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Thanks for sharing this with all of us.

I do not mean to be rude, but if I am tell me. What do you do because of this? I am asking this out of curiosity, not to be rude

No, not at all. Perfectly understandable, and one that a lot of my friends have been asking too!

Well, where to begin? There's a little bit of the handwashing in there... for example a certain room in my house whenever I come out of it I just feel the need to wash my hands...for no real reason at all. And then if I don't, if I try to ignore it there's just this nagging feeling and it's kinda hard to enjoy whatever it is your doing with that going on so I just go and wash my hands. Then there's a feeling of even/uneven, that is I can't just touch things with one hand, otherwise I feel 'uneven' so often have to touch things with another; or if in bed I'm lying on my side than the other side just has this strange feeling to it, so then I have to lie on that side for a bit. It is all very peculiar, I must admit. That's sort of the compulsions side of thing, the obsessive stuff are the recurring thoughts which follow the structure of "If I don't do this then that'll happen".

Recently I've been worried that I'll go sleepwalking and do all sorts of stupid stuff, like gamble away all of my money in my sleep. It is nonsense, I know, but I just keep getting that feeling of "what if" and then that results in me doing any number of things to "stop it from happening". Still, as part of my way of standing up to my fears and defiance of it all I am writing a play about them.

Sometimes when I'm walking I'll think "I have to dodge in between that lampost and that dog", for example, so I can only imagine that I look like a drunk the way I 'stagger' about the place sometimes .

Of course there's much more than that, but I fear that I am starting to make myself sound quite peculiar... I can assure you that I am quite normal in everyday life, but as you can probably imagine when you keep getting these recurring thoughts constantly I either tend to get quite angry with myself or quite upset. Which is why I am looking to overcome it.

**Everyone backs away slowly from Cardza** .

It is quite a common thing isn't it. I knew someone who believed he had to touch his door handle so many times or his family would suffer. It must be really hard and i wish you the very best of luck

Thanks .

Then there's a feeling of even/uneven, that is I can't just touch things with one hand, otherwise I feel 'uneven' so often have to touch things with another

That's intriguing - I have a similar 'must do' If I'm relaxing and perhaps tapping one finger of the right hand on my knee three times then I have to balance it with three taps from the equivalent finger on the left hand on the left knee. Not a big deal if I don't do it but it feels somehow uncomfortable until I do. If I'm counting stock at work, I make piles of the items (gaskets and O rings about the size of a US Quarter - that sort of stuff) and I usually make a pile to the right, them to the left, then to the right etc. to keep things in balance. Wow - I'm very glad you posted Cardza, that's put things well and truly into perspective for me, thank you.

I will echo the thoughts of others and wish you well.

I used to be a sufferer of GAD (Generalised Anxiety Dissorder) for about 20 years this caused great heartache and it was difficult to hold down a job or a serious relationship. I would have constant ANTS (automatic negetive thought syndrom) I would assess every action I did over and over before I did it, trying to work out every possible outcome, which was allways negative. I had severe depression that would last for days, weeks and even months, panic attacks were very frequent also and trying to do the simplest every day tasks were impossible, such as opening the post, going out of the house. I would sit and constantly fidget with anything, I was a very bad insomniac also and couldn't eat, sometimes I would not eat for 7 days. There is loads more but this is not my story.

Anyway this is not the place for me to ramble on and on, but my reason for posting is to say:

I opened up on a forum just like you have, about 18 months ago and I was contacted by an older member who gave me great support pointing me in the direction of some realy good help. I have now got my life back and I have even come off the medication I was taking, and I have been well for the last 12 months, having no episodes at all.

So good luck mate, I totaly admire your courage in confiding in us!

Thanks. It was interesting to read about how you were, as I can see some of the parallels between them and my OCD.

Glad to hear you're doing well now .

OCD can be a real pain. I have a mild form of it myself. Some of the things that you do Cardza, I do, yet others I don't, I guess it is just one of those things. I also have 2 other things to add to the list of OCD-ness that I do.

Cracks in the ground. Ohhhh - how annoying this is. I can overcome it, and walk on "cracks", yet it feels bloody uncomfortable to do so. If I don't then I am happy. It really bu**ers me off lol. I also have a version if the "equal-unequal" thing that you were saying. I find it really hard to explain this, but it is really perculier. If I turn around, for example, to go up stairs e.t.c, I must turn back around the other way. hmmmmmm...not very clear...

