Is it normal to have an ocd?

46% Normal
12 Comments

I am so clean and tidy and mess or dirt freaks me out. I clean my room every single day. I have four showers a day and I brush my teeth after everytime I eat.
Everything has to be in its place all the time.
People take the mickey out of me because of it but I cant help it.
I clean the sink before I clean my teeth.
I wash my hands before and after I eat.
I change my bed sheets every other day.
I will never wear the same clthoes twice in a row without washing them first.
Is this normal behaviour for someone who is only 19 years old.

Voting Results
46% Normal
Based on 87 votes (40 yes)
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Comments ( 12 )
  • ToddStellar
    12 years ago

    Nothing you described there is OCD. A lot of those thing people should be doing, anyway.
    I would say it is very normal.
    ........but, four showers a day? That's a bit much.

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    • mrkrule
      9 years ago

      4 showers a day ain't "a bit" much, it's a huge waste of water

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    • Alison89
      12 years ago

      That may be a bit much, but if you live somewhere humid and perform a lot of activities, it might be about right. But you're probably right.

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  • rin
    12 years ago

    I don't think we can say whether or not you have OCD. It could be a mild case for all we know. Do you do these things because you have anxiety and obsessive thoughts and doing certain rituals calms you? OCD isn't necessarily about being clean. If your thoughts and behaviors cause you distress and interrupt your life/relationships it's a problem.

    My mom has OCD. She would brush her teeth for an hour and gag because she had to clean her entire mouth. She would wash her hands for hours. Her hands would be extremely dry and cracking/bleeding.

    She put everything on a folded paper towel. (everything in the fridge, decorations, cabinets) If someone moved something even the slightest she would spend hours trying to put it back where it was perfectly.

    Whenever we left the house with her she'd check the knobs on the stove about 20 times, then when she was at the door she'd run back and check it 20 more times, then she'd switch the light switch on and off counting. She likes even numbers so if she thought she counted wrong or it didn't feel right she'd do it all over again. Probably took 2 hours to get out of the door.

    I don't live by her anymore but when I talk to her over the phone this is how it always goes at the end.

    Mom: Bye.
    Me: Bye.
    Mom: Bye.
    Me: Bye.
    Mom Bye! Bye..
    Me: Alright good bye.
    Mom: Okay bye. Bye.
    Me: Bye! (Hangs up)
    2 minutes later..Mom calls back.
    Me: Hello?
    Mom: Hi, I thought I heard you say something else.
    Me: No, haha.
    Mom: Okay bye now I'm going to hang up.
    Me: Okay bye.
    Mom: Bye. Bye
    (Wait to see if she'll hang up)
    Me: bye....
    Mom: Bye.
    Me : (Hang up)

    I have to find the perfect moment to hang up or she'll call me back thinking I was about to say something.

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  • zchristian
    12 years ago

    Actually brushing your teeth right after eating is not good and that about the washing hands i do the same thats pretty normal if that was OCD you would be doing it constantly.

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    • Alison89
      12 years ago

      That's true. If you brush your teeth right after you eat, your enamel is still soft and you will scrub it away.

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  • mrkrule
    9 years ago

    I would recommend seeing someone about this because it sounds like it is controlling your life.

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  • BellaBoo22
    11 years ago

    I know how you feel. I turn 16 today and I have had OCD since 5th grade. I wash my hands ALL the time and clean. Things have to be in order or I can't sleep. It is really tough. I have taken medication for it but it hasn't worked to well. It gets so tough that sometimes I cry. But stay strong!!

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  • Royo101
    12 years ago

    I do the same thing except I only shower 1-2 times a day

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  • [Old Memory]
    12 years ago

    4 showers a day is a bet much. 1 or 2 is fine.
    You just seem germaphobic.

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  • cgibso12
    12 years ago

    You are wasting your life away on being overly neat and clean. You're going to dry out your skin and wear away your enamel on your teeth. I do my sheets once a week. I shower before bed. Once a week is fine for sheets. I always wash up in the morning too. That is what I do. I do keep my house tidy every day and laundry is always done every day. I have 4 people in the house. You need to chill. Kind of OCD

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  • hex45
    12 years ago

    I clean my room every day too ( clean furniture , do and sorta clean my bed , vacuum about 3 times a week and clean other weird places about once a week ) I know what you mean but the room part is normal just the shower part try slowing down on , if your feel dusty in the middle of the day try going outside and shakeing your self of or something of that nature And shower at nights , so you can get better sleep with out thinking your making your room dirty or something of that nature . good luck

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