What is my problem?? Is it really OCD??

Question

Every night before my son goes to bed I have to say 4 things to him (Good night bud, I will see you in the morning, Sleep good, and, I love you) and if I dont I have to go back and tell him over and over until I say all of them. When I am saying them I know its silly but I feel like I have to or something bad might happen. Anyone know what this rerally could be?

Answer 1

It is totally "normal" except for the part where you said you feel that something bad might happen if you didn't say it. OCD disorder or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder happens when someone has an obsession (saying 4 things before you go to bed) and due to anxiety of not saying them you might have a compulsion- like having to say it 100 times so you don't become anxious. People can have it at different degrees.
My brother has it so that he needs medicine. He obsesses over something that happened years ago and has compulsions that he can't help due to this.
I don't. It's in me too, I get stuff in my head- i.e. doing research for the best cell phone- and obsess over it until I do it. I think it's a personality quirk and it doesn't negatively affect my life. If what you're describing doesn't negatively affect your life- consider it a personality quirk and let it go. If your son starts to think your weird and tells you to stop and you can't- maybe go talk to someone.

Someone only become a disorder when it affects our desire for a "normal" life and if it affects us "most of the time".

Answer 2

It could be OCD, but in order to qualify as OCD there has to be more of this type of behavior. If that is the only thing you are having an issue with, it may not officially be considered OCD.

People with OCD usually have many different "rituals" that they must perform. Only one such "ritual" may be "OCD-like", but not technically OCD. It may be that you have some past experience that is causing you to perform that particular ritual.

So, bottom line is that it sounds like an OCD-like problem, but to be OCD there should be other similar rituals that you need to perform on a regular basis.

That doesn't mean it isn't a problem, if it bothers you, the only person that might be able to help would be a therapist. They can help you look into why you are doing what you are doing.

Answer 3

I know that any time I say good night or good bye to someone that I care about I always tell them I love them for the same reason. I'm always afraid something might happen to them before I see them again and I won't get another chance to say it. Now is that OCD? I don't think so. I do have other OCD tendencies, but I think you're all right. You just love and care about your son, and you want him to know that before he goes to sleep. I bet you're a good mom. :)

Answer 4

Either you or The child has insecurity issues that surround his circumstances for one reason or another.
Examine what he has or does witness and make that stop from being an issue for him.
The problem far as I can tell from what you describe is a factor Called FEAR.
It is a sad thing that narry a child is born with, but to the highest percentile is instilled by experience, observation and or engrained into them by some self serving adult.
Whatever it is..help him understand it so it and fear will get out of him by his choosing to make it go away.
Failure to instill this fearlessness back into the child will result in it being perpetuated in his future into others.
Heaven FORBID.

Answer 5

well. yes that is ocd, the thing that you ¨have to go back and tell him over and over until you say all of them¨, that is obsessive compulsive. while of course, the need for your son to be all right, is natural, your goodnight ritual, is ocd behavior because saying this words, as you well know, does not assure his safety. when you feel obligated to do a ritual taht actually does not actually prevent any bad outcome, that is ocd.