Do I have OCD?

Question

I am always washing my hands, if they don't feel right I have to wash them. I wash them atleast once or twice an hour.

Is this OCD? My room isn't clean and I don't have to keep everything in place like my aunt who has OCD, but is this the starts?

Answer 1

No, no, no. Everyone will be so fast to diagnose OCD. That does not sound like OCD.
OCD involves performing 'rituals'. If you had OCD, then you would need to wash your hands a set number of times everyday. OCD does not involve saying "Hmm... I think I need to wash my hands again!" OCD involves saying "I need to wash my hands exactly 4 times, wipe them off for 12 seconds, and shake them 3 times,"
It's possible that you are just a germophobe, or you're just overanalyzing a silly habit that you have.
Don't worry, it's not OCD.

Answer 2

You could have it, see a doctor. On the other hand, maybe you are washing your hands for a reason.

Know someone OCD where she washed her hands, 10-15 times at a time, she washed them like this almost constantly. They became raw.

You may have a milder form. Also, had a friend whose son had OCD at the age of 7, he had to tap on things a certain amount of times, She says with medication and therapy it is now gone and he is fine (he is in early 20s).

It does seem to run in families, but I don't know if they have actually found a strong genetic link.

Answer 3

Yeah sounds like it .There are different forms / manifestations of OCD .I have a friend who has to touch things repeatedly and stomp his feet a certain number of times before he can move along with his day .It can be a little debilitating at times .But the hand washing thing is fairly common and yours doesn't sound too worrisome .see a doctor or a psychologist soon to get checked out

Answer 4

It sounds like a real possibility that you do. Everyone reacts differently to it. My sister has a mild form of OCD where as in her life in general has to be in order. She does like to keep things clean but not to an unhealthy level. She does have little quirks like her room can be a mess but her collection of figurines from disney have to be in there exact spots on there shelves. I also have a mild form of OCD where i don't need everything to be spotless but i do need things to be clean or i get very ancious and can't sit and relax. Also every night before going to bed i have to make the bed and make sure the sheet and blanket are even and that there are no wrinkles in the sheet. If any develope over the night it will wake me from a dead sleep. My boyfriend hates me for it lol... but any type of compulsive action is normaly associated with OCD weather it be mild or sevear. Sounds more like instead of having to wash your hands for the sake of them being clean that your concerned with the texture of the skin on your hands or dryness or something to that effect that causes you to feel like you must wash them.. If you want to give yourself a little test you can try this. Next time you feel you need to wash your hands try to avoid doing it. If it interupts your train of thought and you can't truly concentrate on things and the thought keeps popping up in your mind that you need to wash them then chances are it is OCD and see a physician. Also if you aren't able to make a concious desicion to not wash them because you just find yourself at the sink washing them then you might want to try keeping a record of when and how often you wash them in a day and why you felt you needed to wash them. This will help you explain exactly what is going on when you get this compulsion when it comes time to talk with a physician. My advise is please do speak with one because while this may be mild OCD right now. It does have a tendency to increase, if not just with hand washing then with other things. Mine started with the bed and has moved through out the house. As with most illnesses, quick detection and treatment is your best weapon. Good Luck!

Answer 5

You might. Not everyone with OCD has the same symptoms. Some people wash their hands a lot. Some people check things over and over (I have this). Some people even have even stranger OCD. I saw a lady one time you had to keep opening and closing her fridge cause she thought her cat was in it, or people who keep thinking they ran over something and turn their car around and check, over and over and over.

Answer 6

Not really. Perople who have OCD keep everything clean. This Ranges from a clean room to personal hygene. Watch the show Monk and you will see.

Answer 7

Might want to talk to a councilor since you have a family history of OCD. Most OCD is treated through behavior modification and not medication.

Answer 8

Big time. ! I have a mild case of it. My mom does, too. You need to see a doc. They have meds that will control it if it is getting so out of hand that it negatively affects your life. Good Luck.
Some of the answers you are getting are wrong. I have studied about OCD and there are different levels and degrees of it. Professional evaluation is highly recommended.

Answer 9

this might be OCD. your aunt's OCD is different than yours since OCD comes in differently to different people. some might be putting everything in place, some might be about cleanliness, some might be about door locks, so on and so forth.

consult a doctor or psychologist to be sure.

Answer 10

not really, if u don't have any other compulsions than don't stress, if a habit u have like washing your hands starts to interfere with your life, and causes problems then it may be time to see a professional, but maybe u just like clean hands and nothing is wrong with that, like they say cleanliness is next to godliness, personally i think more people should be like that.