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Mental rituals

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JD12345
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12 Feb 2020, 5:46 am

This is probably an OCD (which I haven't been diagnosed with) issue, but does anyone else have these? Mine consist of, for example, going over lists or images of people, items, concepts etc in my head in order to calm myself down and put my mind at ease. OCD itself seems to be more associated with rituals that can be seen (repeated hand washing, for example).



magz
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12 Feb 2020, 5:49 am

If these rituals succeed to calm you down, they don't need a treatment and they are probably not OCD.

Quote:
A key difference between OCD and autism is the purpose or motivation for the behavior.
Quote:
OCD children are constantly bombarded with terrifying thoughts about imminent danger which cause a state of panic leading to obsessive behaviors. Children with autism do not tend to think about their stim as a purposeful action.

Professor Temple Grandin, a knowledgeable and trustworthy expert on autism, says: “Most kids with autism do these repetitive behaviors because it feels good in some way” (Grandin, 2011). This statement is a powerful description of the difference between a person with autism who stims and the compulsive rituals of someone with OCD.

https://www.mendability.com/autism-ther ... ifference/


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aquafelix
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12 Feb 2020, 8:08 am

OCD rituals get rid of anxiety about the obsession, but aren't usually something that gives pleasure or is calming in and of itself. But I know someone on the spectrum who also has OSD and says that her rituals can be both.



Dear_one
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12 Feb 2020, 1:44 pm

I'd think of that as a form of meditation. No worries.



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13 Feb 2020, 10:46 pm

JD12345 wrote:
...going over lists or images of people, items, concepts etc in my head in order to calm myself down and put my mind at ease.

Are same "items" on the lists repeated multiple times, or is it more like checking off one at a time until you clear one of the sets? Just curious since that didn't seem to be addressed (or I missed it).