Obsessive Compulsive

[Guest Agaib]

I ask this because I often suffer from mild compulsions. They're never severe enough to hamper My way of living but I definitely have them. Often in psychology statistics are cited that show a higher prevalence of obsessive compulsive disorder among creative people (actually there seems to be a higher prevalence of nearly ALL psychological disorders among creative people).

Personally My most severe compulsion comes while walking. If I'm walking on tiled or segmented ground, My mind practically forces Me to take equal steps for every single segment. Unfortunately, the segments aren't always equal in size so this causes Me to step quite awkwardly at times. I've gotten a few strange looks.

EDIT: If you're unsure about the definition of Obsessive Compulsive I've provided a more complete description a few posts down.

[Nanaea]

I'm only slightly compulsive and then only when it comes to organizing things. I've taken up Monk's mantra, "You'll thank me later." I use it when 'Trae or my kids roll their eyes at me.

[madlodger]

Could you give more description on what is considered obsessive compulsive disorder? The first thing that came to mind when I read the topic was the person who keeps washing their hands because they are never clean. I am definetely not like that. Walking on tiles doesn't do that to me either.

I consider myself to be obsessive, though. For example, whenever I discover a new kind of food I love It would be mostly that food until I tired of it and switched to something new. Like with sushi, I had it for dinner for about two weeks straight after trying that staff for a first time. I had each item from the menu at least ones and found which ones are the best (not the squid!) And then I woke up and wanted steak, hehe. Now sushi is just one of nice options.

[dazzledfirestar]

So this got me thinking... Obsessive, oh yeah, I'd say so. But compulsive... hmmm...

And then I realized that, yes, I do have a compulsion. If I am walking through a store and there is a display on a table, I touch the table each and every time. It's not a conscious thing, but I do it.

[Leonhart29]

I'm compulsive about a few things, but I believe that stems from my life experiences more than a disorder - or rather it's a learned reaction. I never (and I mean NEVER) sit with my back to a door or a window. Even in my own room I've arranged things so that the door is always within sight - hell I even sleep so I can keep an eye on the door. I also don't walk with people to my back if I can help it. I have to be able to see what's going on around me so no one can sneak up on me.

I guess the only thing I'm truly compulsive about is my and my children's safety. I've taken it as far as getting a new security system put in my home. I spent money I didn't have on it because I felt it was needed even if I'm out in the middle of nowhere and even I have a hard time finding my drive way sometimes.

I tend to keep my whereabouts to myself, only letting one or two people know where they can find me, and I need it to be that way. Which is, to me anyway, one of the definitions of a compulsive act. My life has to be this way, I have to be able to control my environment... and when I stop to think about it I realize that it rules everything from my shopping habits (3 am grocery shopping) to where I work (a secure facility with round the clock security guards).

Maybe I should have voted for more than slightly compulsive, no?

[Guest Agaib]

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a psychological disorder in which a person suffers from recurring Obsessions and subsequent Compulsions as a result of the obsession. Not all obsessive compulsive people are neat and organized, as many people sometimes think. An example would be someone who obsesses over whether or not the front door is locked, and as a result, he/she will constantly get out of bed over and over again to make sure it's locked. Washing hands is a common compulsion as well, usually its over an obsession concerning "germs." Generally the severity of the OCD is determined by how much anxiety is suffered by a patient when they fail to fulfill the compulsion. Some people will only feel a mild discomfort (like Myself) while others might feel extreme terror and anxiety.

In order to be clinically diagnosed as Obsessive Compulsive one's behaviors must usually be deemed "maladaptive" (which is a controversial term because of its distressingly subjective nature. I could go on and on about the various problems psychologists have when defining psychological disorders and the controversies that arise as a result, but that would be deviating way to much off topic.). A maladaptive behavior or thought is generally defined as something that causes one to be unable to properly adapt and function within a normal social environment.

I hope that helps on your definition.

[DarkCabaret]

I voted Mildly, I am very compulsive at work. It irks me to work somewhere that's disorganized and in view of the public. (My own house is a mess lol)

I'm also a bit compulsive about my computer and the desk it's on. I don't know if I just don't trust my family or what but I refuse to let anyone TOUCH my computer except for my five year old nephew, he only plays Pogo Jigsaw Detective.

[Kyouryoku Senshi]

Mildly as well. Sometimes I worry incessantly, especially when it comes to work and school.

[redsliver]

The only compulsion I can think of for me is checking the forums when I get on line. Other than that there's no real habits I keep for too long.

[StoryJunkie]

No. No. I am not compulsive, nor obsessive. I'm so laid back it's unbelievable. I did do the tile thing back in grade 7, though, but only because I was bored, and that silly rhyme would run through my head: "step on a crack, and you break your mother's back, step on a line, and break your mother's spine." Or I would count between the lines to see how many steps it took to get past it. (It was 2-1/2).

Change is good.

The closest thing I have to that sort of behaviour now is checking to see if the Eagle is hunting the pigeons. (He always sits between the two bridges in the cottonwood tree that is dead at the top.) (Did that sentence make sense?)

