Is this OCD?

[K9]

I am just curious and it doesn't really bother me that much as I have many other things bothering me like constant worrying and panic attacks etc.

Back to my question - Like Janet I also need to put things in the dishwasher in order. However many many years ago I used to wash my hands a lot.
I also tend to hoard things and my house is slowly looking like a tip as I don't throw anything out just in case I will need it someday or more particular something might have sentimental value. I also don't throw magazines out. It's like if I can't do a job properly (cleaning for instance) I won't do it at all.

Lately I have been having a problem with public taps and doorknobs and don't want to touch them without paper.

Also can this run in families as I have 2 relatives with similar problems.

If anyone has any suggestions as to how I can declutter my house I would appreciate this as i need to start somewhere. It is driving me and my family crazy.

K9

 

[Into The Light]

i highly recommend www.flylady.net, it's a website aimed at decluttering and getting your home in order, 15 minutes at a time. it is also a lot more than just a website to get your home organized, it's also about letting go of perfectionist tendencies, and FLYing (FLY = Finally Loving Yourself). don't let the website overwhelm you and take it one step at a time. you sign up to a mailing list where they will send you daily emails and part of the emails contain baby beginner steps. go into it with an open mind . it's a lot of fun too because people will write in their experiences with the approach, and it's really quite motivating to read about their personal successes. good luck!

 

[Daniel E.]

i highly recommend www.flylady.net, it's a website aimed at decluttering and getting your home in order, 15 minutes at a time.

Good site, thanks. My favorite pages: How to Declutter Declutter 15 Minutes a Day - 5 Great Tools That Make it Easy!

 

[Little_Girl_Blue]

I am just curious and it doesn't really bother me that much as I have many other things bothering me like constant worrying and panic attacks etc.

I don't know you, obviously, so I can't accurately judge what you're going through. But what you said there sounds like a clue. If you suffered from severe OCD, it probably would bother you as much as the other stuff. I was once erroneously diagnosed with OCD because my therapist took into account all of the things I used to do, not just what I did at the time. That was a big mistake - I probably had some mild form of the disorder when I was little, but it eventually went away.

It would help if you made a list of the things you only do NOW and examine how it makes you feel when you do the action, how you feel if you don't do it, and in general how much of your time it takes up. Almost everybody knows some form of subclinical OCD, so you have to judge really by how much lost time and stress this causes in your life. Hope that helps.

 

[K9]

Thanks for the "Flylady" site Ladybug and Daniel and thank you for your comments also LGB.

I will try the site before I think about therapy and see if I can make a start.
LGB, thank you too and I will think about the present symptoms as I think I am THINKING too much about everything and the stress is overwhelming.

The stress in general, as I am a constant worrier, seems to be a trigger for me. I am taking 100mg zoloft but lately there have been some extra stresses like a family member with cancer.

As I am not in the same time-zone (Australia) I am not always on when everyone else is but find this forum a great support and thank everyone for listening and caring and your support..... K9 :dog: