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Mental Health  (Expert Forum)
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Habits or mild OCD?
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD), bipolar disorder, dementia, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, personality disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, stress, transitions, and work problems.

Habits or mild OCD?

by BethanySublime, Apr 13, 2007 12:00AM
Hi,  ever since 5th grade I've had this gross habit of touching my eyes.  I CAN'T stop myself...it starts out where I feel like there's a piece of dust or an "eye booger" in my eye, so I try to get it out, but even if I do get something out, I still feel like there's more in there, so I keep touching it and picking at it and I do it all day at work on the computer, when I'm watching TV, when I'm talking to people, ALL the time.  I CANNOT stop myself.  I would like to stop, because it is embarrassing and weird.  But even if i try to force myself to stop, I end up doing it without realizing it.  It's the same with biting my nails.  I feel an edge and I HAVE to bite it off.  I bite my nails until they are in pain - worse than most people.  Could these be signs of mild OCD, or do I just have some serious habits?  I do have other things such as I HAVE to put my money in a certain order, I can't touch glass or shiny things (at least not without cleaning it afterwards), I HAVE to finish a song I'm whistling, etc.  But I don't have any acutal rituals.  Except computer rituals.  Sometimes I can't stop refreshing a page or re-checking e-mail, or re-saving a document.  Do I have OCD?

by Roger Gould, M.D., Apr 19, 2007 12:00AM
This certainly qualifies for a form of ocd...and I would recommend a consultation with a psychiatrist to explore treatment.
Member Comments (3)

by venora, Apr 13, 2007 12:00AM
To: Bethany
you are ocd hon .this is sooo treatable with the right meds and talk therapy.
I know I am not the doc here.But as a "been theredonethathatedit" I know what you are going through.See what the do here says but I would encourage you to seek help with a pyschiatrist and therapist.
Good luck and let me know how you are .
Love venora

by skate girl, Aug 14, 2007 02:27PM
ok ever since i got depressed which was like two years ago i had these little things i do, like i have to have an even number of things like an even number of salt packets or something like that. i double check to make sure its double. and i always count things in a room i still remember how many light fixtures there are in the eating area and bathrooms in a resturant. it gets really annoying. i have been wandering if i have ocd or if i just have these stupid little things. i have even started cutting and i have to have even numbers of those and if i dont then it bugs me till i do like ill have to go to the bathroom to do it even if it was in church. do i have ocd or what?
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