A little anxiety or stress every now and then is completely normal. Sometimes stress can actually be a good thing, if it is constructive. For example, some students tend to work better when they’re “under pressure”. However, too much stress or anxiety can be bad and dangerous if it constantly interferes with your daily life.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a form of an anxiety disorder. OCD is a persistence of unwanted thoughts or obsessions that lead you to engage in senseless rituals or compulsions that cause you distress. These obsessions raise your anxiety and the rituals or compulsions are generally done to try to lower the anxiety. A lot of people have minor forms of OCD but this disorder really can become a huge issue if the obsession controls your life. For example, the video we watched in class about the woman who wouldn’t open doors or touch anything with her hands and would constantly wash them.
A lot of people can relate to having a little form of OCD with certain things. My sister constantly makes fun of me for my little obsessions. I have a weird thing with times and numbers. The volume on the TV, my Ipod, or anything else has to be a multiple of 5. Honestly, I have no idea why but if it’s not, it drives me insane. The same goes for the time I set my alarm for in the morning and the time I actually get out of my bed – it must be a multiple of 5. Or if I put anything in the microwave. When I’m home, if I’m in the kitchen with my sister, she’ll deliberately put something in the microwave for 33 seconds, instead of 30 because she knows it will bother me. I actually usually go and change the time for her.
I know my little obsession might seem weird and abnormal but it’s really not that big of an issue. I don’t let it in anyway interfere or affect my daily life. It doesn’t stop me from doing anything I would normally do and like I previously stated, it’s normal to have a little stress or anxiety over certain things.
Even without being diagnosed with OCD I feel like a lot of people have signs or some similar type of OCD here and there. That’s how I am too. I always have to have things on even numbers; my radio volume in my car must always be on an even number even if I have to deliberately change it myself. The television volume must always be on an even number too. Also my bed must always be made before I get in it to go to sleep. I cannot sleep in an unmade bed; I always have to make it even if I make it a minute before I get into it. Sometimes people get annoying with me when I do these things and I don’t even know why I do them but people like us who only have small issues like this are beyond lucky that these are not life-affecting problems.
Interesting post! I am so glad that you don’t see your OCD as a life-altering issue. While I do believe there are people who are suffering with psychological disorders, I think sometimes modern psychology makes people believe they are “sicker” than they truly are. Everyone can have weird quirks (Funnily enough, I also have an issue with numbers and times.) without completely breaking down and becoming dysfunctional. And I think this kind of goes back to the labeling issue in psychology, where people are labeled with a disorder and family, friends, and others interacting with them start treating them differently. And when the loved ones start “nurturing” the person, the person starts buying into the idea that their condition defines them as a person, which ends up in my opinion stunting their recovery and ability to have a normally functioning life.
I would agree with you 100% when you say that “a little anxiety or stress every now and then is completely normal.” If we didn’t have a little anxiety or stress and in our lives and everything was just perfect, that would be no fun. It’s okay to have some stress and anxiety. It’s funny that you say all of your numbers for the tv or microwave have to be in multiples of 5 because one of my good friends is the exact same way. She absolutely has to have it at multiples of 5 or she just feels uncomfortable. Personally, my alarm clock always has to be set a certain way as well, just like you. When I set my alarm for the next morning, it always has to end in the number 7. I have other weird things that I normally do, but I don’t let them control my life or let it ruin my day. A little anxiety or stress in our daily lives is normal, it’s healthy.
Dear Elise,
I found you blog very interesting because I have a similar OCD problem. I tend to have OCD tendencies when it comes to germs. I use my hand sanitizer throughout the day constantly. Usually its after being in a public place or after I wash my hands in a restroom. Also, after a guest comes to my house at home, I disinfect all surfaces. Sometimes I do it over again just because I feel like I “need” to do it. Some of this is normal but when I start to repetitively put on hand sanitizer or wash my hands, I know its useless but I can’t seem to stop. Mostly, I learned this from my mom (observational learning, perhaps?) but I think I am worse than her. Even though I am wasting money using all that soap and sanitizer, it really doesn’t harm or interfere with my life. Our actions are clearly not as severe as others. I didn’t know anyone before who had OCD tendencies concerning numbers. Maybe its a habit you picked up during childhood or maybe it just naturally developed? I appreciate your personal account and I agree with you that these types of “little obsessions” are not a bi issue.
Rose Crosset