Obsessed with order - OCD or slightly Aspie?

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Anyone else obsessed with order in their house. I can't bear anyone touching or moving anything and I get so distressed when things aren't where I feel they should be. I have chronic fatigue and sometimes there's a day or two where I can't make sure everything's in order. I feel so disorganised mentally and can't focus on anything when this happens.

Gratin, my guess is that being obsessive about domestic cleanliness means nothing in terms of AS. While years ago I could let my house get filthy, it would depress me, and I would clean it up. Now, while I'm much better, I'm still hardly a neat freak. I seem to do best with some clutter and disorganization, though never filth.

I did have a girlfriend years ago with bad OCD's. She was a fanatic about keeping her house clean, though I know another girl right now with serious OCD's who has told me she keeps her house clean, though she's not fanatical about it, and her father has confirmed this. So, I would guess that you can have OCD's either way too.

If you are trying to determine whether you have OCD's or AS, I would suggest you look to some of your other traits and quirks.

Good luck.

Last edited by Thelibrarian on 11 Jul 2013, 4:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I took an online OCD quiz and found out I do have a touch of it, but not to the extent you do.

I uncross any chopsticks that may be crossed.

I like my guitars standing upright in stands or against a wall.

I like my digital music collection to be alphabetically categorized in their own folders.

The decorations on my walls are arranged in a symmetric fashion.

I buy food in bulk, so the 100 or so cans of Chef Boyardee meals are categorically arranged in stacks and rows against a wall near the kitchen area.

I have other traits and have been referred for assessment but I'm also diagnosed with OCD. It's not so much cleanliness, although I'm a bit obsessive about germs around food, but I suppose a kind of need to have everything around me organised in my own way or I get overwhelmed and tired more easily than usual.

Gratin, again, I can't relate from personal experience since I use nicotine (though not cigarettes) to curb my obsessive impulses, and it makes my OCD-type impulses very manageable. Having said this, I can relate to your need to have things ordered your way. I'm the same way, though my sense of ordering things is hardly conventional. My governing body has found this out, and lets me organize things my way. When I do, I do well; when I can't, I'm essentially lost.

I say OCD. Just my opinion, though.

I think it's important to point out that OCD and a desire for order and cleanliness are not necessarily the same thing. There are plenty of people who like to keep things neat and organized and are bothered or even irritated when things are out of place, who are not obsessive or compulsive. Even leaving aside the types of OCD that have nothing to do with keeping things neat and tidy, someone with OCD would not be able to resist the urge to "fix" things that are out of place. It would be prioritized above all else, and if something prevented them from fulfilling their obsession, it would cause them significant problems and anxiety. They might not be able to think of anything else until they are able to go back and do the thing they missed, and it might take a long time to get over the missed action and calm back down. If it's severe, it can even lead to the kind of meltdowns those of us with autism are so familiar with.

I just want to make this note because I've seen a rise lately in the number of people who say "I'm a little OCD about these things" when they really mean "I prefer things to be tidy" but have no impairment or anxiety when things are out of place. A desire for tidiness can simply be a sign that your parents made you keep things clean as a child, or a reflection of your personality - you like order and cleanliness. If you don't have significant anxiety resulting from disorder, it's not OCD.

As for gratin, as others have said, a desire for tidiness is not necessarily associated with AS. (I'm terribly messy myself.) If you're really having anxiety problems, I would advise seeing a professional. There are plenty of options for controlling OCD, including medications and behavioral therapy. Don't suffer if you don't need to. : )