[Closed] OCD... What are your compulsions then?

What is the opposite of OCD?

CGaF?

I ALWAYS use a paper towel to open the door in work/public toilets.

I also count my nose several times a day.

Any my back garden must be a complete and utter mess or I can't sleep.

That's it Yeti or ICCL.

See someone else has the cutlery thing, but has a different (wrong) order. Clearly wrong. You always say 'Knife and Fork' don't you? Use your knife and fork!' Never 'Use your fork and knife' Hence in the drawer it has to be Knives, then forks, then spoons. Although I don't mind if that's left to right order, or top to bottom. It's your cutlery tray, only a freak would dictate what way round you had to put that in your cutlery drawer!

I even went through a phase of arranging the wardrobe by colour, rainbow stylee

That's not OCD

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/843241-saudi-prince-s-aide-was-very-effeminate

I thought I was OCD, but compared to some of your lot I'm verging on normal.

My OCD traits in comparison are just logical!

I have a particular way of stacking the washing up board to fit an entire day's washing up on the board... in fact I'm good at stacking/packing anything (I once asked "do all engineers come with good packing algorithms?").

I used to have a compulsion where I couldn't step on crack/edges of slabs but in addition, I couldn't stand of the projected edges of large objects. See the washing machine or table in the middle of the kitchen? Take the 4 edges and project them across the floor. You can't stand on those lines.

Then one day I just decided to stop.

I like to put my alarm at slightly off times, though I don't have to.

And I did once leave the iron on when out for a weekend. Would have missed the bus to check.

joolsburger - I believe that you've given the medically correct diagnosis.
CGaF has a bit of a stigma attached to it these days.

In the kitchen at work the cups are all stacked 2 high, when I go to get a coffee I can only take the top one of a stack, not a loner.

Socks - have to be pairs, fairly normal. Then the wife (just to wind me up im sure) got me socks that have days of the week written on them, so now not only do I have to find a pair, I have to be the monday pair if it'e monday etc.

When I get to work I have to open my applications in the same order, outlook first so its on the left, then windows explorer, then IE, then excel etc. If I accidentaly close outlook during the day then i have to close all the ather applications so I can get outlook back where it belongs.

Even number on the car stereo. 5s are OK

Light swictches should all be the right way round, however I moved house a week ago and the kitchen light switch has been put on the wrong way....one week in and I am still deciding if it bothers me enough to take it off and change it.

I get on the train at the same door everyday, and always make sure I sit facing backwards.

Loo roll has to hang the right way (away from the wall)

Things in the wardrobe have to face the same way.

Money in wallet has to be in denomination order and the right way up, facing forwards, coins i stack in size order, sometimes seperating the coppers and silvers.

I have to make sure I look at the clock on my monitor at work when the time is 12:34.

Cant do an odd number of reps in the gym.

Im sure there are more

Notes in my wallet have to be in order (£20's at the back, £5's at the front) with the queens head facing forward.
Car stereo volume has to be even numbers or multiples of 5

Not just me then 😉 🙄

If anyone wants the names of some good help books or advice on getting the right CBT, give me a shout.

My psychologist wrote her thesis about me, so that just about sums up my relationship with this horrible spiteful illness. 🙁

When I get to work I have to open my applications in the same order, outlook first so its on the left, then windows explorer, then IE, then excel etc. If I accidentaly close outlook during the day then i have to close all the ather applications so I can get outlook back where it belongs.

If you're running 7 (and I'm pretty sure Vista) then you can just drag any icon on the taskbar to where you want it to rearrange them. Dunno if that'll help but may make your life easier if you use one of those!

So Im pretty normal in STW way.
Does anyone else get mildly disturbed by the shape of Marmite jars?

I used to enjoy watching a bloke out of my window - he'd park up his Austin Metro, lock the drivers door, lift the handle and pull.
Then he'd do all the door handles in a clockwise order.
Then he'd go round each window and run his hand along the top to check there was no gap.
Then he'd repeat it all.

Imagine how tidy his cutlery drawer was!

Try having OCD with two toddlers living in the house. Your head will explode. I do though have a thing where all CDs and DVDs must be in their cases in the correct orientation.

I also count my nose several times a day.

