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Avatar universal

OCD or just weird?

I have some pretty strange habits, and a lot of them aren't typical OCD symptoms, if this is what it is. At my house in my kitchen we have a sensory pantry light, so when there is not any movement for 10 seconds it shuts of automatically. We also have rugs next to the pantry. Whenever the pantry light turns on, I MUST be on a rug when it turns off, or else I get incredibly anxious. Or if I am sitting down on a chair, my feet have to me folded under me or I start getting restless. I develop patterns with breathing, walking in sinc with something (telephone poles, cracks, etc.) when I walk down my stairs my right foot has to be the last foot on the stairs or I start over. If I turn the TV on my feet can't be touching the ground when it flashes on. These are just a few, but some of the bigger ones. Feel free to respond with a question! Thank you all in advance <3
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Avatar universal
My number is 4. I do every thing in fours and your number irks me! Hahaha probably because it's not 4! And every number that isn't four, I try to make four! My husband knows that if he taps me three times and refuses to tap me once more, I'll loose it.I'll get really anxious, it is like a mosquito bite that needs itching! And counting is just the tip of the iceberg!! This dissorder effects the way I talk, walk, eat.... seriously everything I do all indifferent ways. What you're describing sounds a lot like OCD to me. However you will need to see your doctor, who will send you to a specialist who can acrually give you a proper diagnosis. My issue with them is that after the initial diagnosis, they will try and start treating you. And most of the time this is either through meds (don't take unless you need to as they increase your risk of stroke), hypnosis (which is a quack if you ask me, I spent the entire time mentally organizing the guys bulletin board while he was trying to get me under!), or exposure relief therapy (which is EXTREMELY difficult and you can expect a mental breakdown haha!). You DO however need to be diagnosed. My biggest pet peeve (and every other person with this disorder will say rhe same) is people who just have a few "bad habits" (everyone has a few) and then go ahead and self diagnose that they too have "a bit of ocd". There is no small amount of ocd. It is a terrible disorder that literally ***** hours out of the day for some people like me with pretty complicated rituals. Don't be afraid to ask your doctor!
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Avatar universal
What you describe are classic symptoms of OCD.  OCD is actually two different steps, Obsessive-- your mind is racing about a particular event or issue, and Compulsive-- where you "act out" the thing you are obsessing over.  Some people may obsess over something but are able to keep from acting out on it, while many others like yourself are taking action on the obsessive thoughts.

There are very effective treatments available for OCD.  The gold standard treatment are SSRI's such as Celexa, Lexapro, Zoloft, and Prozac.  This is because of a lack of serotonin in the brain is the main trigger for  obsessive and compulsive problems. Once the level is returned to normal you can relax and process things calmly and logically. You will need to take the medication for at least a year before even thinking of coming off of them (UNDER STRICT GUIDANCE FROM YOUR DOCTOR!). Also be prepared for the idea that you will need to take them indefinitely if your brain has lost the ability to produce sufficient serotonin, much the same way that a diabetic must take insulin for life because the body cannot produce it.    

I have seen many patients overs the years at our clinic return to normal lives after they started and locked in their medication. Talk to your doctor about this and start the path to a calmer/happier life. Just to prep you...You usually have to start at a low dose to lower the chance of side effects, and then slowly increase to the effective dose.  The weird part is that one of the meds I listed above may not work at all, but the next one on the list may be perfect (even though they are in the same class).  I say this so that you do not give up if it takes a few tries to find the best one for you.

  Good luck!  
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