. piece of cake. piece of cake.
Did you know that OCD is partially hereditary? My 7 yr old developed some weird phobias lately (typical germaphobe stuff + nervous about being in close proximity to small objects because in her mind she's convinced there's a chance she might put them in her mouth and choke...yeah, wtf). So if you're worried about that sort of thing, pull out.
Very long story short: saw a neurologist in my teens for my OCD...not debilitating, but it was excessive enough to where people noticed, which feeds into a cycle of anxiety. Wheeee. My stuff was having to repeat certain things a few times and a few ticks that couldn't be pegged as Tourette's. Opted to just be me and I managed to grow out of some of it, and like OP I get up at 4am everyday without an alarm clock and workout when gym opens at 5:30am...piece of cake. piece of cake. piece of cake.
Did you know that OCD is partially hereditary? My 7 yr old developed some weird phobias lately (typical germaphobe stuff + nervous about being in close proximity to small objects because in her mind she's convinced there's a chance she might put them in her mouth and choke...yeah, wtf). So if you're worried about that sort of thing, pull out.