Do I have OCD....?
Im sixteen years old, let me tell you a little bit about my history: In my family, my mom has ocd, my cousin has ocd, my grandpa has ocd, my grandma has anxiety, my other cousin has anxiety ..so as u can see anxiety is HUGE in my family. Anyways, has a kid I remember I wouldn't sleep in hotel sheets because I was scared of the germs, and even though I knew they were clean sheets, it still bothered me that there could be germs on them from other people to the point where I would cry. Also, I always had to keep my barbies hair perfectly straight, and if someone so much as messed up their hair I would freak out! everything had to be perfect. I remember I had a few counting rituals, and I would say to my self , "If I do repeat this two times, I will be ok." Now as a teenager, I am am obsessed with the fear of going crazy or losing touch with reality. I know that this is very unlikely, but i cant stop worrying about it to the point of being physically sick.
OCD in the 1800's?
The formal diagnosis of OCD has only been around since the mid 20th century, but this is not to say that it did not exist prior. There is evidence for literary works that does suggest that OCD been a part of the human condition for a long time, perhaps prior to the old testament. However, the context of how it was considered was very different and changed as cultural values changed, and at times may have been seen as more acceptable then it is now. For example, obsessions and compulsions with religious overtones are very common. In a more structured society this type of behavior would not been as overtly seen as dysfunctional and in fact may have been rewarded. It is unlikely any one thought of it as a disorder needing medication until more recently.
Could overthinking be a type of OCD?
What do you mean by overthinking? Do you have thoughts, ideas, visuals in your mind that are irrational, but intrusive, meaning they won’t go away at all and cause a lot of distress in you? Does it affect your daily activities in a significant way, do they interfere in your routine? Do the control of these thoughts make them come back with force more than earlier? If yes, these are symptoms of OCD. However, just thinking excessively about something and following that thought in itself cannot mean that you have OCD. OCD definitely involves overthinking, but based on overthinking alone, it cannot be concluded that the person has OCD. If the answers to the first set of questions i have asked is in positive, then you may visit a psychiatrist, have a thorough consultation and get it diagnosed.
How do you know you have OCD?
There are different types of OCD, and it can be very mild and almost unnoticed to so severe you can't leave your own home because of your drive to do certain activities. You can also have things that are considered in the OCD spectrum, and times of stress or change can make them show up more. One of the things that you can use to tell is if you have ritualized behavior, and if you don't follow the ritual you feel uneasy or anxious. It can be something little, like not have your food in the "right spot" on your plate, or it can be repetative thoughts like making lists of things. Freaking out over little things from time to time could be more anxiety, but it can overlap with OCD, too. However, you don't want to self diagnose, and the internet is a great place to learn and get ideas but you don't want to be diagnosed on here, either! If you are really worried you might want to seek a professional opinion :)
How can I tell if I have OCD?
People misunderstand OCD.Take me, for example.I have certain, uh, idiosyncrasies.Every time I look at my profile picture, I feel like banging my head on the wall. Why?This asymmetry gets to me.I stare at it and wonder if it is worth downloading Photoshop and fixing it right now.It's a momentary thought or urge that doesn't disrupt my life. There are several other things like this that bother me, most of them related to asymmetry.Another example:You see the slight asymmetry? Yeah, that bothers me.But do you know what I do?Nothing.I move on to other things. I don't have OCD. I am just weird.But if you or anyone else has OCD, they can't just move on.They are slaves to these thoughts.OCD stands for obsessive compulsive disorder.They have Obsessions. These are instrusive thoughts that simply do not go away - you can not reason with these thoughts. They are persistent.And these thoughts compel you to do things repeatedly to reduce the anxiety from your obsessions. These acts are Compulsions.Imagine you are convinced that you have germs on your hands. And you have to keep washing them. Over and over again just to get temporary relief.This scene from The Aviator shows how Leo washes his hands so violently that he ends up bleeding.OCD is a serious condition that needs treatment.If you ever feel forced to do something because of a persistent thought and if you do this even if it means disrupting your life, you may have OCD.Please consult a Psychiatrist.
Do I have mild OCD?
I love smarties as much as any other person, but when it comes to eating them I have a weird ritual and if this ritual is not carried out I can't eat them. I sort them al into colour. Then I sort them into rows of 2 in perfect lines. When they are sorted neatly I can start eating them. I eat one smartie from the pile with the most (of that colour) I then eat the smartie from the pile with the second most and so on until I get down to the last smarties, where there should be one of each. I can then eat them in any order I like. Additionally, orange and red smarties get special treatment. While in the sorting process, I remove all orange and red smarties and put them to the side. These smarties can only be eaten after all other colours have gone and must be eaten in order. Red/orange and so on. The last smartie of the pack that I eat will ALWAYS be the orange smartie. Weird or normal? The second example, is that I can only eat meals at home with one fork.
Does my dad have ocd?
I think my dad may have ocd or some type of germaphobic disorder. He always rubs things down with alcohol because he thinks they're dirty. He refuses touch anyone if he or they are sweaty. He has a fear of sweat and refuses to sit anywhere or touch anything if he is sweaty. He always wears shoes on in the house because he thinks the floor is dirty and yells at any of my family if we are barefoot or without shoes. For some reason he refuses to sit on the couch in the living room because he believes it is "dirty". He hates touching food with his hands. He is obsessed with being clean and when go out to eat, he ALWAYS has to go to the bathroom to wash his hands after. I also think he may be a hoarder because his room and his office is so cluttered. It is filled with unnecessary things everywhere, and he always has to save things like plastic bags, receipts, etc. Whenever he goes shopping he always comes back with things we don't need and when my mom tells him we don't need it, he always says "well we might need it in the future" or something. When someone tries to tell him he might have a problem, he denies it. He has a lot of other weird habits but I am not going to waste time by saying them all. I know I shouldn't be because he might have a mental illness, but I am embarrassed by him and because of this I never invite friends over my house. And sometimes I get frustrated and don't want to be around him. Is my dad ocd and should he get help? If so how should I convince him?
What kind of personality do people have who suffer from OCD?
HiGenerally People suffering from OCD have underlying depression….may be reactive type of depression.Second most important is there childhood history especially period of first five years of there lives..i.e. from birth upto 5 years…during these 5 years either there is history of abuse, neglect or admission to hospital for any http://cause.As per theory OCD is outcome of I'll developed ego which resembles toilet training at age of 2–3 years and defecation control issues in childhood.The good thing is OCD people have good insight,. So they must take professional help and have non pharmacological therapies like CBT or using emusha lavender oil or biofeedback method along with medicine if necessary.Thanks