Please answer all of my other questions on OCD. You could be a very helpful key to my future mental health?
147581
Well if I had OCD, I think in order to help myself, I would gradually taper off on each thing I did that was compulsive...\nLike for an example, I would quit washing my hands so often or quit checking locks on doors or quit checking to see if I turned out lights or quit wiping down counters I already wiped, things like that...\nJust do your OCD things less each time you do them...
359375
I would go to www.ocfoundation.org to see if they have a recommendation for someone in your area.  If you are not limited to your area, I think the best person out there is Dr Bruce Hyman at www.ocdhope.com, he helped me.\n\nIt is possible to manage OCD.  \nAlso you if you can find a support group in your area through the oc foundation, that would be good too.
264871
Well technically you can become addicted to anything,  The repeat of the action on a daily, or hourly basis after a while  your mind will want to keep repeating that action.  It's worse for people with OCD, they may not even realize they are doing it.
327142
No offense, but by your spelling errors im guessing your pretty young. I dont think you should be afraid of all these things at your age. You should possibly talk to a parent or a close older relative to get help. As for the obsessive compulsive disorder it is a mental disorder that you need to work on to control. Good Luck!
1044067
I am bipolar with mild OCD, My husband is currently hospitalized from a more severe case of the same problems.  I can't stress enough how important it is to get help for this sooner rather than later, believe it or not it can get WAY worse than your current situation.  Don't wait until you lose the job or trash your house or hurt yourself to get help. The bad news is mental health is decades or even centuries behind physical health, so our treatment options are somewhat limited.  Often behavioral or cognitive therepy can be extremely effective, even without drugs. If you don't have a psychologist, get one ASAP. \n\n            Is there a reason you don't want to use medication?  No one WANTS to use drugs if they are unnessasary, but I wonder if the anxiety about drugs is really worse than the anxiety we feel due to the compulsions. Today's drugs are compartively safer and often have fewer side effects - my only side effect from the drug I have been on for 7 years now is a mildly increased number of cavities. Even if you do decide to use drugs, talk therepy is still and important step.  If you have trouble affording it, call some local churches, they often have a marrage and family counselor on staff who will take a lower payment.  If you have insurance - your therepy, should be covered.  A good therepist should be able to help you explore non-drug options for your particular issues.  I reccomend you read up on it for yourself as well.   All the information the doctors have is availible to you at the library and online.  Know the DSMV-IV definition and the American Psyciatric Association's Treament Guidlines for your condition.  Go to a NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill)class.  You can find all of these online.  Always remember, this trouble is not because you are stupid or lack will power.\n\nOne idea for this compulsion, create a "uniform" for work.  If you are close to anyone there, and feel you can share this with them, you might even take them shopping with you.  If you wear the same one or two things every day, you will know you won't be sent home, because you weren't yesterday.  Many "normal" professionals do this, just changing the scarf or necklace and wearing basically the same thing every day.  It saves a fortune in wardrobe costs, and it has worked for me before.  Even if it works, this is a temporary fix - you need to have a therepist to help you work through the inevitable future compulsions.  Goodness, I sound like my mother.\n\nThat is all I can think of for now. Just talk, talk, talk.  Nothing fights stigma and shame like communication. Get as many positive, sane friends to put good thoughts in your head as you can.  It will give you a mental army to fight the bad thoughts.  May God bless you with an easier road in the future.
183983
Go see a psycologist. You might have obssesive compulsive disorder.
