I know I have anxiety. Bad anxiety, and I have spirts of depression. Latley though, I have been stressing out about my home.

I am paranoid my house is dirty. I;m worried there is bugs everywhere, and no matter how much I clean, I still feel its dirty. It stresses me out big time to the point where I cant stop thinking about it. I read a lot about people who wash their hands a lot, I only do that if I'm doing the dishes or something after I'm done, I will wash my hand, and 10 minutes later still feel like they are dirty and have to do it again. Right now there are dishes in the sink, they have been there for about...24 hours? I swear for that whole 24 hours I have stressed out about them, but I feel to lazy to do them. So I let them sit there, but I continue to stress out about them.

Also, another thing I noticed, was today I was sweeping the floor, and I noticed the washer and dryer were not perfectly aligned together, so I had to move to washer and dryer to make sure they were even with each other (am I explaining this right?) and I often have to make sure things are aligned together, even, straight ...I don't know what word to use to this. Or it bothers me until I fix it. I don't do this all day long, but a few times a day I will find something. Sometimes I will know about it, but I don't fix it right away, but it will eat at me until I do fix it.

I don't have any rituals, I just have bad obsessions. Can anyone understand this or help me understand whats going on here. Is what I'm facing normal? Thanks.

Also, if I want my husband to do something, if he doesn't do it right away, it bothers me so bad, I get up and do it myself, because if I don't and its not done right then and there, I stress out about it.

Mind you, whats going on here isn't so bad to the point where other people notice it, or my husband notices it. He does notice though that if he doesn't do something right away it stresses me out and I do it.

Thanks.

((((xlyingxwhispersx)))) *Big Hugs*

firstly you're not crazy! and yeppers that sounds like anxiety/ocd to me. No one on the forums can tell you yay or nay what you have. So please see a GP about it. Good news is it is highly treatable. I suffer from obsessions myself as do a lot of others on these boards.
I'd like to offer you a tip if I may. You said that it's not so bad that others really notice. Please don't minimize your suffering with statements like that. You deserve to just let it be said, without shame. There's no shame in any of this. Something that helps me with my obsessions is to tell eeevvveryone about them. Ok, all my friends think I'm nuts but they understand. When I tell people about what I'm obsessing over it really lessens the hold that obsession has over me. Because I'm no longer hiding it. When we hide our fears they get the better of us, every time.
Oh and

Thanks very much for the reply. I was very much thinking it was OCD as well. I was just finishing my cleaning for the day...and I really started to notice it now. I think I should discuss it with my husband, but then I start worrying and having anxiety. It feels like a never ending cycle for me. What type of Doctor should I see for this type of thing? Thanks very much for your help!

Does anyone have any other thoughts or advice on this for me? I would really appreciate it. Thank you.

Hello,
interesting your opinion from tweed was "Something that helps me with my obsessions is to tell eeevvveryone about them" i can understand and appriciate as to the benefits of doing this because like you say why should we hide this its nothing to be ashamed of, so i agree on that note what i would add is this, never speak your fears!, once voiced they can take hold their grip even more, its similar to making a statement to yourself that you are in fact afraid?, just thought iv churp up and add this as ocd is wrapped up with fear and anxiety,

Anyway from what you have wrote only from the information you have provided so far id say you sound ok , i think if id have an advice for you id say i think your being a bit hard on yourself here, why not cut yourself some slack ie.accept this as not ideal but thats it, what i would add is worrying about this"PROBLEM" is in fact obsessional, the constant worry is rumination the nature of the problem ie "dishes" is not so important its the anguish of the constant mental patter, the rumination itself is the key, like i could spend all day as to explaining away the importance of being over clean, but thats not the issue, the rumination or the obsessive thinking is whats happening here, or to put it another way the fact that it constantly bothers you, the constant......., now finding the reason to all this is not so easy there are different theorys as to why people do this, one quiet good theory is distraction, the mind or the self sets the whole thing up for sake of call it for simplicity "denial" denial of the real problems in our lives. so the benefit is whilst your busy having this"problem" other bigger problems go unoticed, my self im one for always needing a crisis in my life to feel alive, im feel empty without one, ocd serves this purpose well! the reason for this stems back to my early life being cared for by an alcaholic.

OCD in my opinion is the workings of a tired worn out overactive mind that needs time and patience to rest and recuperate.

There are really different severitys of it, most people can be a little obsessional about somethings, its when it gets out of hand , i think you will know yourself its when it is really bothersome, if it isent id say leave things be,

just as a matter of interest is anything else on your mind at the moment? this is the first question i pose to myself when my obsessions start up.

try this, CUT THE CR*P, WHATS REALLY THE MATTER? SERIOUSLY BE HONEST WITHYOURSELF, WHATS REALLY GOING ON?


sometimes this works, the shiffs, used this approach with success.

Completely agree, always an underlying reason for the seemingly random obsessions!

Lyingwhispers, in response to the doctors question. Just make an appointment at your regular doctor (assuming you have a GP?) If not just go to one and tell them your symptoms, any doctor you see firstly is gonna probably refer you to some other means of treatment (or not). But yeah, just tell your symptoms to a GP and go from there.

Also you know when you're in this headspace, where you keep doing these undesired tasks. Try telling yourself that it (whatever the base of your fear is, say it's germs) So tell yourself that 'the house is clean, but not because I obsess'
Whatever it is that's obsessing for the moment, gotta tell yourself that 'obsessing never actually altered the outcome'.
Cause all obsessions feed the lies, and as Simonb said the denial. So I guess "don't believe your own lies" is the moral here. Hope this made sense, it's a bit confusing to type about!
Take care.

to our Room. I find when I'm stressed that I wash hands more often so make a list to tick off the times I ought to do so and take a walk if I find I'm HW too often.

What stressors do you have? Sorting those may help relax your brain. Lessen the anxiety.

I have a list of 'things to do' most days so that I can see what I have achieved. It's often too much effort to get many things done but it's usually a 'busy' list so there's only time to do one thing once - and my treat is being here