General Chat

nudging for day people

I have OCD - diagnosed - I hoard, and I shop!!! I find it difficult to throw things away especially magazines/newspapers as I think I will need something that is in them. Of course, they sit there and I never look at them again. I also buy things for later, especially if they are bargains. I am surrounded by things, and am rapidly filling up o.h.'s house which causes lots of rows, cos he is the sort who chucks everything out without thinking if he might need it again. My own house is choc a bloc and I am trying to find the energy and willpower to sort it out. This is a difficult area of OCD to treat. I help run a support group and there are others there who find it difficult to get rid of things too, then there are those who have the contamination problems, ie. don't like people coming in to their house, in case they bring in germs, or dog mess on their shoes etc etc etc. Others have security problems in that they find it difficult to leave their homes, as they have to keep going back to check the gas is off, doors are locked etc etc. There are so many different ways it can manifest itself, and is hard sometimes to see where it comes from. In lots of ways, I think it is if you are a perfectionist and it is definitely a control thing. Seems as tho sometimes something just triggers it from a normal attitude to cleaning or saving things, whatever, to an abnormal attitude and then it proceeds depending on what help you can get. You have to ask for help most of the time, as it is not always recognised by doctors. The help you get varies from area to area, some people have CPN's or Social Workers, others get no help to cope or deal with the problem itself or the other problems it generates. The late Mr Trebus had OCD, I am sure, and so do many of these people whose flats/houses/gardens have to be sorted by their local councils, as seen on Life of Grime and other similar programmes on tv. It is also a problem when people start hoarding live animals, ie those you see on tv who have a house full of cats or dogs - that is a known variation of OCD. I get very annoyed if people joke about having OCD when they really only have a little foible! If they really had it they wouldn't joke, OCD does often ruin people's lives and relationships. Many partners cannot cope with it and it does seem to come out in children, some of our members have children with OCD too. If anyone wants to mail me privately with any concerns they might have, I am completely trustworthy and would never tell anyone else. It is a very much hidden illness (for that is what it is, an illness, ) people don't often admit to it and it is only in the last few years that I have actually told people why I was too embarrassed to invite them to my house. Many famous people have OCD and I am glad that it is now coming into the public eye so more can be talked about it and hopefully done about it, instead of it being a stigma where others think you are crazy, instead of just having a mental health problem which needs addressing.

I use a different spoon for every cup of tea/coffee I make....If I am making four cups of Tea I will use 4 seperate spoons, also when I butter two pieces of bread I use a different knife to butter both slices ect.....If I take out a a knife instead of a fork form the cutlery draw the knife will be put straight into the washing up bowl....I cant use any thing twice for cooking without washing it first. All the beds in my home are remade after my daughters leave the bedroom, They have to be crinkle free I have even Ironed out a crease while the quilt covers are on the beds if I see one I cannot pull out I will get the Iron and iron it out.... I also like things to be symetrical. Lots of little things to long to mention, my best friend is Bleach. I use gallons of the suff. Rosi

one of my customers does!!!!

Catherine, im the same with tab top curtains and the cushions on the sofa have to be flumped a certain way, also cant stand bits on the floor, i starighten the rugs and the towels on the towel rail, shoes on the shoe rack etc etc the men in white coats will be here shortly ;0) Lisa xx

Poor you--mind you seem to be in control of it, which is a feat in itself, well done. Is little 'un ok now? Carol

I get very frustrated with it at times, cos tot was in the hosp at weekend, sat nt OH stayed with him and I came home with Amy, the first thing she said to me when we got up was, 'don't start cleaning'. I had to laugh. I also think it can be passed on, as tot is doing some strange things now. All my fault. catherine xx

Catherine--please come and give me (and especially my kids) a rub--I could do with the straightening bit--Well I already am a bit like that!! I just don't stand a chance with my lot!! lol Carol

I like things in multiples of 4--it doesn't devistate me if it don't work out---I just like it that way!!!! Carol

David Beckham is the same, Catherine.

I suffer from this-not to the extent it ruins my life. OH finds it amusing. I have to have things straight, curtains, rugs. Once a cooker engineer turned up to fix the cooker, cos it's a range one and huge he wanted to slide it onto a rug, I grabbed one for him to place the cooker onto, but the edge was rolled underneath and when he wasn't looking I had to straighten it. I'm the same with the curtains have to be exact width apart and shut. Every morning one of the first things I do is pick up the brush and sweep the floor, I hate seeing a crumb on the floor. When I get stressed I clean and straighten. Yet if you saw my paperwork it's chaos, can never find anything. catherine xx

i think anyone of us fall into this question.... you really wouldnt want to know what mad things i do .........lol

My friend thinks that I have an OCD because I have a thing about putting the stereo volume on an even number!! I just think it's WRONG to have it on an odd number!!