OCD

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Hmm, like when I once, for a few weeks, kept thinking about cutting my fingers off? I didn't want to do it at all; it just felt interesting with the thought of getting them cut off... it was quite frustrating, though, because unlike when I excessively wash my hands, many times a day (for a while so my knuckles started to bleed), I couldn't make it go away for that time... but at least that doesn't bother me anymore, now.

I was diagnosed with ocd years ago. I did the whole mindfulness thing and it helped a lot for some of my compulsions, but I am worse about the obsessive part... intrusive thoughts are not so fun.

I've had OCD symptoms since age 3. My OCD became full-blown at age 11 1/2. Worst time in my life was ages 11 1/2 to age 13, and this was mostly because my OCD controlled my mind. I'm a pure obsessional, so nobody understands my OCD, including myself. Nobody knew what my "weird thoughts" were, since the only type of OCD known about by the general public (thanks to the media) is compulsive handwashing/fear of contamination. When I developed my special interest in psychiatric disorders at age 15 1/2, shortly after going on Zoloft for "generalized anxiety," I decided to research OCD for fun one night... And I was blown away to discover that this was my life. I got an official diagnosis at age 17. I continued to struggle with OCD until I was 21 and my psychiatrist prescribed Anafranil. Taking Anafranil has been a miracle for me. My obsessive/intrusive thoughts are finally manageable, and I no longer suffer from daily panic attacks.
-OddDuckNash99-

good to see so many responses. although kinda sad to see people with ocd but still, without wanting to sound patronising 'thankyou' everyone who's posted. until this topic i'd only ever heard 2 very brief accounts of ocd, 1 mostly obsessive and compulsive 'checking' and 1 case of intrusive thoughts which i didn't really understand at the time, but i'm beginning to now. i've read the diagnostic criteria a few times but it really helps to have real, personal examples.. hopefully other people see some benefit to this topic too. ocd still sucks tho just now i know my enemy better.
fudo

I agree that it's nice to read that I am not the only one with both AS and OCD, although I'm sorry that so many of you struggle. I had my first intrusive thoughts when I was about 8, and it was the worst in middle school, although now (especially since I went on Zoloft), it is very mild. But basically, every OCD symptom you read about, I have had to a certain extent at some point.

I'm glad for the people that can find the positive in it, but, like some of you, there are no good sides for me. It's weird, I've found "silver linings" in AS and ADHD (creativity, focus, etc.), but there doesn't seem to be any with OCD. (Although I do have a song stuck in my head constantly - apparently a symptom of OCD - that IS kind of funny. But mostly, OCD is crap.)

It's also interesting to read about the demonic possession - I would have intrusive thoughts that I would think were "sinful", and I would be afraid that, if I didn't do certain rituals, I would surely go to hell - and I'm not even really religious!

I was recently (a few weeks ago) diagnosed with OCD. I think the worst thing about it is that I can't seem to go to sleep at night without checking to make sure that every single cabinet, closet, door, or window in my house is shut and/or locked. Then I every time I hear a noise or something I have to sit up in bed and look around me to make sure there isn't something in my room. I am 28 years old and still have to sleep with a nite-light on in my room, even though the light from it makes it harder to sleep. I am worried that if I pull out the nightlight the demons or rats or whatever will be able to sneak up on me...not only that but I feel like I can see them when it is completely dark in a room. So I am never in the dark....if I find myself in the dark I REALLY freak out. It is so exhausting to have to check and re-check all the doors, drawers, and windows in the house all the time. At church sometimes someone will leave a certain door open in the front of the church, and I am left trying to keep myself on the pew for the rest of the service, because the only thing I can think about is walking up and closing that door. Sometimes I will even get the attention of one of the men passing around the Communion at Lord's Supper time and tell them to close the door. They always look at me funny afterward, and that's a bummer of course, but at least the freaking door is closed

Yes.

And it is not caused by demons. It's a neurological disorder, caused, in part, by white matter abnormalities which impair communication between the basal ganglia and frontal lobes.

It's not caused by stress but stress lowers ones ability to cope with it.

I suffer from "Pure" OCD. Battling it has been a part of my life for 10 years now but I've made a lot of progress.
Confronting it is hard, the hardest thing I've ever had to do, but it's truly worth it.

Yup sure do! It sucks and I would never wish it on anyone...it comes in phases..sometimes it's Pure-O...sometimes Compulsive and sometimes both..it's been a lot of Pure-O lately though. My head hurts, my brain feels like it needs to be taken out and "washed".

Without my meds, I'd be a basket case.

I've had OCD pretty much my whole life. It changes every couple of years. Hand washing, face washing, multiple checking things, skin/nail biting, I had Trichotillomania for awhile as a kid. Right now it is based around heat sources causing fires. (such as this laptop sitting on top of the carpet right now)

I've had OCD for as long as I can remember. Mostly fears about harming people, and needing to arrange things in certain ways. I hate it. Pointless consumption of time and energy.

It's interesting that so many people say it was their family who first noticed it. I told my family that I thought I had OCD and they didn't believe me.

I have it since I'm 10. I do my best to hide it from everyone although the constant hand washing and sterile-treatment of certain objects make people frown sometimes.

I have, I assume, mild OCD. I consider it mild because I can usually avoid the triggers. I have compulsive checking OCD and used to spend a great deal of my day fighting it. Now that I avoid the triggers (heat sources mainly, I was always convinced I would do something that would start a fire) my symptoms have become less of a hurdle. It is a but annoying not being able to cook or have candles lit...I do miss out on things.

I am posting here because my daughter has been displaying strange rituals for the past 9 months. This came after 6 months of taking a SSRI for anxiety. Prior to that she had barely any OCDish behavior although she did have very typical autistic stims (like chewing and rocking). However, this started in March when she began pulling out her eyelashes. She was having a very difficult time in school and I thought it was due to that. She is 7. This began when she was 6. The eyelash pulling has almost gone away completely but in it's place has been:
pulling her hair out in chunks
tapping her dresser drawers in order whenever she opened one to get something out.
handwashing for long periods (she had to sing happy birthday over and over).
Counting in the shower and while she was doing other tasks.
Now she is picking at her body and flicking her arms. She is doing this more and more. I am unable to discern whether this is OCD or a stim. How can you tell? She does it without thinking. She is not doing it to prevent something bad from happening. She doesn't want to stop.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. OCD meds (typically SSRIs ?) are out because of her previous bad reactions.

Thanks.

Oh and she also had a period of holding her urine and not going to the bathroom. This caused some medical problems and has gone away mostly.