30 Signs You Have OCD

3 years ago

1. Cleaning WAY Too Much...

Image source The New York TimesPeople with OCD who fall into the 'washers' category also tend to clean compulsively. As with hand-washing, house cleaning is often a way of easing germaphobia or feelings of not being pure. Although cleaning can help chase these obsessive thoughts away, the relief does not last, making the urge to clean even stronger the next time.

2. Door And Oven Checking

Image source Voices of HopeIf you check the stove, oven or door before leaving home, it probably doesn’t impact on your day in the slightest but if you need to spend a significant amount of time re-checking repeatedly and still not trusting yourself, then this may be a sign you are suffering from OCD.

3. Washing Hands

Image source HelpGuide.orgOf course you would wash your hands i they are physically dirty as well as after using the bathroom or before eating or preparing food but when you find yourself washing over and over again, until your hands are red raw, this may be a warning sign of an OCD issue.

4. Contamination Concerns

Image source HealthlineIn this age of COVID-19, it is definitely a good thing to think about how you can stay safe from virus exposure. However, if you take more drastic steps than most people in order to avoid germs (coronavirus or otherwise), HIV, sexually transmitted infections, or other illnesses, this may be a symptom of OCD.

5. Counting

Image source GroundworkCompulsive counting can be a frustrating symptom of OCD and you find you just can't stop doing it, even if you want to. Often, the counting is of random objects you see around you and it may feel involuntary. However, if it bothers you to the extent that you have to do it, there may be an underlying issue.

6. Rule Following

Image source Psych CentralUsually, it’s good to follow the rules! We don't want to break the law and get into trouble. However, in some cases of OCD, rule following becomes an unhealthy obsession that can drastically affect your life. This symptom can be centred on religious rules but not always.

7. Superstitious Thinking

Image source HealthlineAll of us are prone to superstitious thinking now and then, such as not walking under a ladder or taking extra care on Friday 13th. If superstition is conducting the way you run your life and dictates whether you should or shouldn't do a particular task, this kind of thinking may be linked to OCD.

8. Needing To Feel Just Right

Image source Self.comThis symptom involves the need to do something over and over again until it feels 'just right.' It can be either physical or mental and it feels important to achieve it before you can move on. It could be something as simple as, say, taking a certain amount of strides to get to the end of your driveway before you feel you can leave your home.

9. Harm Obsessions

Image source UnsplashThese are fears that you have harmed or that you will harm others without meaning to. For example, wondering if you accidentally hit a pedestrian on your morning commute and didn’t realize or fearing that you’ll punch an elderly person when walking down the street if you don’t put your hands in your pockets. These fears may well be linked to OCD.

10. Seeking Reassurance

Image source Marriage.comThis common symptom of OCD involves asking a loved one (or googling the internet) to reassure you that something you are afraid of is not true. We all like being reassured by our loved ones but, if you have OCD, asking for reassurance can become a habit that feels increasingly essential for you to move on from or you will experience anxiety.

11. Mentally Reviewing Conversations

Image source Your View CountsOCD can also take the form of repeated mental efforts to review conversations that happened earlier. Often, this is done with the goal of making sure you didn’t say anything that might be deemed as being offensive. Even if you didn't experience any negativity from that conversation, you'll still decipher it in your head over and over again.

12. Re-Reading

Image source Medium.conYou’ve likely had the experience of reading a paragraph and then realizing you were distracted and didn't take it in and so you re-read it. For some people with OCD, this can become almost impossible as they feel they need to look over the same paragraph time and time again, making it impossible to get through an article and it's also very time consuming for them.

13. Sexual-Orientation Obsessions

Image source Sheppard PrattThe thought that your sexual orientation is different from what you’d always thought it was can become troubling and even turn into an OCD issue as you can't stop thinking about it. This is a different issue than for someone coming to terms with a given sexual orientation.

14. You Have Relationship Obsessions

Image source HealthlineIt’s normal to have doubts about your romantic relationship at times but if you have OCD, these doubts may lead to constant anxiety. You may become fixated on whether you really do love your partner or whether you truly know if they are definitely the one for you. The anxiety may cause you to end the relationship.

15. Organization

Image source Yanko DesignPeople with OCD can take organizing to the level of perfection and even then they might not be satisfied. It may have to be symmetrical and in the right order. When you look again, you're not happy with the alignment and might start again, even ending up with it looking the same as it did before.

