OCD

[angelasherman]

does anyone else have any OCD's i have emetophobia but i also wash my hands more than the average person. does anyone else have something like this?


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[izzybee]

I suffer from OCD thats mainly related to emetophobia in a small way. I too wash my hands more than the average person. But its not obsessive, I just see it as common sense that you wash your hands before you eat, or after doing a science experiment with chemicals etc etc.


I also have routines when I go to bed. I live in 2 houses (divorced parents) and have a different routine for each house when I get into bed. At my dads I have to turn off the light and go to the bathroom in the right order. I have to knock my elbow on the wall and then do this kind of hop into bed. I do other stufff too but its hard t explain!*strange I know* At my mums I have to tun off the lights in the right order with the right finger and go to the bathroom in the riight order etc etc. Then I do a different kind of hop into bed - its all very calculated and I can only take 3 steps etc etc.


It sounds wierd too write down but Its something that has evolved over a few years. I think I do it to protect me at night - The last and only tmes I can remember v* were while I as sleeping (I woke up and v*) so thats probably why I do it

[angelasherman]

yeah i understand what you mean, when i wash my hands i wash them with the soap, then i rinse them, then i wash them again incase the first wash didnt clean them, then i get water in my hands and swill the sink with water so that there is no soap bubbles left in the sink, it does sound strange when you write them down, but i think its good to know that other people have their own way of doing things.


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[izzybee]

Yeh deffenatly. It helps to know you're not some mad strange person who does all these wierd things! (well that your not the only one!) I'm lucky because my OCD oesnt affect me too mcuh - and it makes me feel safe. You do hear of people who have it to extreames who cant go anywhere or do anything. Must be awful for them. But this makes me feel better so i'm not going to give up( just yet anyway)

[SullyMel]

I have OCD too. Let me think what I do. I wash my hands before I eat and when I get home from shopping. The weird thing is is that a lot of the times I forget to wash them after the bathroom. I guess maybe I'm in a hurry. Please guys don't think I'm gross!! I never touch my face unless my hands are clean. I flush public toilets with my feet. Check expiration dates on food. Make sure the food is cooked properly. Sometimes I open doors with my sleeves. I can't think of anymore right now. [img]smileys/smilies_02.gif[/img]

[Jenneh]

yeah, i have OCD. used to hav it much worse than i do now.


when i was 11, i used to have to touch evrything twice -- and if i banged my left elbow i'd have to bang my right. basically, eveyrhting had to be even. i also had that voice that says " if u dont [touch this car] ur gnna be sick" ... that kinda thing.


now i have another form, which i'd rather not say -- cos no one knows and its so dead embarrasssing tht i try to just forget about it. altho iv had this since i was born as well. which kinkda sucks a little.


i also have a phrase that i hav to say when i get nervous or think soemthing bad is gnna happen. and i still get the old feelings back eveyr now and again...


annoying, eh.


Jen xxxxxxxx

[wing]

Hmm..i dunno. I know i wash my hands more than an average person [i use purell in school], I almost always make my parents check my food before i eat it to see if its okay. [they MUST taste it before me ehehe...], um..everyday before i go to school i must only drink 3 mouthfulls of tea and i MUST sit in the front seat when going to school. Does that qualify?

[spilled_milk]

I have not-severe OCD, my psychiatrist says its more like OD. I have routiines mostly at night, like saying the exact same thing to my parents, and things like that.

[rhinoseri]

Well, I obbsessively use hand sanitizer after I touch anythingwith my handthat I can think that someone else may have touched. But there are not too many little things like that. It's more like doing the exact same thing in order throughout the day, or else I might get sick from not following the schedual I have, waking up later than I usuallt would in them morning, going to sleep earlier than about midnight (I'm usually up much later than that, though) Things changing position- like moving around stuff in my room. The other week I was trying to move some stuff off my desk, but then I got all worried that I wouldn't be able to put them back into their old places, and that would make me sick. Also, I'm not sure if this is related, but I really dislike to make eye contact,especially if the person is near to me. I also dislike it when people watch me write. I'm sure there's more things that I just can't think of right now.

[jazz]

i can totally relate to jen on this one. when i was 11, i would have to do things extra quickly, just soi wouldn't be sick.
Also, if i've come into contact with a food that is foreign to me,or just crumbs, I will wash my hands thoroughly, so that i don't get a taste of that certain food.
i also have to touch one of my cuddly toys before the other, otherwise im convinced i will feel sick tht night.
if i babysit in the evenings, or have a music lesson at a slightly later time, i won't eat before i go. last year when my emet wasnt so bad, i used to eat a good meal and go out for the night..i wouldn't dream of doing that now!
i don't pile my plate either, i panic when in restaurants etc they give you the most huge platefuls you have ever seen.. you feel bloated looking at them.
i don't think we're weird, i just think we've let our biggest fear, poke its way through our every day routines.. they'rehard habits to break..l

[Jenneh]

god yeah... i still ahv this voice that says to me in my head " if u dont touch another carpet with ur feet in 10 seconds smthing bad wil happen" was IMPOSSIBLE in my old house -- cos we had the sme carpet thrugouhout the whole house... so had to run to a mat. stupoid really =|


Jen xxxx

[rhinoseri]

Oh, and about touching certain things, sometimes that happens with me, but not always. Usually in stores I'll be passing by something- then I'll start thinking "If I don't touch this, someone might get sick. But what if it's the other way around?" So I usually end up argueing with myself. I do that at home or school quite often. Just basically argueing with myself to do something or not- even the slightest thing like moving my foot.

[Jenneh]

yeah i hav the arguments with myself as well. i can get quite angry -- and end up gritting my teeth and lookin very peculiar to someone lookin at me at the specific moment in time.


Jen xxx

[kats]

I have been diagnosed with OCD this past year....although I think it has been around a lot longer....I just didn't tell anyone about it until it started running my life. It went from cleaning to checking to repeating to counting.....argh it drives me CRAZY sometimes!!! I also have certain phrases like "I have to do this or I will be sick" and other things.


I am on medication for OCD and it has helped but when I get into stressful periods (ex during exam time) it comes back very strong and I get OCD attacks....thank goodness my friends are really understanding!


Kats xxx