[madlodger]

Thank you, Agaib, it was helpful. I came to the conclusion that I am too arrogant to be Obsessive Compulsive. Not sure that it's something to be proud of. I voted for:

I'm not Obsessive Compulsive

I'd like to congratulate DarkCabaret on having at least one trust-worthy family member, LOL

[Guest Alien Pirate Pixagi]

I voted mildly. I have a LOT of compulses, but only fulfill the ones I choose to.

I do the tile thing, and when walking down the street, if I notice the sidewalk, I have to make sure I only step in each square twice. If I'm going up stairs, I start counting them. I used to have a problem while playing sims where, when building a house, I had to have everything centered perfectly, and the windows each had to have an even amount of spaces between them. Also, no corners. I've worked my way out of that (mostly by realizing I was doing it). That is something I think comes from doing abstract art a lot when I was in high school. Symmetry used to be a HUG thing for me, and if it wasn't symmetrical, I couldn't stand looking at it. I have a thing for geometric patterns for that reason. Maybe, some day, I'll get around to uploading my pixel art for you folks to poke at.

Let's see... My glasses bug the hell out of me 'cause I can see my eye reflected in them, and because they always look lopsided to me, and places that are too clean make me edgy.

...Right... mildly...

[ZombieDuke]

I voted mildly. Probably one of the obessive things I do (which makes my mother roll her eyes) is that I'll race back to the car and make sure the doors are locked. And I'll do that about 3-4 times(even though I know it's locked). Also, I always, ALWAYS cover my windows when I sleep... which is probably more paranoid then obessive compulsive... but I've recently become a big fan of Paper Craft and Origami because I can sit down in one place and fiddle about for hours...

I am probably more paranoid then obessive compulsive but mix in years worth of deep depression and things start mixing together too much

[DarkCabaret]

Thank you madlodger! (Sucks a five year old is the only one I can trust)

I seemed to have developed something new, I hate my kitchen, it's so dirty all the damn time! The idea of putting my hands into a sink of dirty dishes makes me cringe. I have a dishwasher but loading it requires splashing icky stuff. I am so anal about making everyone in my house rinse their dishes before they go in the sink and when my thirteen year old nephew doesn't do it...it's gross! I swear I yell at him every single time he's here! So I guess if maybe people would start rinsing their dishes before putting them in the sink, I wouldn't be so horrible about it!

[Mourningstar]

I voted mildly. I'm a very laid back person and even a complete mess doesn't bother me at all, unless it's that one, particular thing. I need to have things in alphabetical order, if they can be so arranged.

Bookshelves by author's last, first name and the title, cd shelves by artist's name and the album's title, and dvd shelves by the title. (Unless it's a part of a series, then I use chronological order, but it'll still irk me by being out of place.)

Some of my friends know about this little quirk, and often joke about how they can see me staring at a messy shelf like a dog watching a bone.

[StoryJunkie]

perhaps I got the definition wrong. I know what an obsessive compulsive person can be like. They CAN'T HELP IT. THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO STOP. They keep doing it without thinking, and not thinking until it's done.

There's a girl who tightens the water taps so hard, that they are difficult to turn back on. Things like that. Things that start filling up your life so much, that you realize you want to stop at all costs. It is so bad that you can't stop thinking that maybe you aren't quite right in the head and you consider going to seek help for it. When you want to stop and you can't. That's obsessive compulsive.

[Guest echtrae]

That was my understanding of it as well.

[Guest Agaib]

I'd say your definition is correct as well, it just demonstrates a more severe level of obsessive compulsive. The actions don't just suddenly come out of nowhere, however, they usually begin with a thought or idea. "I'd better not leave the water running I don't like the dripping sound." The brain gets stuck on it over time. Depending on the severity. Some people have more thought involved in their compulsions than others. Likely, the person who insists on tightening the sink would feel distressed if he/she was stopped from satisfying the compulsion.

Unfortunately, mental disorders aren't really very clear cut. There's a fine line between people who are obsessive compulsive and those who like to clean. In My opinion (some psychologists disagree), mental disorders in general are really much like personality traits. Two people can have similar traits but have them in a different "flavor" as well. I believe that the only difference between a mental disorder and a personality trait is that one has been labeled specifically as "undesirable." That doesn't mean I oppose the use of medication to treat mental disorders. I don't think that there's anything inherently wrong with willingly changing an aspect of yourself so you're more comfortable in your life (as long as you understand the consequences).

[StoryJunkie]

Or you're possessed.

There was this exorcist who entered a sanitorium without his vestments, but on his person, he carried, as usual, the pyx. Well, lo and behold, a inmate suddenly started speaking Latin telling him that he was a priest. (the inmate had no knowledge of Latin, nor that he was a priest)

Another time, a priest, fully vested came into the ward, and every single inmate started stripping.

[ZombieDuke]

Another time, a priest, fully vested came into the ward, and every single inmate started stripping.

Why do I suddenly smell a kinky fic in the works?

[StoryJunkie]

Bless me father, for I am insane! XD

[Guest Big Samurai]

Moderate. I always double-check and triple-check the front door on my way out of the house, I always run back to the toilet bowl to make sure it's been flushed, I wash my hands at any given excuse, and everything I write has even numbers of paragraphs.

[Guest darma]

I voted mildly.I only have problem with ovens.