16. Fears Of Violence

Image source Daily ExpressEverybody has fleeting thoughts about the possibility of being affected by violence or other misfortunes and that's human nature. The more we try to avoid thoughts like this, the more they can pop into our heads. Research shows this can be the case for people with OCD and they can react more intensely to this thinking.

17. Dwelling On Relationships

Image source PairedLifePeople with OCD are known to obsessively dissect their relationships with friends, work colleagues, partners and family members. For example, they may dwell at length on whether an offhand comment at work alienated a co-worker or whether a small misunderstanding was the crux in ruining a romantic relationship.

18. Hating Your Looks

Image source HelpGuide.orgBody dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a condition related to OCD in which people fixate on a particular part of their body that they consider to be abnormal or unattractive. It is often their nose, skin or their hair. Many people with BDD also have OCD and worry about cleanliness as well.

19. Avoidance

Image source Medical News TodayYou might find that some activities, objects or experiences make your obsessions or compulsions worse. If you are worried that you might stab someone, then you will go out of your way to stay out of the kitchen. If it feels easier to avoid a situation, it probably means you may have a compulsion.

20. Hoarding

Image source Health-TimeThere's nothing wrong in keeping mementos in a box in your loft but believing that you can cause harm if you get rid of stuff and are worried that if you throw away paperwork, it could be something of great importance, is a serious issue and could be linked to OCD.

21. You Are A Perfectionist

Image source Cleveland ClinicHaving high standards, like doing things in a certain way, is absolutely fine but, for example, filling out a form and not being happy with the way the words look, is a different issue all together. Re-doing the form 10 times is a sure sign there is something else going on, such as OCD.

22. You Do Everything In Sets Of Four

Image source ocdTalkYou open and close your car door four times before getting in, grab the fourth can in the supermarket and fluff your pillow four times, all because it 'feels better'. This should alert you to the fact that you might have OCD. It could be any number you are fixated on and usually an 'even' digit.

23. Fixated On Colours

Image source Scheme ColorsIf you ask anyone what their favourite colour is, they ill give you an immediate answer and the subject is forgotten. For an OCD sufferer, a certain colour can mean so much more. Their day could go wrong, for example, if they wear a blue sweater instead of a green one or they will only eat candy sweets in a colour order.

24. Cans Aligned In Order

Image source The GuardianHaving a neat pantry and being able to see exactly what's in there before re-buying is a nice feeling for many. However, for someone with OCD, the can wrappers may be colour coded, spaced exactly the same distance away from each other and there may be a certain number of each one, like 3 tins of beans, 3 tins of tinned tomatoes etc.

25. Bothered By Certain Sounds

Image source The SunAlso called 'Misophonia', individuals who have this symptom are sensitive to certain sounds. When they hear them they can become distressed or angry and will go to great lengths to avoid listening to them. Sound sensitivity can be common among people with OCD.

26. Having Unwanted Thoughts

Image source Garage WireA symptom of OCD can be when, for example, you are riving your car down the road and see oncoming headlights. You will have a fleeting thought, just for a second, of turning into that traffic and then the thought will go. Further along, you'll see the traffic lights have turned to red and you'll feel like driving through them, again momentarily.

27. Uncontrollable Religious Thoughts

Image source Daily MailParticularly if you are a religious person, but not necessarily so, you might preach a verse from the bible or repeat the Ten Commandments. You may do this several times, one after another and feel that if you don't, something bad will happen to you and it will be out of your control.

28. Eat The Same Meals Every Day

Image source InsiderThere's always a time when there's leftovers in the fridge and if you're feeling a bit lazy, you may eat the same evening meal 3 days running. For someone with OCD, they might do the same but it will be the same meal every day or they will feel anxious. They may also eat the items on their plate in a specific order.

29. Do Tasks At Certain Times

Image source Getty ImagesIf you are a person who hoovers the lounge at 10.15 am every other day and empties the dishwasher at 8pm on the dot, together with other timed mundane household chores, you my have OCD. If you feel anxious when you've 'missed your slot' due to unforeseen circumstances, this can upset you.

30. Your Obsessions Are Exhausting

Image source HRZoneIf you are content with cleaning for 2 hours a day and living your life in an organised fashion, happy with your routine, then that's fine but individuals who have OCD find their obsessions make them miserable but they feel they can't control them. OCD is nothing to be ashamed of in the slightest and it affects so many people. Seeking help from an understanding health professional may be the first step for you.