Not really. That's a popular misconception though because a small percentage of people appear to express it that way.
Compulsive behaviours are usually linked to an obsessive thought. Like checking the iron is turned off fifteen times so the house doesn't burn down, just to have the thought intrude again, so you turn the car around and check again.
OCD is wondering if the light back there was red, demanding someone check red light camera locations, not being convinced and turning the car around for a 20 minute detour to manually check for hidden police cars, still not being convinced on the first pass so you do it again, then having 2 separate panic attacks on the way home that you'll lose your licence and job, then checking red cameras locations again on your PC once you get home, then checking the mail every day for 4 weeks for the fine that will bankrupt and makes us homeless, then doing it again next month
Lock the door, check the handle five times, walk five steps, walk back, check the handle five more times, walk out of the apartment building, make it a couple blocks, get a panic attack about whether you actually locked the door, run back to check the handle five more times...
And I don't even have OCD. I can't imagine the hell people go through who have it bad enough for a diagnosis. I've seen it from a distance though at my psychologist's clinic, and my heart aches for them.
Sounds more wiccan ritual than mental illness. It is at least no stranger than a timed prayer that must be directionally aligned. Or transforming magic wafers for that matter. If it's harmless and doesn't mess with the person's life too much, welcome to the human race, we all need some useful delusions to get though the day around here.
It's because I'll make the numbers and objects sad and because my fingers will be itchy or I'll never be able to speak again if I don't keep repeating this word.
5 replies
Not really. That's a popular misconception though because a small percentage of people appear to express it that way.
Compulsive behaviours are usually linked to an obsessive thought. Like checking the iron is turned off fifteen times so the house doesn't burn down, just to have the thought intrude again, so you turn the car around and check again.
OCD is wondering if the light back there was red, demanding someone check red light camera locations, not being convinced and turning the car around for a 20 minute detour to manually check for hidden police cars, still not being convinced on the first pass so you do it again, then having 2 separate panic attacks on the way home that you'll lose your licence and job, then checking red cameras locations again on your PC once you get home, then checking the mail every day for 4 weeks for the fine that will bankrupt and makes us homeless, then doing it again next month
Source: dated an OCD partner once
Lock the door, check the handle five times, walk five steps, walk back, check the handle five more times, walk out of the apartment building, make it a couple blocks, get a panic attack about whether you actually locked the door, run back to check the handle five more times...
And I don't even have OCD. I can't imagine the hell people go through who have it bad enough for a diagnosis. I've seen it from a distance though at my psychologist's clinic, and my heart aches for them.
Sounds more wiccan ritual than mental illness. It is at least no stranger than a timed prayer that must be directionally aligned. Or transforming magic wafers for that matter. If it's harmless and doesn't mess with the person's life too much, welcome to the human race, we all need some useful delusions to get though the day around here.
It's because I'll make the numbers and objects sad and because my fingers will be itchy or I'll never be able to speak again if I don't keep repeating this word.