Not sure if I have OCD

[Kady_A]

Hi, so for a long time my family has joking said I’ve got a little bit of OCD as I was always cleaning, arranging and organising things. Recently, I’ve begun to think that I seriously do have OCD because I keep cleaning my room and locker plus when I go to my friends houses I will start to clean their rooms or their lockers when at school. The mess irritates me and once I have cleaned the space I feel like something is lifted off my shoulders.
I also have to have things a certain way, for example my books or bed linen or else I cannot concentrate on what I am doing and I have the urge to fix that thing to make it better or how I need it.
I have also read that people with OCD can have impulses to do things that they would not want to. This is also something that applies to me as I have impulses to do weird things.
Sometimes I also have the impulse to wash or sanitise my hands or hair, if that is anything.
I would just like to know if any of these things are signs that I may have OCD - thanks 🙂 

[geoff]

dear Kady, hello and thanks for asking this question, because it's a common one which does control how and what we are compelled to do.

For 56 years I have had OCD, and early in my life it was terrible, struggling to understand why I was given this illness, and thankfully my twin doesn't have it, nor has he had depression, and I'm so pleased for him.

The worst part was that one of my brothers always teased me about what I was doing, yet my twin never said a single word about it to me, nor did he ever tease me, he's been a great close friend of mine for 61 years plus the 9 months.

Over time I got used to hide it from everybody, so no one knew that I was doing these rituals and habits, and to answer your question, is yes you show definite signs of having OCD and I can't say how sorry I am for you.

What I would like you to do is to click onto 'Resources' at the top of the page and 'order all the printed material' from BB, it's free, but it has a section on OCD, and if you google OCD then there will be so much information for you to read.

I do take medication for this illness, but it still doesn't stop me from doing them, if it has improved that I can't answer, maybe or maybe not, but that's something which you should talk to your doctor about, who could also want you to see a psychologist who deals with OCD.

I would be interested to hear back from you. Geoff. x