Is it possible to have obsessive compulsive disorder associated with cleaning?

Question

I am a 25 yr old mother and wife. I have for about the past 4 years noticed that I feel very anxious about cleaning. I need to to it over and over through out the day and even when I get completely finished I feel like I need to start over. I do it before bed, as soon as I wake up etc.. today I want to leave work early so I can go home and clean. I have a 14 month old son and I feel so bad because when we get up in the morning I usually put him in his hichair with his breakfast and start cleaning, then when he's done i clean him up and continue cleaning, I feel like I cant relax and play with him until I feel like its all completed. (which feels like never) I am fostering a litter of kittens for a rescue group right now and I have a really tight heavy feeling in my chest because I know at home right now there is a dirty litter box & they probably spilled their food on the floor. Does this sound like OCD? How can I stop this & relax so my son doesnt think I choose cleaning over him

Answer 1

This behavior is very much OCD - especially if you get anxious about it. Seek medical help.

OCD behavior can manifest in many ways, including irrational urges to tidy your house, wash your hands, put the mop away five times, count how many times you wash one place...anything that requires repetitive activity for you to forget it and move on is OCD.

Answer 2

Yes, it is possible, because that describes me to the T about 3 years ago. It's not fun having OCD but I have learned to live with it and even control it a little. So I know how you feel, I'm 25 also with a 3 year old son. And I would come straight home from work and the first this I would do was vacuum!! And probably a lot of the same things you do. Wipe counters over and over, clean the bathroom, do cleaning everyday that some people do once a month. I also have a thing about everything having it's place, move it and die. So I felt like I didn't spend enough one on one time with my son that didn't involve cleaning. I asked my doctor about it and found out I have OCD and it's bad when it comes to cleaning, organizing, and being in control of something. I was given a prescription but over the years I have learned to "let it go a little" whether the meds helped or not I did not stay on them for long. Everything does not need to be done right now or five times in a row. I would talk to your family doctor and try to relax some and enjoy the time with your child, the cleaning can wait, your child growing and needing your time can't. Hope this helps a little. Good luck.

Answer 3

I would see a psychologist about your problem. OCD is an anxiety based disorder, and it seems you're anxious about the need to clean all the time. It may not exactly be something like you're afraid of germs per se, but something is driving you to clean. It seems this is disrupting your life, so I would go see someone. I wouldn't recommend seeing your regular primary care doctor, because they're not trained really in mental problems as much. He probably could describe an anti-anxiety med to you, but you wouldn't get to the root of your problem without good therapy. I don't know if you got married four years ago, and then developed your cleaning obession around then. There may have been something significant in your life that triggered the episodes.
Please see the American Psychological Association website, and click on anxiety disorders, and then specifically OCD. You can find really good information there.

Answer 4

Yes it is possible to have OCD about cleaning! I have it. I am better since they have put me on meds. I used to be insane! I would have to constantly clean, I would clean so much that the chemicals was eating the skin off my hands. I would have to bleach everything and sometime twice daily. I also had to stay clean and I would sometimes take 4 showers a day. I would have to wash my bed sheets every morning. I am a lot more relaxed now and feel better then ever. Go to the doctor and get help.

Answer 5

Yes, I think you're right: you are having an obsession with the cleaning. You are young and you could instead of cleaning the house all day long, to go out with your child, to walk, to play with him. If you will continue doing this, it could become serious, and you have to focus on your child. You may also read when your child is asleep. For your house to be clean, you have to make a program: one day to clean the house, another day to wash, and so on.

Answer 6

i think of a few human beings are yet some human beings are not born with it. for people who are not born with it, it manifests itself after a hectic adventure or determining something. Its a hazard for a surgical healthcare expert to no longer be afraid of blood. yet then after some adventure that had different blood, they might start to worry it. i'm no longer a doctor or nurse, yet that's what i think of. different psychological ilnesses like schizophrenia, are born with, many are genetic and could appear itself in time.