How to Identify OCD

People with OCD wash their hands a LOT.

You hear a lot about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, commonly known as OCD. Movies like "The Conspiracy" make people with OCD seem almost crazy and very paranoid. While there are some instances where people with OCD act over the top, most people with OCD struggle to get through the day and conform to society's standards of rules and "normalcy." This article will discuss some of the common traits of OCD.

Instructions

1. 

   Of course, the trait that is the most famous is hand washing. People picture the character of Joan Crawford in "Mommy Dearest" when they think of OCD hand washing/scrubbing. People who do not have OCD (or have not admitted it yet) view the constant hand washing as strange. But, for those people who do have OCD and wash their hands many, many times a day, they just view it as being extra careful with germs to avoid getting sick. The problem arises, however, when someone goes over-board with the hand washing and gets sick simply because they have over-washed. Yes, that is possible!

2. 

   Along with the hand-washing generally is a fear of germs that goes beyond what is considered a "normal" fear of germs. A person with OCD may view touching a door handle as an opportunity to get gravely ill and may need to wash his/her hands afterwards. Being a little germaphobic is good and healthy, but when it goes beyond normal, it becomes something the other person dwells on.

3. 

   An old friend of mine who suffered with OCD, collected papers. Not all people collect papers, or wash their hands 100 times a day, but my friend collected papers and ... things. He had every receipt (and I mean EVERY receipt) for over ten years in his room. When I helped him move, I was shocked when he couldn't part with a receipt from Taco Bell from 2003. He also collected boxes, and multiple items like tooth brushes. If memory serves me correctly, he had about 12 toothbrushes. People who suffer with OCD tend to collect things that is very difficult for them to part with. The term "pack rat" doesn't begin to come close!

4. 

   People with OCD also tend to count things. Although I don't consider myself as having a problem with OCD, I admit certain traits. Counting is one of my traits. I count laps I swim, steps I take, stairs I climb and don't even realize I'm counting sometimes, it's just a natural thing for me to do. Why do I count? Well, on the surface I count because I want to know how many laps I've swum, how many stairs it takes to climb four flights, and how many steps to my destination. Simply counting is not an OCD trait. But, when I climb the same stairs daily and still count ... swim a mile three times a week and still count ... have to see my weight daily to know if I have gone up or down even an ounce ... those are OCD traits and yes, I have them.

5. 

   People with OCD tend to have set rituals that people without OCD can't fathom. Perhaps they have to brush their teeth before they can brush their hair and when they brush their teeth, (as related to germs) they are so thorough that they can actually make their gums bleed from brushing for too long. The rituals are what really hurts a person with OCD because it impacts society's standard way of what is considered acceptable behavior. A girlfriend is not going to be one to two hours late to an event every time without eventually getting angry or breaking up with the boyfriend. An employer is not going to retain an employee who is consistently late and will fire them. People with OCD sometimes go through job after job after job.

   Does this sound like you? You may want to get checked out. There may be medicine that can help you. I wish you the very best.