I was diagnosed with OCD back in 2003. I have struggled it with on and off but medication has always worked well for me. I find that during major times of distress or changes in my life it acts up regardless of the medication.

My OCD is more of the PURE O type..so basically obsessive thoughts.

At times I come off the meds, but I have realized that its not a good idea to be off of it at any time. I recently am back on the meds but im still struggling.

I am just wondering If anyone else suffers from this disorder and how you've handled it.

I have started to believe I have it in small doses. Mostly it does not affect me, but I do find myself checking the stove, the lights, and other things. Sometimes I get out the door and find myself unlocking it again and going back inside to check it again and I know it is off.

I tell myself that I don't want to start a fire, and I have left candles burning in the past & been lucky, I have left my guitar amp on for two weeks straight & blown out the tubes, but I also know it is a little OCD-ish

I also get obsessive about certain thoughts. Arguments on the org come to mind, and not being able to let things go if I know I am right.

Being controlling or a perfectionist (not perfect) also comes to mind. Like when my gf cooks and I think she has the heat too high. I can't let her make the "mistake" I find it very hard to not "correct" her, and I might not even be right

[Edited 6/15/11 17:26pm]

It's a good exercise to just let things go. Like anything it gets easier.

For me, it might be holding my tongue when I want to say something.

It may be harder, depending on your condition, but hopefully with some work and awareness you can accomplish quite a lot.

Irrational thinking.

CUT

IT

OFF

Eye cant throw my empty water bottles away?my kitchen is full of used plastic bottles also plastic bags 2 me they r special like little people each with there own personalities & if anyone trys 2 put a bottle or a bag in the bin........on there head b it!!!!!!!!!.

I have to jiggle, at least five times, the front door of my house, the driver and passenger side doors of my car, and my lock in the locker room at the gym; just to make sure they're locked. Can't seem to shake it off. It's not like I've had my car stolen or my house or locker broken into. I have no idea where this comes from.

yep

but if i said what ritual i do i fear things will go wrong

so ...

I never knew drugs could help curing this

How do they work ?

I've got it, but undiagnosed.

It's pretty obvious though when you can't help but wash your hands over and over and over and....

Dewrede said:

Yup, though not diagnosed.

I count a lot. Odd numbers creep me the fuck out. The number 6 also creeps me out.

I have this really bizarre thing with symmetry. Say, if I'm at school and I have two pens and a pencil on top of my desk, I must always put the pencil in between both pens.

A bunch of other really annoying things that I know I am doing but can't stop doing it. It's hard to explain.

It has never been a big deal as in it not allowing me to leave the house or whatever but yeah, sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night just to check if I fed my dog or have panic attacks because I don't remember if I locked up a door or whatever.

I also have this thing with my iTunes library where all the songs of one album must have the same amount of plays.

And I could go on and on. I should probably seek help

And I have this thing with food, which I guess is more of an eating disorder but

I have contamination ocd, although I'm undiagnosed. I've never taken any meds either, aside from some herbal stuff I tried that didn't have a big effect on me. At one point, it got pretty overwhelming and I considered seeing a therapist. Instead, I read a book called Brain Lock (along with just about anything I could find online about ocd) and used some of the cognitive-behavioral techniques. It took a long time and a lot of hard work but I was able to get back to (almost) normal. Now, it's more of an annoyance than an actual hinderance in my life.

What's trippy is hardly anybody knew unless I told them. Even then, most people didn't take it seriously. I don't think a lot of folks understand the mechanics of the disorder. It's far more than just being a neat freak or anal about how you arrange your cd collection, that's for sure!

So my doctor said I had OCD way back in '97...along with BDD and was put on meds until I had a serious adverse reaction and was yanked off it.

I went on a few other medications over the years but I stopped taking all medication in 2004. I did some cognitive behavioural therapy for a short time as well. I think that helps way more than drugs.

I really don't see it as much of a problem these days. I guess it's pretty minor now.

JustErin said:

So my doctor said I had OCD way back in '97...along with BDD and was put on meds until I had a serious adverse reaction and was yanked off it.

I went on a few other medications over the years but I stopped taking all medication in 2004. I did some cognitive behavioural therapy for a short time as well. I think that helps way more than drugs.

I really don't see it as much of a problem these days. I guess it's pretty minor now.

I think we all have these tendencies in varying degrees. So for most of us, awareness, and behavioral therapy is going to be sufficient.

I've always been afraid of germs, and in the past 6 years, I've been told on and off that I have a touch of OCD. I've been encouraged to take drugs for it along with what I'm already taking for mental health, but I'm paranoid about being on so many and getting worse physically. I have a habit of picking at my hands, getting obsessive thoughts or sensations and always worry about germs outdoors and items touching each other spreading germs and stupidess like that. I think I'm always worried that this can cause disease and that can cause disease and I hate hearing about how so many things can cause cancer, and sometimes I get worried if I think family have dirty hands before eating and chase them down to make sure everything is clean. I noticed this went up after a young boy we knew passed away from it last year and so many people were sad

[Edited 6/15/11 22:44pm]

I don't technically, but I have areas that I could be obsessive and compulsive but I think it's more habit than an absolute need to do. Unfortunately it's in my medical records it states I may have tendencies, because a doctor I had years ago noticed my hands were peeling and assumed it was because I continuously washed my hands, I wasn't, it was a reaction to a cleaning solution I stuck my hands in, but he put it on my medical records as possible OCD. He also diagnosed my daughter with asthma, with no testing, she doesn't have it. He had issues, I switched doctors asap.