Ok, a wee while ago I made some comment to a classmate about a weird thing I do, and she laughingly said I must have OCD. I just laughed it off, but on reflection started wondering if maybe I do have a slight case of it...was wondering what everyone on here thought.

The thing I told her about was this: when eating candy, I have to do it in a certain order, depending on what it is, eating my least favourite through to my favourite, for instance with fruit bursts, I divide the packet into flavours, count them all and if there's say, 6 wildberry, 4 oranges, 7 Lemon and lime, 3 banana and 4 straw berry, I'll eat 2 lemon and limes, thn a wildberry, then another of each, then one each of wildberry, orange, L&L, and strawberry (in that order) and then when there's an even number of each flavour, I'll one of each flavour in order until they're gone. Which wouldn't be too bad, but it's reached the extent were I will hide candy rather than let people know I have it because if I share they won't eat it in the right order. If I am forced to share I'll either tell them they have to eat this flavour, or I'll let them pick whatever and panic slightly about it being wrong.

I have a routine when it comes to eating meals too, but it's not as ingrained as the above. Although if someone takes something off my plate I can get very annoyed over it - for instance my sis once took a fry off my plate at a restaurant, I made her put it back, and when she did, snapped, "It's in the wrong place!" rebuilt the pile, took one from the side (not the top, as she had done), and handed it to her, saying "You can have this one."

And then there's my need to check things constantly. If I'm out for the day, I check roughly every 20 minutes on my cellphone, lipgloss, wallet and keys. And everytime I stand up or sit down, even if just leaving one aisle of the supermarket for another, I have to check them all to make sure they're there before I move. When I park my car, I'll lock it, then walk away and back again usually at least three times to make sure I locked it.

At school, everything has to be arranged "right" - in the bag bay, my bag has to be lying down, facing outwards, to the extent that once when my friend moved it to fit something of hers behind it, I was really anxious the whole day about my books not lying flat. And in classes my stuff has to be arranged the same way on my desk every class - if someone gets something out of my pencil case and doesn't put the case back where it was, I have to move it, otherwise I can't focus on anything other than the fact that the case isn't where I put it.

And often (as in, once ever 2 or 3 nights) I'll think of something in bed, like I'll wonder if I hung my towel up the right way (Tag facing in, with no wrinkles on the towel), or if my wardrobe doors are closed and I'll have to get out of bed to check it, because I can't sleep not knowing.

So, is this just normal, if slightly paranoid behaviour, or OCD? Any opinions? And also, any advice for not doing these things, because it gets really annoying checking things constantly, or having to eat things in order - not to mention that it makes me look really weird!

<wave> All the World is strange except you and me ........ and even you're a little bit!

Does your behavoiur worry you? Or is it the reaction of those around you that worries you more?

How long have you been compulsive? I can understand the 'fry' episode. The fact that my sister would take something from *my* plate [and she would do so 'cos she knows it winds me up] would cause a HUGE row! And like you I would give her [grudgingly] a chip but not the one she wanted! Might be petty but .........

When we are stressed our worries expand. If I'm stressed I wash my hands more often so make a list so that I can tick off those times I need to wash them; if I find myself doing it more I make myself walk in our garden/go to the shop/watch TV ........

Once your stressors lessen you will be more at ease. Some compulsions may stay with you for a long time but unless they take over your daily routine, try to accept that this is 'you'! Tell friends 'yep I know I do it' then change the subject!

Lizzy,
I am like you! I am an organized person. I will never have to wonder where my automobile keys are because I always put them in the same place. I have no ill feelings of having to be organized. I think it is a plus in my life. It comforts me when I don't have surprises that are brought on by being a multi-tasker or being disorganized. Being in Control makes me feel more confident. The important thing for me is to adjust to changes gracefully. I get grumpy when things get out of control.
I think your doing great!
Doug

Thanks ....... my gripe is when people put the toilet roll on the holder the 'wrong' way <rolls eyes> !

I like to be organised but my days are chaotic however hard I try and when stressed [as I am currently] concentration is difficult. I search for my reading glasses many times a day, my mobile phone gets put down and forgotten, I get to the store and can't remember why I'm there ........ making lists helps when I'm well enough to read and follow them .....

"The important thing for me is to adjust to changes gracefully .... " I think this is a good Mantra and one I will try to adapt to. Mum used to tell me to "grow old gracefully" ...... however, I get grumpy really fast if I can't function and if people around me don't notice that I'm out of sorts I get grumpier than that ......

Lizzy,
I have had myself on a "Short Leash" for 35 yrs. I was so impatient it was terrible! I am the pickiest perfectionist. So I face myself and attack my problems. I am trying to focus on being kinder to ME! Sometimes I think I'm pretending to be a Drill Sargent and ordering myself to be perfect. But I want to be HAPPY! That means I have to relax and lay off beating myself up! I cut a photo of a Cat laying asleep on a couch and the word at the bottom is "RELAX..." Hey! I don't need to buy Cat Litter! If I'm going to be so determined, then I want to be determined to be positive.
Doug