I think I might have OCD?

Question

This whole year I noticed I worry about germs a lot... Like I hate touching garbage cans, or if I touch anything like a door knob I always have to wash my hands. Everyday, after I use the computer, I always wash the mouse and kay board because I'm worried about germs. Its crazy... Any thoughts?

Oh, and I feel like I'm dirty all the time so I take like 2 showers a day...

Answer 1

I have cleanliness ocd. I did that same thing, exactly. I suddenly needed to wipe down this and that and then it became more and more. I suggest talking to the doctor or counselor. (sounds easy, but I understand it is difficult to acknowledge that you are different than others. You will be surprised though --- I now notice sooo many of my friends and family that have their own versions of ocd.)
Good luck in finding the right treatment. Whatever you do -- do not give up. The right treatment for you will come it just sometimes takes a few unsuccessful tries.

Answer 2

everyone is a little ocd in some way :)

ocd-like behaviours are not a problem unless they become excessive and are then impacting/detering/interfering with your normal life - i.e. stopping you from doing your normal routines

hand-washing is only bad if you need to do it an extreme number of times before you can do anything else

try not to dwell on it

take care

Answer 3

Typical Obsessions
Obsessions are recurrent, intrusive, and unwanted thoughts, impulses, or images that cause significant anxiety. At first the obsession may be experienced as relatively benign. Over time, the person associates it with fear and disabling anxiety. Obsessions fall into the following common thematic categories:

* Fear of contamination with dirt, germs, or poisons
* Fear of having a serious illness
* Fear that one's actions hurt other people or cause bad things to happen
* Inability to discard useless items (hoarding)
* Inappropriate sexual and aggressive thoughts and images
* Need for symmetry, order, or exactness

People who fear contamination may obsess about shaking hands or touching public doorknobs. Those who obsess about the implications of their actions often fear they endanger others. They may feel they have left a door unlocked or hit someone while driving. Obsessions with symmetry and order may cause significant anxiety over furniture arrangement, eating habits, or clothing. Inappropriate sexual impulses and pornographic images, often of an aggressive nature, can dominate a person's mind. Obsessions of aggression can also center on violent emotions, shouting out in public, or harming others. Hoarding useless items, like outdated catalogs or clothing, is common in OCD and may coincide with an obsession over order.

People suffering from OCD realize that they create their obsessions. They feel that the content of their obsessions is out of their control, inappropriate, not indicative of their character, and something they wouldn't normally think or communicate to others. Thus, their anxiety is intensified not only by recurrent obsessions, but also by the strangeness of the obsessions.

Typical Compulsions
Compulsions are repetitive, often ritualized behaviors that are intended to suppress the anxiety caused by obsessions. Compulsions common in OCD are the following:

* Asking for assurances
* Avoiding places or situations
* Cleaning
* Counting
* Doing certain tasks slowly and deliberately
* Doubting and checking, e.g., locks, lights, and ovens
* Hoarding possessions
* Ordering or arranging
* Repeating behaviors, including speech and action
* Washing, e.g., excessive hand-washing or bathing

Compulsive washing and cleaning are subsequent to the obsessive fear of germs or contamination. Compulsive people have been known to shower for 4 hours, or to wash their hands until they are raw. Others make sure their bath towels are arranged by some exact design, or that the soap is dry before they leave it. People may check the lock on a door several times an hour, or repetitively return home to make sure the oven is off. Some people count incessantly in an attempt to distract or soothe aggressive thoughts. Others depend on patterned behavior to control anxiety, such as avoiding traffic intersections or avoiding a change in routine.

A general theme of compulsive behavior is adherence to some often elaborate set of rules or routine. People with OCD will go to great lengths to satisfy the requirements of a routine, which often results in patterned, idiosyncratic behavior, e.g., slowly and meticulously preparing a bathroom for a shower that lasts for several hours. People who know OCD sufferers may call them perfectionists, especially if they only get a glimpse of the compulsive behavior.

Answer 4

it could be a sighn of ocd. or u could just be a good woman who dosent like germs or messes. "ah remeber when wemon cleaned" lol, but seriously u should be fine start worrying when u have to walk threw a door 5 times or start playin repeter like howerd hughes "the wave of the future, future futer" or sumthing like that

Answer 5

You might have a slight OCD. As long as you don't let it control your life you are ok. My brother is obsessed with having things clean and in order but he doesn't let it run his life. Keeping clean never really hurt anyone.

Answer 6

You should see a professional. It is very easy to get worried about your thoughts, so just let them flow (don't try to fight them) and understand that many people have what you may have.

Answer 7

Those are OCD traits you describe. Ask yourself does it interfere with your daily functioning. If it does, see a mental health professional.