I have to make sure I look at the clock on my monitor at work when the time is 12:34.

How did that come about?

Then the wife (just to wind me up im sure) got me socks that have days of the week written on them

I - along with my two brothers; was given the same present.

Of the three of us; the running joke was that one would wear the correct pair on the correct day; one would wear a pair; but not always the 'right' one and that I would at least be wearing socks...

I [i]have[/i] to sleep on the other side of the pillow to the side used the night before. I even manage this when I'm drunk.

I choose my bedding specifically to make this task easier, so I have a patterned side, and a plane side. If I stay in hotels or b&bs I have to carry on the same pattern (i.e. if I slept on the patterned side at home the night before, it has to be the plane side in the b&b)

I am unable to sleep if presented with just plain coloured pillows (although if they are different colours on each side, the darker side is "upgraded" to the "patterned" side in my head.

When I change my bed I have to be careful to leave the pillows (without cases) in the correct orientation so that when I replace the cases, the "right" side is up.

Then the wife (just to wind me up im sure) got me socks that have days of the week written on them

Oh yeah pumping tyres up, I always count and do 20 strokes at a time altho I manage to resist this if there's a pressure gauge.

but loo roll, packing and stacking the dishes etc, surely this comes from you having experimented previously found the best method and sticking to it? Getting ready for a ride I have a routine it's just the quickest way to get ready and not forget anything...or is it OCD...?

As soon as I log onto a computer, first thing to be opened is Firefox and then check mail/forums etc. I have to have my taskbar in a certain order - FF, Thunderbird, any other programs and then any folders which are open. Windows 7 is good for this 🙂 My start menu contains my most used programs and has to be in the right order, from the top - FF, Winamp, Adobe programs in alphabetical order, Maya, Word and anything else I'm using frequently at the time. Oh and when I open a file (psd etc) I like to do it from inside the program rather than browsing to the folder and opening the individual psd etc file.

Bike wise I'm paranoid about punctures and pinch flats so check pressures all the time. I also do the counting thing when pumping tyres. I also count my pedal strokes on a climb or hard bit, think it just keeps my mind away from the fact that my lungs feel like they're about to explode though.

posting the 100th post

Checking this forum, and making sure switches are turned off when I go out....I thought it was just me. I get so annoyed with myself even though I know they are all OK. There I@ve said it may be it'll stop or become easier.....here's hoping!!!!

Sometimes I forget to tighten the axles on my bike.

posting the 100th post

FFGGHhfd DDFGYTTFff GGGGGGGRRRRRRRRR AAAAAAAARRRRGGHHH!

(Goes off to arrange nuts+bolts in nuts + bolts box....)

Nice one re socks. Some bastid got me some once that have left and right written on them. Have never been on the wrong feet.

Wardrobe stuff - agree. Can't sleep if clothes on the floor. The toilet roll being the right way up is just common sense.

I still maintain that most of this is perfectly normal and healthy. Being tidy means you waste less time looking for stuff. Checking for your keys 20 times means you don't get locked out. You can find your money quicker if it is stored correctly.

The lightswitch stuff is crossing the line to a dark place tho...

Does anyone else get mildly disturbed by the shape of Marmite jars?

You're thinking of ladies' bottoms, aren't you?

steve-g - Member
posting the 100th post

Some of you are clearly a couple of links short of a full chain!

Speaking of which how many of you have counted the links?

Are they an even number, or a mutiple of five?

Could they even be a multiple of [b][i]thirteen[/i][/b]?

Mwaa haa ha ha

You're thinking of ladies' bottoms, aren't you?

always :o)

Loo roll has to hang the right way (away from the wall)

[b]NOOOOO!!! THE CORRECT WAY IS AGAINST THE WALL![/b]

Why? it's harder to get at then!

oh dear OCD Fight!

[b]IT JUST IS![/b]

Unless of course you have 4ft diameter bog rolls. In which case I grant you the toilet paper will be easier to reach. But you probably wouldn't be able to open the bog door anyway, let alone perch on the crapper.

Paper against wall. End of.

'Hey baby, your bum is like a marmite jar'

I just don't see that comparisson working as a chat up line.

Paper against wall. End of.

