What are your obsessions and compulsions?

[vonbock]

WOw, I am glad that other people have symptoms like me.  HAs anyone here been able to overcome their problems without meds?

Has anyone tried online counseling?

[marc]

I am OCD about health issues. I have tried counseling and medication, but nothing has
worked. I am trying to do the best that I can on my own.

[Cilantro]

I used to have intrusive thoughts of acting out violently, being acted out against violently or treacherously, or extreme sexual thoughts that I didn't even want, let alone like. It prevented me from driving, socializing, or even focusing at times. I'd be fussing with everything from my pajamas to the lock on my door to my books when I wasn't occupied, especially at night, and I'd wind myself up so much that I couldn't sleep.

These days I have a few numerical problems and I wash my hands, face, and laptop too much because I keep thinking they get oily or am worried about them becoming oily and ruining my ability to work. That's all that's a significant bother now.

I haven't had professional help since childhood, though I wish I'd gone back for a little something during my teenage years instead of making up excuses to not do what my peers were doing. Well, the beginning of 2012 was the start of a pretty fantastic journey forward, at least. The intrusive thoughts I mentioned are much less frequent and I can deflect them easily.

[vonbock]

I am OCD about health issues. I have tried counseling and medication, but nothing has
worked. I am trying to do the best that I can on my own.

Wow, you tried meds and counseling?


HOw do you get by the ocd without it wearing you down?

[melanieyacoub]

  hey my obsessions change from time to time from cleaning,to double checking things not even double checking sometimes i lose count of how many times i recheck things but at the moment from last night i have been stuck on symptoms of hiv as i have a coldsore and this is a symptom of hiv but so are alot of things so just to get peace of mind i went doctors and got the letter to go get tested and im scared to go get the test done because i over think about the dr coming out saying im positive im really bad at the moment im so scared i cant sleep 

[firelyte]

I'm pretty new here, and still figuring out my OCD, but after reading all of your lists, I'm thinking I have more going on than I thought!

My primary obsession is a fear of being fired (brought on by getting fired unexpectedly a year ago). Other obsessions include worrying about family (my sister specifically), figuring out problems until they're solved, creating "what-if" scenarios to resolve (such as, what if my husband died, what would I do?) before I go to bed, and making sure my office/desk/etc. is organized perfectly, the way I want it, before I get any work done.

Most things I check are usually just once, unless I've had a really tough day emotionally. Things like locks, oven, stove, lights, etc. Things I check more than once: tickets if I'm going to a concert or event, keys when I'm not driving, wallet, phone, and the rings I wear. The number of times I do each of these depends on how anxious I am that day. 3 is usually the number, but I've never thought about it before.

[sharon75]

i dont know if i have ocd but my obsessions are _

I like to do things perfectly or not at all
I obsess about getting fired
I obsess about conversation, what ive said and what the other person thinks
I have unwanted violent and sexual thoughts
I have unwanted thoughts about hurting myself i.e. jumping of a high building
I need my bills to be paid or i panic and become agoraphobic

i guess theres others that i  havent figured out yet, i dont know if i have any compusions, i really havent noticed.  I hate doing housework though cause once i start i cant stop and become totally obsessed.  At the moment i am being very lazy.

[Stylishscaredycat]

List of obsessions:
1. Fecal matter and contamination
I am absolutely obsessed with not being in any contact with any kind of fecal matter for fear that I will get a stomach virus, bacteria or something far worse like c.difficile. I don't use public restrooms or any restroom but my one at home. I do not like anyone using my toilet bowl and if they do I make my fiancé disinfect it. I don't like my dogs poo and I make my fiancé wipe her butt down quite a few times a day. I obsess about what I touch for fear that someone may have not washed up after using the toilet, changing a diaper etc. or of they picked a wedgie. I throw the bar of soap out after using it once and I use a different towel after every shower and I mark that one as the butt towel even after it has been washed. If anyone says they have a stomach ache around me I will go home and profusely wash myself and count the hours and days and obsess over incubation periods.