259271
It sounds like you truely do have OCD. I take it you are underage and cannot obtain medical treatment on your own. If your parents refuse to have you treated please go as soon as you become of age. It can be very sucessfully treated with medication and or therapy.\n\nthis is from a web site:\n\nWhat are obsessions and compulsions?\nObsessions are recurrent, persistent, unwanted ideas, thoughts, images or impulses that are experienced involuntarily, appear to be senseless, and feel out of control. They commonly intrude when you are trying to focus on thinking or doing other things. Obsessions are often accompanied by uncomfortable feelings, such as fear, disgust, doubt, or a sensation that things have to be done in a way that is "just so." \n\nSome common obsessions include: \n\nfear of danger to oneself or others \nfear of contamination \na need for exactness or order \nA compulsion is a repetitive behavior - a ritual - that you feel driven to do, and seemingly cannot stop doing. Compulsions occur as a result of obsessions and represent your attempts to manage your incessant thoughts by doing something to try to settle them. For example, if an obsessive worry is whether or not the door was locked, then a compulsive response might be to check the lock repeatedly. Some common compulsive behaviors are: \n\nexcessive checking \ncounting \nsilent repetition of words \nhand washing \ncleaning \n ordering / arranging \ntouching \npraying \nhoarding \n \n\nObsessions and compulsions range from mild checking behavior (did I lock the door?) to severe cases where you are unable to function based on compulsions having taken over normal life functioning. If we think of obsessive-compulsive traits and behaviors on a continuum of varying degrees and intensities, most people experience them with little or no negative consequence on their daily lives and relationships. \n\nWhen obsessions, compulsions, and perfectionist behaviors take up excessive time and significantly interfere with your daily life and relationships, it is time to seek help. When this occurs, the repetitive and seemingly out-of-control behaviors of obsession and compulsion may be indicative of a disorder that should be addressed with the help of a licensed professional. \n\nIf: \n\nyou feel unable to keep up with your normal appearance and behavior, \nyou can’t work, \nyou cut off connections with friends and families and are unable to socialize, or \nyou can’t take care of yourself and have trouble eating, sleeping, bathing, etc. \nit is time to seek help! \nBehavioral therapy with medications seems to offer the best long-term improvement for the treatment of OCD. Even though you probably realize that your anxiety and behaviors are excessive and irrational, changing them is not a simple matter. Most people with OCD require assistance from a qualified therapist.\n\nCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Generally viewed as the most effective form of psychotherapy for treating most anxiety disorders, CBT involves the use of such techniques as: \nthought-stopping \ngradual challenging of irrational behaviors \nidentifying triggers and separating them from the feelings of extreme fear and the desire to avoid certain situations \nsystematic desensitization focused on the physical sensations of your anxiety \n"post-modern" therapies (such as Narrative and Solution-Focused models), which may help by placing the symptoms outside you and allowing you to tell a new story about them. \nPsychoeducation: One of the difficulties with OCD is the confusion about this disorder. It is frustrating for the individual and family members to manage a situation that is so misunderstood. An early and important part of treatment is getting a good education in what is known about this disorder. \nMedications: Certain anti-depressants (usually SSRIs) or other anti-anxiety medications have had good success with many people who suffer from OCD. It appears that these medications act
240704
you should talk to your regular physician, so that they know what is going on as well; they can (if you sign release forms) provide information to your therapist that can help in diagnosis and treatment.  You can go to either a psychiatrist or psychologist (if you need to see someone else for diagnosis, treatment, etc. they will refer you).\nas for testing, there are many tests that are used to determine whether or not you have OCD, and to what extent you have it.  behavioral inventories are done, there are several versions of this, in which you simply answer questions such as "Do you find yourself checking things, such as door locks, frequently?" and "Have you ever thought about harming others?"  (these tests are used to diagnose many disorders, such as depression and ADD, so some questions may not apply to you, but will be helpful for your therapist to know).  an initial diagnosis can be made without these tests, especially if it is very obvious that you have OCD, but further testing is helpful to give a more complete diagnosis.  be sure to be truthful in all your answers, and ask questions about what the questions on the tests mean if you're not sure, as this is important in scoring them.\nGood luck on receiving help.
362348
Hi,\n\nObsessive Compulsive Disorder has to do primarily with brain chemistry and like other chemically-based "mental illnesses," it tends to show up or worsen during the teens and early twenties.  Brain chemistry might not be the actual cause, but like a lot of these things, OCD is probably "caused" by a combination of our brain chemistry, the stresses we've faced in our life, our environment, etc.\n\nI put a link to a basic fact sheet about the illness below.  That will be able to explain it to you a lot better than I will.\n\nI live in San Diego also and put a link to support groups and therapists.  At the bottom, you can find a therapist by specialty.  I'm a social worker.  Let me know if you are able to find what you need.  If not, I'd be happy to help you some more.\n\nTake care...
714096
First get it diagnosed by a doctor. If it is OCD, there was a series of programs called I Can Change Your Life on british tv (Sky One satellite channel) where Paul McKenna cured a woman of OCD using a technique based on NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming). There are lots of other therapists in other countries who have been trained by him.\n\nThere's a book called Change Your Life in 7 days which may cover the same stuff on amazon, but the blurb doesn't give a contents list. You could ask on here if anyone has it and whether it covers OCD. There are plenty of other books on OCD, but may not use the same technique to cure it. His way was quick, there's may be long expensive analysis sessions.\n\nIf its not OCD, the doctor maybe able to tell you what the other possibilities are (another medical condition, a psychological condition, drugs). He may just be doing it to please you, because he thinks thats what you want. Discuss it and see if there are any mis-understandings between you.\n\nIt may be 'perfectionism', where someone thinks in black and white terms and every achievement is either perfect or useless. The wikipedia article on it (see link) says that it is one symptom of OCD. Also see link to wikipedia entry on OCD.\n\nIf there are any other aspects, you can research them on the net or search Yahoo Answers for questions and answers on the same subject.\n\nIt may be the male need to feel competent and succesful at everything (see Men are from Mars series of books) combined with perfectionism.