🙂

ocd is a bit like doing your habits without stopping to think why your doing them and what the original (thought)intrusion was about.
Here is an ocd metaphor;
You see a man walking around your local high street throwing salt from his pockets; you ask him what are you doing?
His reply, im throwing salt to stop the crocodiles from following me.
You say; there are no crocodiles in this high street.
He says; because im throwing salt.

Harry_the_Spider - Member

Loo roll has to hang the right way (away from the wall)

NOOOOO!!! THE CORRECT WAY IS AGAINST THE WALL!

that's an ongoing battle in our house, mrs puts it against the wall, I turn it around.

I worked in hotels for years and the right way around is paper out

end of argument

(but the battle continues)

oh, I was wrong, I do have have a compulsion - taking photos! Bums, trees, clouds, mountains, sunsets, water, flowers etc etc. I lug my heavy DSLR everywhere with me and feel uneasy if I don't have it to hand 🙁

Checking for your keys 20 times means you don't get locked out.

No, checking for them once means you don't get locked out. What're the other 19 for? 🙂

Just in case you didn't check properly the first time, or the second, or the third, or the fourth, or the fifth, or the sixth, or the seventh, or the eigth, or the ninth, or the tenth, or the elleventh, ot the twelth, or the thirteenth, or the fourteenth, or the fifthteenth, or the sixteenth, or the seventeenth, or the eighteenth, or the nineteenth.

Damn OCD is hard work. I'm definitely too lazy to have OCD.

I used to be pretty CDO as a kid, now that I think about it.

I got it into my head that 'even' was good and 'odd' was bad. Cue me doing things twice, or doing things twice in a symmetrical way; eg, if I scratched my left arm, I'd to scratch my right arm or it felt unbalanced.

Then I realised that I was doing an even number of things, an odd number of times. So I started doing even things evenly - 2x2 = 4. Four was a -good- number.

From there, how could I improve on balance? 6 is wrong (it's doing a pair three times) for instance. The solution, four is so great, 4x4=16. I started doing things 16 times; nothing important or time consuming particularly, I wasn't getting washed 16 times in a morning or anything, but more subtle stuff like maybe chewing a mouthful 16 times. (I can't actually remember specific examples, but that sounds likely).

I don't do it any more (thank god) and I can't exactly say why. I guess I just grew out of it I suppose.

These days I have habits that might be viewed as OCD, but there's generally reasons for it. Like, I have my CDs in alphabetical order. OCD? My original reason was because I was lending them out, forgetting who I'd lent them to and losing them. In order, if there's a gap then you stand a good chance or working out what that gap is, and that was generally enough to jog my memory. A side-effect of this is it makes things easier to find quickly. Once I realised this, I did the same with my books and films.

Last month, I was cooking in a bit of a panic as everything was needing attention at once, needed a herb and couldn't find it amongst the two dozen I had. This was a problem cos things were going to burn if I spent any more time sifting through jars, so afterwards I alphabetised them all. My g/f's reaction "oh my god, OCD much?!" but it's been great since, it's really helpful to be able to lay a hand on something instantly when your attention needs to be elsewhere.

Cougar I used to be much the same as a kid. I think I became aware of how silly it was and MTFUed myself before it got too strong a hold!

Funny thing is, I don't recall ever doing that. There was never an epiphany, a single moment of clarity, I just seemed to stop doing it. I expect it must have been a gradual thing, I really don't remember.

I have to go for a wee before I leave home. Even if I haven't got any wee in me, I have to sit there until some comes out. Otherwise, I feel distracted and uneasy and sometimes have to go back home.

I can't, no really can't, stand having sticky hands and if they do get sticky and I can't wash them immediately or get the sticky off, I open and close my fingers against my palms in a sort of sweeping action. I shake them too. I feel quite sick and distressed.

Worse that than I can't bear things under my nails (like earth if I was gardening) no no no, GET IT OUT NOW. I can't make pastry (by hand) because the stuff goes up my nails. No, just no. I'm rubbing my hands now and feeling a bit distressed.

When I vacuum or wash the car or clean windows I count in eights, as in 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8; 2,2,3,4,5,6,7,8; 3,2 etc.

