Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

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Exactly what is it? I'm unable to take those tests for it because I can't answer many of the questions since I just don't know. If any of you have OCD can you say a little about what makes you Obsessive Compulsive?

It's when you have intrusive thoughts that you try to get rid of by doing rigid rituals.

or you have obsessive rituals that you can't stop/don't want to stop.

Would that be kind of like washing my hands until they are sore? Mine are so I'm trying not to wash my hands unless I handle my food. Or would it be like checking my locks 50 times before going to bed or making sure the stove is turned off every time I go in the kitchen which I also do?

Absolutely. My daughter has hand-washing OCD and her hands are red and scaly higher than her wrists. I do the checking of things that I have definitely turned it off etc. and matching colours of things, certain things have to be in a certain place etc.

As someone with OCD, I would say that, if you don't identify with typical OCD screening questions, you probably don't have classic OCD. Not to say that you don't have obsessive-compulsive tendencies related to Asperger's, but the type of obsessive-compulsiveness related to AS (e.g., need for routine, liking habits, etc.), isn't the same as obsessional fears/intrusive images.

I find it puzzling that you don't identify with typical OCD screening questions, despite the fact that you say you handwash a lot and check a lot. Those are stereotypical OCD symptoms. Are you not experiencing any fears/anxiety with these rituals, which is why you aren't connecting with screening tests? Rituals aren't the same as obsessional fears/intrusive images. VERY few people with OCD do compulsive handwashing or lock checking without any fear associated with it.

Last edited by OddDuckNash99 on 05 Jan 2013, 6:53 pm, edited 3 times in total.

OCD repetitive thoughts and/or behaviours typically stem from inflated fear and anxiety about particular bad outcomes that the person is concerned will happen if they do not go through the rumination thought process and/or repetitive routine. For example, I have a habit of really going overboard on dental hygiene for fear of cavities (which stem from a fear of dentists) to the point that I have damaged my teeth and gum tissue in the process. I fear that if I do not go through my entire excessive routine my teeth will rot and i will have to go to a dentist and the visit will be extremely painful and the dentist won't listen to me and won't give me anaesthetic and on and on and on. Self harm is also a common end result of this. Both in terms of doing yourself harm by product of your compulsive behaviour, and also by deliberately harming yourself as a way to stop the intrusive thoughts.

That is OCD. But keep in mind that OCD covers a fairly broad assortment of behaviours and doesn't present in all patients in the same ways. It's something you really should ask your doctor about if you are concerned your thoughts/behaviours are having a detrimental effect on the quality of your life.

Correct.

OCD is when you feel compelled to complete rituals (compulsions) because if you don't, then the panic inducing thoughts (obsessions) won't go away.

I was diagnosed with OCD when I was 14 but had symptoms as young as age 7. My biggest OCD obsession was a fear of getting sick (particularly getting the stomach flu), and some of the rituals I completed in order to quell my anxiety included:

- Spitting out my own saliva because of fear that it got "contaminated" from accidentally breathing with my mouth
- Changing my pajamas multiple times each night because they had to be immaculate before I went to bed, because I didn't want to sleep in germs
- Avoiding touching doorknobs with my hands by using my elbow or paper/a cloth (I still do this)
- Last but certainly not least was the classic handwashing, which left my hands bright red, cracked and bleeding.

There is also a form of OCD where you have the obsessions involving intrusive, unwanted thoughts, but you don't have the overt compulsions that are typical of classic OCD:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purely_Obsessional_OCD

I have diagnosed OCD as well as AS and for me the OCD primarily manifests itself as nearly constant and very intrusive obsessive thoughts about a wide variety of things. I also have do do certain things in a certain order (this may be AS I don't know, it's tough to say where one starts and the other ends) such as cleaning my bedroom. I can't perform particular tasks until other tasks have been completed, all in a set order, which means that the tasks toward the end of the set order are often just not completed. I also do things like repeatedly check that the doors to the house are locked when I am leaving, repeatedly checking that my car door is locked, washing my hands multiple times (this one isn't so bad recently, in the past I have triggered episodes of eczema from washing my hands so much).

Actualy, I was able to take the OCD test that I found on Wrong Planet yesterday which I was able to answer quite easily and accurately. The one on Wrong Planet was more in layman's terms. Those other tests were above my head, nothing like this one, and that is why I had problems. Anyhow according to the test from yesterday, I have Moderate OCD which is 50 out of a 100. I saved the graph and the info in a file. As for fears, I do have a fear of someone walking in and that is why I keep checking my locks. I also have a fear of picking up a germ especially after being in a store, if I didn't wash my hands all the time. As soon as I get home from a store, the first thing I do before I even put up my groceries is to wash my hands good. I try not to touch anything with my hands as much as possible and use my feet to flush the toilets in public places. I took the test after the post before this one. Whether I took the test or not the OCD thing would have still been there since I was aware of the fear thingy being part of these habits.

Another fear I have where thoughts constantly race through my mind, even becoming very bitter at times, is the thought of dying. I have this racing thought once or twice a week and it stops me from going to sleep.

Already I have learned a lot from the great replies here. And I thank you all for your very helpful contributions because it is making me think about what's happening concerning OCD. I may have to take the test again as more and more of the fears I have, are surfacing. Sometimes it takes a thread like this to make some of us realize what's going on when we get to talking about it.

Fear's and loneliness can trigger OCD
To break the cycle
Holidays, primary spiritual experiences, getting laid

Who says I'm lonely? I may be alone but I'm not lonely by any stretch of the imagination. I hate Holidays, religious s**t and I hate human relationships. That is some of the characteristics that makes me a true Aspie and I wouldn't have it any other way. If I was in the human relationship thing and only wanting to get laid I most certainly had enough opportunites because there has been several men that was wanting a relationship with me over the years even wanting to get married, but was off limits since I wasn't into this sort of thing. So you don't know what you are talking about. Let's not turn this into another useless debate!

If you really have Aspergers, even if it is undiagnose you should have known better as to make such statements. Get educated and find out the many characteristic that can vary from Aspie to Aspie and you will find out there are a lot of them just like me.

Uhhhggg I have ocd/gad/asd...life is a cluster fudge sometimes.

Anxiety is terrible.... Compulsions are frustrating and make me terribly anxious sometimes...like checking, hand washing, mental compulsions. The intrusive thoughts like things catching fire or exploding or cars careening off the road....those are disturbing.

The worst is thinking you have contracted diseases when clearly you have not...lots of scary health anxiety...blah

Last edited by Dreycrux on 07 Jan 2013, 5:37 am, edited 3 times in total.

Some great descriptions of OCD here...

of course the individual worries differ.