2. Food contamination
I refuse to eat out at any restaurant for fear of what may have been done to my food, chef or server could have touched their butt or mouth or not washed after using the restroom. A bug or mouse could have gotten into it. If they don't take proper health and safety precautions such as checking temperatures or using expired ingredients. I also do not eat meat for the fear of antibiotics, steroids and illness in the animals. I also refuse to eat leftovers. I am also vigilant about cleanliness in my own kitchen.

3. I obsessively check for dents on cans for fear of botulism. I do it in the supermarket and opt to bag my own groceries bc if the cans ding together they could dent and toxins could build up. If a can has a minor dent that I miss when I get home I will throw it out. After eating any canned goods I will look up botulism for hours on end. All different bacterias and viruses. People tell me I should be a microbiologist bc I know so much about that stuff.

4. Hand washing
I wash my hands so many times in a day that my skin looks like plastic. I have to wash under the nails and up my forearms.

5. Tweezing
I have to tweeze my upper lip. Anytime I feel nervous or anxious I must tweeze above my lip (there is no hair bc I do it so frequent) for fear that I will have facial hair and it also soothes me so it's an obsession and a compulsion in one.

6. Medicine
I am obsessed with not having to take any medicine. I am terrified of even antibiotics or Advil. I take klonopin for my anxiety but dissolvable bc I am also terrified of pills. I don't even take vitamins for fear they will make me feel weird. I am severely lacking vitamin D but refuse to take any pills.

7. Googling
I obsessively google everything and anything. Any subject you can think of I will research it until I know every single fact about it. I am constantly with my face in my iPad googling and reading.

8. Image
I make sure that I am always well groomed and well dressed. I spend a lot of money weekly to keep myself looking good. I buy new clothes, shoes, handbags on a daily basis as well as beauty products. I have to be dressed to the nines even to go to to the corner store or to walk my dog. A lot of people mistake it for snobbery but the truth is I feel very vulnerable and anxious when I am not in my full look. It's almost like a superhero without his costume, weird I know. My sister and mother joke with me and call me Jackie O bc when they invite me out with them I come fully dressed up. I also cannot have chipped or ragged nails. I will have a meltdown if my nails aren't properly done before leaving the house. I obsess about my weight as well.

9.Health
I am always worried I have some new illness. I am scared of dying or suffering. I worry about having a brain aneurysm or an auto immune disease. I sometimes am convinced that I have symptoms of illnesses and will go to dozens or doctors in search of an answer.

10. Certain shades of red
I am terrified of certain shades of red. Anything that resembles hell or the devil or murder or blood will set me off. I don't allow any kind of scary red to be in my home. If I am out and someone is wearing a scary shade of red I will be extremely anxious and have to envision them wearing a different color or I will try to avoid any kind of engagement with said person.

11. Being mugged, raped, kidnapped
I am constantly obsessing over this happening to me. I don't go out alone and I avoid going anywhere there might be a bad element. If I see someone who appears to be dangerous I will panic and start to rapidly move away from them. This happens often living in NYC.

I am also a checker and check to make sure I haven't lost anything, if I think of a random item or belonging while I am in bed and I think I may have lost it, no matter what the time is I must search for it.

I also do not like throwing anything away that came from my home outside of my home. Like if I take a water bottle or banana from my house I will not dispose of it until I can put it in my garbage pail. I also don't like to leave behind hair or my dogs hair bc I fear that someone will steal my aura or soul.

I also won't dispose of insignificant things with numbers on them such as receipts for fear that it may throw off the numerical balance of my life. I also do things in number sequences. For instance volume on the tv can be 30 or 35 but not 32.

I also obsess over the number 333. I see it everywhere, every single day. It freaks me out bc I think it holds some kind of deeper meaning in my life, i am unsure if it is good or evil.

There are many more. No one understand how difficult it is to deal with all of these things on a daily basis. It is extremely tiring and depressing. I am in therapy and it has helped a lot and I notice that sometimes I don't obsess over these things but other times its so bad and overwhelming.