I can't go to sleep if I haven't cleaned my teeth.

When I put the original post up I thought "is it just me?'

Clearly not. And after reading this lot I feel positively well adjusted, with my little foibles.

You bunch of dysfunctional freaks! 😀

I have OCD arguments with an OCD mate about which of us is worse!

My list:-
Can't listen to volume (tv, radio anything) if it's an odd number.

Square things on square surfaces must be aligned with the edges and equidistant from the edge (think a mat on a table).

If I touch my thumb and little finger together I have to do it for the other fingers, and the other hand, so they don't feel left out.

Brown sauce only on a fish finger sarnie.

Loo roll DEFINITELY hangs away from the wall.

Toilets aren't clean until you've put both parazone limescale killer and bleach down them together forming toxic gasses.

I get upset with 2/3 way light switches. If the lamp is off and one switch is in the on position I get very annoyed.

I only buy even numbers of onions, apples, etc in the supermarket (Waitrose naturally).

My CDs are in alphabetical order (by band name), then in album release date (if I have more than one by any artist), and every CD is picture side up and correctly oriented in the case. My nephew thinks it's hilarious to move them around - but it makes me as happy as a pig in muck to re-order them.

There are plenty more - mainly around cleaning - of which I am obsessive. I was told recently by a lady friend that my house had no "odour of life" and did not smell as though people lived in it. I thought this was good 🙂 She didn't 🙁

Finally - I cut my toenails right to left, left foot first. If I do them any other way it goes wrong.

+1 for not being able to sleep if I've not cleaned my teeth. If I get up in the night for a wee I have to brush my teeth again. It's called a minty pit stop and sends me straight back to sleep.

I am quite surprised at how many times the even-numbered volume thing has come up.

I wonder if I could do a PhD on this.

Every time I go to sit on the loo I need to check under the seat for spiders. So far I have never found any spiders lurking there, nor have I ever (knowingly) been in a country that has native spiders that are known to hide under loo-seats, but I just cannot unclench without knowing there aren't any there.

They don't just bite you, they crawl up and nest and you're then forever shitting out baby spiders! It's gross. You really should check under your loo-seats for spiders every time too. (But you just need to do it once. Having to check anything twice is just mad.)

After reading all this I'm pleased to anounce I'm OCD free, 8)
Apart from the bog roll bit, out is right, in is wrong,
If for example a small child/elderly person has a [i]Accident[/i] in the bathroom you get [i]Shitty[/i] fingermarks on the wall if it's [i]In[/i], the fact that we have no children or oap's living in our house is irrelevant......

Square things on square surfaces must be aligned with the edges and equidistant from the edge (think a mat on a table).

I have to do this as well. And if some paper needs to be folded, it must be perfectly aligned.

And as for toilet roll, it must hang away from the wall. Hanging down the wall is inconvenient to purchase and then tear!

And you all realise that wwe are all going to walk out of this thread with some new neuroses. I never even thought about numbers on the volume dial....

With the whole peeing before leaving the house, a friend of mine has a totaly schizo dog, who barks like crazy when anybody uses the loo*, as it associates it with her going out and it being abandonded. (one of the least concerning of it's charming habits)

I always put cutlery in the drawer knives, forks, spoons in the slots in the tray. This is useful because they can be put in handle outwards to make it easier to grab, but you know which is which without having to pull the drawer all the way out.

However the reason I put them that way is BECAUSE THAT IS THE WAY IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN!

OK Molgrips - what do you put in where?

I ask becuase I too put the cutlery away knife, fork then spoon. But, having thought about it, it's a stupid thing to do.

My knives are on the left (two rows), then the forks (two rows) then the spoons are on the right.

But on the table the knives go on the right, forks on the left and spoons in the middle (OK, at the top - and don't get me started on soup spoons!).

Sadly the knives all lay the same way too - cutting edge to the left.

I have to fill the car up to an round number. Sometimes I've ended up putting in far more than intended because I've gone over by 1 or 2p, and had to carry on!

I also scratch my left eyebrow when stressed, to the point where there's a noticable gap. A bit like a distressed budgie plucking its own feathers.