445335
I agree with the others that it sounds like your wife has OCD.  I pasted some info. below, and there is more if you go to the website.  Encourage your wife to speak to her doctor about this; he/she can give her a referral to a psychiatrist.  If your wife is resistant to the idea, show her this info., or the info. on the website; maybe that will convince her.  Good luck.\n\n\nTypical Compulsions\nCompulsions are repetitive, often ritualized behaviors that are intended to suppress the anxiety caused by obsessions. Compulsions common in OCD are the following:\n\n    * Asking for assurances\n    * Avoiding places or situations\n    * Cleaning\n    * Counting\n    * Doing certain tasks slowly and deliberately\n    * Doubting and checking, e.g., locks, lights, and ovens\n    * Hoarding possessions\n    * Ordering or arranging\n    * Repeating behaviors, including speech and action\n    * Washing, e.g., excessive hand-washing or bathing \n\nTypical Obsessions\nObsessions 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:\n\n    * Fear of contamination with dirt, germs, or poisons\n    * Fear of having a serious illness\n    * Fear that ones actions hurt other people or cause bad things to happen\n    * Inability to discard useless items (hoarding)\n    * Inappropriate sexual and aggressive thoughts and images\n    * Need for symmetry, order, or exactness
378176
Well first of all, please don't belittle yourself for what you are going through, and I have a friend who seriously battles this every day. 1) Do some research, and take a look at some professional studies, and behavior modifications that can help you. I am not someone to advocate medication, but you might want to check with a physician to see if there is a medication for anxious people that you could try (maybe with a lower anxiety level, you may find the OCD easier to handle) there are behavior techniques that you can learn, and there are groups on-line and offline that you can go and exchange information and learn from others who have similar problems. Sometimes knowing that there are other people who truly understand you can be a great help. Use the Internet to your advantage, and spend some time reading on coping with a disorder like OCD, and you don't sound mad, you sound worried, and troubled, and you sound like this is something you really face, so don't worry about average. Does anyone really know what is average anyway? I hope this helps, and I wish you the best.
264164
it actually sounds like OCD, my family is full of it, my obsessions are about demonic posession and when I was having a lot of trouble with it I would be incapacitated to the point where I would whisper "jesus, jesus, jesus" for hours-- my brother constantly thinks about nuclear war and dying in a nuclear holocaust and my mother is that way with cholesterol (needless to say going home is lots of fun! There are 10 children in my family, 4 with OCD, 3 Bipolar and 1 autistic, 2 normal) It's not the wierd sort of "Monk" OCD, and not everyone washes obsesivly or anything but sometimes it's just that sort of constant automatic thought
826097
OCD is not just somebody who cleans, it may be that you have a form of it, have you spoken to your doctor?
515912
I've never been married to anyone with OCD, but I have OCD. It can be treated. I saw a therapist and haven't "ritualized" in over two years now. It only took a month of constant treatment. OCD is definitely not something you should let tear your marriage apart when it can be taken care of. Yeah some things will still remain, but for the most part it's live-able.
804417
you probably have OCD, This can be cured u have to go to a doctor or whatever, but it an be fixed...\nmy sister had this and thank god she is cured now...coz it keeps getting worse and worse and worse.\nbest of luck to you.\n-Dee
77726
First a comment: You have asked a lot of good questions that make a person think a little. I like that because normally I'm not much of a thinker. (More of a stinker)\n\nTo answer your Q: My mental closet has a lot of hidden spaces. I've had problems with porn addiction in the past and really hard to fight sometimes. Regrets of divorce that I have to hid from my kids everyday. Feelings of desparation, loneliness, and dispair that I hide from co-workers and friends. I always put on the happy face around them.\n\nAs for physical closet ... Just the pile of junk I keep in there. Maybe a pair of dirty underwear I forgot about. I'll have to go look at it and maybe clean it out.\n\nTTFN\nJamie