What’s Your Quirkiest OCD Habit?

[Markko]

Hi,

Just wondering what people’s quirkiest OCD habits are.

I have found the best way for me to deal with it is to have a bit of a laugh at myself about some o fthe things I do.  If they’re silly behaviors I know it’s the OCD doing it and it helps me to focus on reducing them.

I’d say my two quirkiest ones are:

Reading a sentence, then rolling my eyes round to the beginning o fthe sentence and reading it again and again, rolling my eyes each time.  Makes me dizzy. 

Standing at the light switch, switching it on and off endlessly, until I am utterly convinced it is properly switched off.  I’ll then try to wlak away a few times and keep coming back to check it’s properly switched off.

Thing is, I know it’s OCD and just silly, but I keep dong it!  I often even laugh about it while I’m doing it (NOT in a weird manic sort of way…)

If you’re willing to share in a laugh, let us know what your quirky habits are.

Thanks,

Markko

[SASKRS]

I do the same thing with the light switches. I also have to check and recheck that I have unplugged my curling iron in the morning...

[eduk8or]

My OCD manifests itself in scary/harming thoughts, so I often replace them in my head with a silly song, whatever my fancy is at the time.  I'm often humming things like "Yellow Submarine" or "Party in the USA"... if people only know why!! 

[Reese84]

If my straightener is hot and I have to keep it on the bathroom counter till it cools off... I have check to see if my straightener is unplugged about a 100 times. Even when I know it is unplugged (but still on the counter to cool) and I leave the house, it drives me crazy. So I have to make sure I put it in the drawer so that I don't think about it.

Most of the time I obsess about the house being clean, mainly the living room area. I am constantly straightening pillows on the couch and when my 4 and a half yr old plays with the pillows and throws them on the floor, it drives me insane. Thank God I started some medicine today! LOL!

[carolinagirl2398]

My obsessions are typically health related or fears of harm, so whenever I hear anything on TV or someone talking about an illness, accident, or something like that, I have to knock on something.  No idea where that came from, but it's like second nature that I have to do it to get that thought out of my head.  Sometimes it doesn't work and that's when my cumpulsion comes into play and I have to say my little prayer a million times.  So annoying!

[ruthann]

I mostly deal with hypochondria. But I do have some OCD tendencies I think (haven't asked my therapist yet).

My big one is the curlers and curling iron in the morning. I have literally walked back into the bathroom saying to myself....you KNOW you just checked this....you know it's unplugged!! I've even driven back home after going halfway to work to check it again!!

One thing that's helped me lately is when I look at the outlet (with no plugs in it) I put my hand over it. Somehow that helps me let go of it if I touch it.

[flyer123]

i also have an issue with things being plugged in, i mean i can see that its unplugged but it doesnt matter i have to stare at it for a few minutes before accepting that its off, and even then when im convinced that its off i start staring at the cord to make sure its not too close to something else that could cause a problem basically fearful of something bad happening to the house, maybe a good homeowners policy is the cure, lol.

[sarey]

Confessing. Or a need to confess.
Spazzing out over it.
Also my numbers, 3 and 5.
I need to do things that many times.
Or it has to "feel right".
Lots of these things.

[headcase3]

I have to do things in certain order: loading or emptying the dishwasher, folding laundry, putting groceries in a cart and then onto the checkout counter; eating pizza, using my eggs, from cart to eggbasket, in proper order as well, and ice cubes, too...it goes on and on...

[Calamy]

Where my OCD really acts up is when I am pulling toilet paper off the roll. I will count pieces and rip them off til it "feels right" and sometimes I end up with wads and wads of TP just thrown away so it's costing me money!:( It's so strange. I also use like, 4 pieces of paper towels in public restrooms after I wash my hands or I will squeeze the soap dispenser 4 times. I don't wash my hands over and over, I just use up paper products like whoa.

[swimmer2009]

I dont have 2 days to list them all lol but one sticks out in my past. When I was little i used to have to flush the smallest lego pieces down the toilet, I sure wish i knew to this day why cause i needed those for my lego car haha

[eyelashes]

My OCD manifests itself in scary/harming thoughts, so I often replace them in my head with a silly song, whatever my fancy is at the time.  I'm often humming things like "Yellow Submarine" or "Party in the USA"... if people only know why!! 

