Anyone else have what I guess could be considered OCD like behavior? I've always been meticulous in my work, but lately its been absurd.

At work I'll read the part number, pick the part, re-read the part number, check the part, re-read the part number, re-check the part, re-read the part number and so on. Occasionally I get stuck repeatedly checking several parts, which is severely hindering my work. Getting out of my car now means putting the car in neutral, pulling the e-brake, putting the car in park, checking the sunroof, locking the doors, then checking each thing again twice.

Door locks are miserable, by the time I get upstairs I have to go check if I remembered to lock the bottom door, then I may have to do it again once I'm back upstairs. And setting my alarm for the morning, I have to set it, check the time, set the alarm, check that its on, and repeat, sometimes over and over again.

Forcing myself out of these loops is borderline painful, because even though I've physically stopped doing something, my brain is still checking and checking and checking.

Any suggestions on how to control this or perhaps why this has become a problem?

maybe you need to get laid??

Electroshock therapy.

If it were so easy as either of those I'd do it

I'll do the first one anyway

combine the two?

Get drunk puke and do some random women.

I don't know. Drugs are in order here for sure.

Keep a 9v in your pocket and when you start getting OCD-y zap your tongue.

Olanzapine is an atypical anti psychotic that can be used to treat OCD if I remember correctly. You can't just buy it over the counter though. If the repetitions are having an adverse effect on your daily routine then you really should seek medical attention. Many of us here have some form of OCD, mine is perfection in threads. I can't leave off a letter or omit a simple little word knowing full well that everyone will get the message, but I still have to go back and edit the thread to correct it. I rarely leave a known typo as is.

There are varying degrees of OCD and if it's becoming a problem for you in all due seriousness seek medical advice.
I just went back and added the "'t" I left off of can before I acknowledged that I was staying true to form.

[This message has been edited by Joseph Upson (edited 06-20-2008).]

Easier said than done (as it’ll take some conscious effort on your part), but you need to focus on each activity as you do it. If your mind is elsewhere while doing a task, then you'll probably have little to no recollection of doing said activity and the self-doubt will set in, thus creating a need to repeat the task. And if you continue to let your mind wander while re-doing a task, then the same vicious cycle repeats again and again and again...

My girlfriend (a shrink) would probably disagree with my relatively simplistic approach, but I honestly believe it has some merit. It's certainly worked for me when I've had short spells of this problem.

Do you have a family history?

quote Originally posted by RotrexFiero: Do you have a family history?

Don't we all!!!

(Sorry, I couldn't resist. It was a good question.)

Xanth: The fact that you asked the question should be enough to conclude that it's time for you to get some professional input before your compulsiveness gets out of control. The sooner you start, the more likely you are to overcome the problem. Good luck.

[This message has been edited by Marvin McInnis (edited 06-20-2008).]

Yep--you could call Patrick's GF--but you might hang up before it rang--worrying that you had misdialed. Ya see--I've had spells of this myself, but they were shortlived and I quickly returned to my old ways of just not giving a crap.

I have an offspring who suffers from it. Drives his wife quite batty I believe. Supper must be ready at exactly 6:45pm every day. Everything in it's place when he arrives home from work.
Not good-not good at all.

It may not be OCD. It could be simple "forgetfulness" either way, it may be a good idea to seek treatment from your family practice physican. If he (she if appr.) sees problems or has some concerns [about you during observation] we may not "see" here on "Fiero" central, they may refer you to a specialist or therapist.

[This message has been edited by htexans1 (edited 06-21-2008).]

"How do you control OCD like symptoms?"
note the close proximity of "control" and "OCD".

I might have the same problem ? I drink a beer then I drink another, .
Best of luck to 'ya, vibes your way.

quote Originally posted by InTheLead: Drugs are in order here for sure.

I know some people who have been on antidepressants that would solve the problem. They went from being depressed to being inert, to not caring. That would probably make it hard to keep a job, though.

How often do you recheck and find you did not lock the door, etc? If answer is hardly ever or
never, think about that when you have the thought "i should check it". Then think about the
risk of making a mistake. If I parked my car in an uncertain area, it's probably worth the
effort to recheck if it is locked. If it's in my driveway, probably not.
The answer is mostly in how you think about it. Another help is to keep a log for awhile,
write down when you think you must recheck, then do the recheck and write down the result.
It will take some time to do this but it helps you reorient your thinking process.
And remember that being a perfectionist is not a bad thing unless it causes significant
distress to you. If that case, you may decide that the effort to change your thinking process
will be worthwhile to you.

Thank you for all the input, I do appreciate it

I am not a fan of medication, been on various meds before and was not very happy with the results. I'm hoping to find a way to control it myself, but sometimes it is a severe pita. I got a part ready for shipping last night and spent about 15 minutes checking the addresses.

Today it wasn't nearly such an issue, but I'm not sure whats different. The way Patrick describes it is pretty close to what I'm experiencing, sometimes putting all my focus onto a task helps, such as saying to myself "the door is locked" etc, other times it doesn't.

Usually I have not made a mistake, but I'll keep rechecking what I know is right. Whatever in my brain is supposed to sign off on my work and give the OK to continue just isn't doing it. Like turning a key in the lock but not hearing the "click" , just gotta keep turning.

I think I'll give the methodical approach a try for now, taking careful note of what I am doing and focusing fully on my task. Downside is that will slow me down as well, but if it helps it will be worth it.

I really would like to avoid meds, but may have to consider it if this problem only gets worse.

quote Originally posted by Xanth: The way Patrick describes it is pretty close to what I'm experiencing, sometimes putting all my focus onto a task helps, such as saying to myself "the door is locked" etc, other times it doesn't. I think I'll give the methodical approach a try for now, taking careful note of what I am doing and focusing fully on my task. Downside is that will slow me down as well, but if it helps it will be worth it.

Blaise, I suspect that taking the extra time to focus on a task will slow you down less than having to re-check and/or re-do various tasks over and over again.

Good luck and I hope you meet with some success!