DRasswink
Brown sauce only on a fish finger sarnie

That isn't OCD, or a foible. Not even a perversion. You're satan and I claim (back) my soul

( edit: sorry, OCD fans, I meant OMG WTF [b]!!1111!![/b] )

We've got a big cupboard in the kitchen for food and we tend to buy some stuff in bulk from Costco (soup, beans, etc) - all the tins have to be stacked the right way up with the labels facing forwards - looks nice!

Mate is a psychologist and thinks I'm a bit odd, but he goes round unplugging everything before bed!

Well from left to right we've got one tall slot then three shorter ones with a transverse slot underneath.

Tall slot contains sharp knives and random things, then it's knives forks and desert spoons. the transverse slot contains teaspoons, latte spoons and soup spoons.

I also can't abide eating soup with a normal spoon.

You own latte spoons? That's more concerning than the OCD 😉

Right - so your cutlery is put into the tray in a different order to how it's laid on the table as well. LOL - at least it's not me.

As for the brown sauce and FF sarnie comment - it is the only way. My OH uses a mix of red and brown - which is wrong. My ex used only red - she was SO wrong she is now my ex.

Ordinary sliced bread, marg or butter, 4 fish fingers, brown sauce. If you're feeling creative a bowl of mushy peas to dip the sandwich in is acceptable.

Oh, and all of my tins are correctly oriented in the cupboard too. All upright, labels facing out. Same with the wine rack.

That's just orderly though.

I find that I have to put the corpses through the chipper in even numbered pieces and make sure that I clean the blades in the lower part of the dishwasher facing west to east if possible.

Also I like the barrels and patio slabs to colour match.

This thread is great!
I cannot eat a packet of crisps without folding the bag and tying it into a knot.
I add up numbers such as reg. plates, phone nos. etc. until I get to one digit.
I cannot sit in a cafe, conference etc. with my back to the room.
I write significant words from a conversation with my left-big toe inside my shoe! 😯 WTF???

8)

I cannot eat a packet of crisps without folding the bag and tying it into a knot

My missus always does that!

Tries to do it so tight it can't be undone

I write significant words from a conversation with my left-big toe inside my shoe! WTF???

Oh dear i recognize that one!

xcgb...really???

Sometimes I do it with my right toe at the same time but the right toe has to do mirror writing!

AND...I'm now going to have to start checking under the loo-seat for spiders...thanks a chuffin' lot sor!!!! 😉

In a pub / restaurant, I like to sit facing the door. That's not OCD, it's because secretly I imagine I'm a secret agent and you need to be able to see who's coming in, incase they're an assassin.

Like the salt / crocodiles, up to this point I have never been taken unawares by a silent assassin, ergo it must be working.

Foxy yes
I was laughing at all the weirdos until you said that!

significant words? Like: weirdo, for instance... 😀

nickc...your name has just been written by both my toes. Joined up writing...one going left to right, and other right to left. 😆

I underline mine too!

Now that's just way weird!!
WEIRDO!!! 😕

😛

This has been the funniest thread for ages

I feel quite normal now.

😯

I long ago realised my good days are when the people who have voodoo dolls of me cancel each other out....

Dear god Dr S****!!!! I'm sorry but a fish finger butty is cheap crappy white bread, marg, fish fingers, tomato sauce and a cheese single.

Brown sauce? BROWN SAUCE?!!!! What kind of a monster are you? Brown sauce is for sausage butties.

I think my OCD dictates that we now have to discuss the perfect sausage butty. Shall we start another thread? 😉

xcgb, PLEASE put a full-stop at the end of that sentence while you can.
Yep, my punctuation has to be correct even when sending texts. 🙄

Should be a space after a comma!

I notice there are 3 stops after yep and punctuation, interesting hmmm..........

nothing ot add amusing and some very odd behaviour on here

I have to fill the car up to an round number. Sometimes I've ended up putting in far more than intended because I've gone over by 1 or 2p, and had to carry on!

I do that too. I think it goes back to the days when I liked to round it up to a note, but now I pay by credit card it really shouldn't matter! I have tried to leave it a few pence over but it just feels so wrong!

Ps. I have never heard of ANYONE putting brown sauce on a fish finger sandwich, bacon maybe, but fish fingers has to be tomato sauce. 🙂