I just had to comment on this because it reminded me of myself. I was afraid of 'going crazy' so I began obsessing over hearing a terrifying scream in my head all the time.  I was on a trip and driving through some prairies with my anxiety at an all time high. Saw some cows and somehow I thought to replace the scream sound with a "mooo" sound. So everytime I would begin to hear the scream I replaced it with a hilarious Moo sound, and it actually made me laugh everytime I heard it from then on. Don't hear the scream anymore ;)

[ocdengineer]

To Eyelashes and Edukor,

Thought replacing is a very valuable tool in battling OCD.  I am glad you guys are practicing.  Consider every negative thought as a new opportunity to practice.  As tough as it is, that is a really effective way of dealing with the thoughts.

As for my strangest OCD habits...

When I was younger I was always putting things in order.  Closet was sorted by type of clothing on hangers and evenly spaced etc.  Pretty straight forward OCD.

I guess my strangest OCD habit would be my desire to change words into numbers and see what numbers they are divisible by.  I am constantly doing weird letter math in my head.  Especially with license plates.  LOL.  It doesn't cause me any anxiety, but I find myself doing it a lot and it is strange.

Later,
OE

[greatsommelier]

I flip the switch on my alarm clock at least 20 times every night.  There are three settings and I always feel like I miss my setting so I do it over and over again.  I also have to say the exact same thing in the same order every night when I tuck my daughter in. lol  Weirdest one and this is the first time I have ever told anyone, for as long as I can remember if I swallowed at the same time as seeing, hearing or reading anything unpleasant or scary I would freak out like I took some of it into me somehow! 

[Sunset]

If I didn't have a sense of humor about OCD; think I would really go "crazy". I used to berate myself; thinking I was weird. til I learned about the brain. Signals misfiring, etc.

When it was really bad. Never touched a doorknob, bleeding hands. My kid fell out of his crib while I was sleeping. He was just an infant; crawling on the floor. I would go around and around the crib making sure those handles that held it up were secure.

Things got better. (dormant). Now, I say this phrase to God right before I go to sleep. "You don't make promises to God if you can't keep them". So I promise "no thinking you are fat" on and on. The humor is I say "hey, it's me again; pestering you".

My current thing is and it will prob never go away. I exercise (back probs). If interrupted; gotta start over. and must count the reps. If I think I messed up; start over.

Not writing well today. I haven't done my long work out yet. Laugh 'cause I know I will feel better after. and it is a good addiction. I feel like I had an adult drink when it is over!

[panicky]

Just had to reply to this one.  There are soooooo many that I could write a book!!!! But the quirkiest I would have to say are three (and not because this is my number either!!!):  Two are mine and one I actually heard on the Jay Leno show. 

I actually try to practice reverse psycology on my OCD!!! If I want myself to repeat something, I tell myself, no, if you repeat that, then the bad thing you are thinking will happen, will happen!!!  If I do it anyway, I tell myself, well, you're allowed one a day, so that is your one!!!!! How crazy is that!!!

Also, if I say something or think something I shouldn't I have to say out loud, while breathing inward "I take it back".  Boy, it sounds so crazy writing it out!!!

I have actually made my six year old say "I take it back", in fact, I make all of my family members say it!!!

The one that I heard on Jay Leno was this girl; when she thought of something bad she would have to knock on her head three time (like knocking on wood), and say "cancel, cancel, cancel", while she did it.  I'm not sure who she was, someone famous, and I thought, wow, that's OCD!!!

[nikkie]

i tend to check switches about 50 times, press door handles down repeatedly to make sure they are locked, sometimes i could be standing doing this for ten minutes! even though i know its locked, if i didnt check it it would drive me insane. I  tend to laugh it off now, and have found taking a picture of the items i feel the need to check over and over helps, as i can check my phone and see that everything is the way it should be!

[Alexxx]

Hmmmm my quirkiest? There is just so many i can't think of a particular one. Maybe my strangest OCD habit would be tiles. My house floor is made out of tiles and i have to step on everyone of them- It is a real time consuming thing! So sometimes i just slide everywhere around the house so I'm touching them all at once. A few months ago i actually had to walk around the house like a knight on a chessboard- It was really irritating  .

