how can you tell that you definately have OCD??

Question

yeah, besides having to wash your hands all the time and disinfecting things. i mean how esle can you tell??

Answer 1

By going to a psychologist or psychiatrist for diagnosis.

Answer 2

What makes it obsessive compulsive is that you absolutely cannot go about your business without doing that one thing, or for some people ten or twenty things. Some people cannot stop counting every step they take, restarting the count as soon as they reach wherever they were going. I absolutely cannot go into a restaurant or grocery store without counting my cash over and over again. Count it in the parking lot on the way in, again while I get my cart, again in the aisles a few times, and again at the register. I KNOW it's stupid. I KNOW I have the same amount of money I had when I first counted it, but doesn't matter. I HAVE to recount it, and if I don't I get that sick feeling that I won't have enough money to pay for whatever I got, even if it's just a $1 bottle of Arizona Tea. If that sounds like something you do, then you may have OCD to some level.

Incidentally it's a learned behavior. You CAN retrain yourself to stop doing it. I've gotten a lot better with the money thing, now just have to count it in the parking lot and again at the register... sure am twitchy in the aisles though, lol!

Answer 3

OCD stands for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Although frequent hand washing and disinfecting may be a sign of someone with OCD, that person should get a proffessional's opinion. There are many other forms of OCD. It doesnt have to be cleaning only. A person could have OCD with thoughts. It could be that they turn the stove off and lock the door's and then go to bed, and lay there wondering.. Did I for sure do that?? I better check and do it again. It could be many different forms. Remember to talk to a Dr, or mental health proffessional if you think you have it, and there are also many good websites about it. www.webmd.com

Answer 4

Washing your hands all the time is not the only thing OCD people do. My brother is OCD and he is not like that at all. People have many different symptoms. They may want to have everything in the perfect spot or they may have to run through a very specific routine when completeing an everyday task in life. There are many many different signs someone could be OCD. I guess you could put it as anyone who is obsessivly compulsive about something. Exactly what OCD stands for!

Answer 5

Up until about 20 years ago, OCD was thought to be a very, very, rare disorder. I only saw two cases in my training in the mid 1980's, and neither were children. It wasn't important to find OCD anyway - little was known about it and there were no effective treatments. Over the last decade, everything has changed. We now know that OCD is one of the most common neuropsychiatric disorders. It is also one of the most treatable ones. In pediatric psychiatry I am always on the lookout for OCD because it is common and often very treatable.

Answer 6

Going to a doctor and being diagnosed but the main way to tell on your own would be if the things you do affect your everyday life like do you HAVE to stop and wash your hands or do u choose to??? That's how I realized I had OCD (not with washing hands though)...

Answer 7

Anxiety is the most prominent symptom of OCD. For example, you may have an overall sense that something terrible will happen if you don't follow through with a particular ritual, such as repeatedly checking to see whether the stove is on. If you don't perform the ritual, you may have immediate anxiety or a nagging sense of incompleteness.

Obsessive thoughts

Fear of dirt or germs or overconcern about body smells/secretions or the proper functioning of the body

Overconcern with order, neatness, and exactness

Fear of thinking bad thoughts or doing something embarrassing

Constantly thinking of certain sounds, words, or numbers or a preoccupation with counting or checking

Constant need for approval or the need to apologize

Fear that something terrible will happen or fear of harming yourself or someone else

Compulsive behaviors

Frequently washing hands, showering, or brushing teeth or the overuse of items to hide body smells

Constantly cleaning, straightening, and ordering certain objects

Repeatedly checking zippers and buttons on clothing

Checking lights, appliances, or doors again and again to be sure they are turned off or closed

Repeating certain physical activities, such as sitting down and getting up from a chair

Hoarding objects, such as newspapers

Asking the same question or saying the same thing over and over

Avoiding public places or taking extreme measures to prevent harm to yourself or others

Religious rituals, such as constant silent praying

Answer 8

It often comes down to cleanliness, but there are several variations of OCD. If you take excessive steps to avoid walking on cracks, have to do things an even number of times, etc., you may have a form of OCD. It's a disorder, not an illness. It develops through habit and can be extinguished through habit.

Answer 9

First rule out many physical possibilities,
vascular, damage to basil ganglia due to virus or lack of oxygen or head injury.
Next go to a therapist who only handles ocd. Many have limited experience other than articles they've read.

Answer 10

Ocd has many many different symptoms. You should go talk to a doctor to rule out you dont have it. It can cause you to count, check things, wash yourself, etc.....its causes bad anxiety for some.

Answer 11

Well, you can tell if you have to have everything just right. Having everything clean all the time, not eating your food if it touches, and there are many more. I have OCD, and have to have everything clean and in an organized fashion. I hope that helps.