...picture this (here we go)...you have a piece of rope attached to the back of you. If you turn around, then the rope will wrap around you. The only way to "un-wrap" the rope from around you is to turn back the other way...see, told you it was perculier.

I have told my firned about my mild form of OCD, and he doesn't mind. My family and I just make regular jokes about it. Now, it is just part of my life, and I can just live with it. It doesn't seem unusual to me anymore (even if it is annoying), and I guess that is now just me

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Best of luck mate. I also think it's good that you shared.

Is this true? I heard most people are a bit OC but don't have the D? (Explain: That was not suggesting those who have OCD that was saying those who don't oftren are a bit OC - one has to cover one's self with explanations these days )

Blapsing_Beard wrote: I find it really hard to explain this, but it is really perculier. If I turn around, for example, to go up stairs e.t.c, I must turn back around the other way.

Oh yeah, I know what you mean. I guess for me as well it's become a part of me but it's a part I could do without .

Pitto wrote:Best of luck mate. I also think it's good that you shared.

Is this true? I heard most people are a bit OC but don't have the D? (Explain: That was not suggesting those who have OCD that was saying those who don't oftren are a bit OC - one has to cover one's self with explanations these days )

Yes, I know what you mean. It is true that a lot of people have certain tendancies - for example the balancing that Mandrake mentioned. I guess that it only becomes OCD - a disorder - when it becomes quite extreme. Some of the qualifiers for having OCD are when it is distresses the sufferer and becomes quite life-intrusive. So yeah, I think that it is only OCD when it becomes somewhat problematic.

I am quite glad that I posted originally because not only has it made things easier for me, and easier for me to talk about it, but it is also interesting to hear about how it, and conditions similar to it, affect other people here on TM, and I really do appreciate the support guys.

Hi,
I have someone close to me who has severe OCD, though I won't divulge any further as it's not my place to talk about someone elses issues. I know how it can take control of your life, and I know how hard it is to tell people for fear of them thinking you are crazy.
I think we all have obsessive rendencies to a varying degree, though not always to a degree that affects the way you life. If we all think about it, we all have 'that thing we need to do' to get through a day.
I have to check my doors locked a couple of times, even though I know it's definatelt locked. I have also had a thing about even numbers since a kid, though I can't really explain what I mean.
Good luck to you mate. THere are different things you can do/places you can go for help.
THe best advice I can give, is for you to challenge yourself daily, even if it's only a little bit. For example, if you have to check your doors locked three times, then only check twice.

a good film that I would recomend to those looking for what it looks like to have OCD, is "As good as it gets" (If i remember correctly), as it includes somebody with severe OCD and, as well as that, it isn't a bad film

Hi guys. Im glad that you shared this with us and i wish you well with your recovery.

I also suffer from this, although im not sure of the severity. It does annoy me but not to the point where im seeking medical help.

I count things. Like.....cars that i drive past on the road....and i remember them. I dont know how or why but i cant remember anything else like i do with cars! Its quite strange! I also like things parallel to other things, like if theres a magazine on the table i cant stand it if its crooked and not like the same way as the edge of the table. I also have to do things in 9's. Im quite happy in my own little world but it p***** everybody else off! Especially late at night when im there turning the light off 9 times before i can get into bed!

AndyRegs wrote:THe best advice I can give, is for you to challenge yourself daily, even if it's only a little bit. For example, if you have to check your doors locked three times, then only check twice.

Thanks, I will give this a go.

I should be seeing someone about it very soon. I sometimes do the light thing as well and think that I am very close to fusing all of the lights in the house!

This thread just gets more reassuring each day! I also do the counting bit and spent many hours in my teens (yes, I know, back in the dark ages!) counting the tiles on our fireplace at home. Count from the left then count again from the right to balance the action. Even today if I'm talking face to face with someone I can't help but count two ears, two eyes, one nose, one mouth, two arms, two legs etc just checking symmetry. Ladies need not worry as I don't count the other, er appendages! I'm very relieved to hear that my strange habits aren't all that strange - in fact, they seem to be quite common in one form or another.