Another one would be spelling and grammar, i have to make sure everything is spelt correctly and the proper grammar is used or else in my next sentence i have to put an asterisk (*) and then the right spelling/grammar next to it, trying doing that while texting.

[Gigi]

One thing that's helped me lately is when I look at the outlet (with no plugs in it) I put my hand over it. Somehow that helps me let go of it if I touch it.

I do that too!!!!! 

[learning to cope]

This is my first time posting in this category. I am usually very reluctant to admit my OCD issues because when people in my life realize I have them, they usually laugh or find it all too strange. But here goes...

I have to stack the dishes in a certain order in the cabinets after they have been washed. Each dish has to be on a certain shelf in a certain spot. I refuse to let anyone else do the dishes because of this.

My clothes and shoes are grouped and coordinated by color and type of clothes (such as casual, business, formal, shoes, etc.). There are categories and subcategories (seasons, color,etc.). I do not allow shoes to be in the clothes area or accessories or undergarments. I freaked out when my ex boyfriend came when my closet and moved something. (embarrassing)

I have to lock the front door and then push it to make sure I remembered to lock it even though I just did. I do this every time I leave the house to no fail.


When taking out the trash I have to walk it through the house by taking a certain route. This is another task I must do myself or else I will lose it.

These are just a few I can think of. OCD is something I refused to accept for a long time but as I begin to realize how it has affected so many of my relationships I begin to think maybe I need some help with  this

[window.watcher]

Learning to cope,

I feel you on the dishes. my fiancee does wash them or ill spnd an hour doing one dish(not an exaduration), but i have to have them a certain way in the cupboards.

I have a lot of quirky habbits. eduk8or is dead on with one of them but I havent found a method that really helps me distract myself. I cant help but obsess.

Movies, books, anything that has a name on it and is in that sort of shape has to be organized and PERFECT. or i get really freaked out,
But my biggest one that absolutly drives me up a wall is when I see something and I cannot fix it (tag sticking out, shirt sleve flipped up, etc.) I get really anxious and my muscles in my whole body flex and im uncomfortable no matter what I do for like an hour. It makes life pretty hard. And its even worse when its on a movie. oh that drives me nuts because I want to jump into the screen and fix it. lol

[middlenamehypochondria]

Hi,

If I have a worrisome thought I hold my breath and count to ten. I also have to check my straightening iron
before I leave.  Sometimes I ask my husband to check it if we are going to be gone for a long time, he
often looks at me strange and says you just unplugged it.....I say I know, but I just want to be sure.

LOL   

OCD is frustrating but it does have a funny side. 

[FutureSailor]

This is a great thread:)
Like everyone else, my list of habits could fill a Harry Pooter book but I would have to say my two weirdest habits would be that whenever I have an intrusive thought I always respond (unthinkingly) with "One time he came over my house". Totally random lol and the second one is when Im driving I have to tap my jaw together a certain amount of time between light posts.

Its great to know Im not the only one with weird habitss:):)
xx

[JennyR]

Like most of you I also have too many to list......

One that comes to mind was my need to make everything even. It doesn't bother me as much as it use to, unless I am really stressed out. When I was younger if I ran into something and bumped my right knee, I would have to do the same to the left. If I bumped my left knee harder than I had my right, then I would have to keep doing it back and forth until it felt even. I made the mistake of telling my brother this and he would poke me in the arm just to watch me sit there and poke myself over and over until it felt even. It's actually pretty funny to think about it and how silly I must have looked. haha

Another one that is pretty silly is that I seem to think that everything has feelings/emotions. I can't leave one of anything. It doesn't matter what it is, a piece of candy, ice cube, or a hanger in the closet. For some insane reason I think that if I leave only one that it will be lonely. I know that this is completely unreasonable and probably stems from my fear of being alone, but I just can't help it. LOL

[Conspiracy Bird]

I sometimes have trouble with counting. That means adding the aplhanumeric characters on a licensce plate, then adding that number to the sum of the numbers on the plate. If the result is a two digit number, I add the two numbers with the amount of numbers. If the result of that, too, is a two digit number, I add again.
Same goes for words and sentences. I add the amount of letters to the amount of words and add the digits of the sum if it has two or more digits to the amount of digits.