Monday, June 3, 2013

OCD OR ANAL


Just a quick addendum to my last post about the bug zappers. Brighid pounced on the idea as a great thing to send our soldiers in Afghanistan.  There is a program called ANY SOLDIER.COM   where you can send packages to a volunteer soldier who will in turn deliver it to soldiers that don't get much mail.  What a great way to help our boys who put it all on the line for us every day. Brighid says they have such a problem with flies in Afghanistan  This gadget should give them some fun times defending themselves against the pests during down time.  Check out the program. Such a great idea. 

I have noticed a trend lately as a watcher of late night TV.   No I am not a night owl, in fact, I have the bed time of a low energy 8 year old.  I'm just a DVR abuser. I much prefer watching the recording and being able to  zoom through commercials the next day. 

If it is something time relevant like my baseball games. I start to record it, turn off the TV and come back about half an hour later to watch.  Then I can fast forward through the commercials and pitching changes. Oops, is that OCD or anal? I tend to hope it is intelligent and efficient watching but have my doubts.     

My late night watching consists of enjoying  the monologues for a chuckle and staying tuned in only when an interesting to me guest is scheduled. I probably only watch a total of 20 minutes of late night TV.   

It is there however that I have noticed a trait that has become more and more apparent, at least among the rich and famous. The rich and famous use to filter their lives so that we only got to see the good parts, no warts.  The iffy parts were reserved for the gossip rags and paparazzi to expose.  

Now it seems to have become fashionable to admit to all kinds of conditions that were once considered flaws. I personally think that is a healthy trend and helps those of us not so rich and famous to be comfortable with our quirks.

According to Wikipedia: Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry that trigger repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety. 

OCD years ago was not so eagerly admitted to as it is today. It has morphed into a benign  and rather cute condition today thanks to celebrities openly discussing their particular forms of it.   I do believe the now defunct TV show Monk, opened up the dialogue on OCD, making it appear to be  a funny, usually harmless condition.   I am sure to those actually suffering life altering forms of it think otherwise. 

According to Disabled World,  the list  of celebrities with OCD is quite long including people like Donald Trump, Cameron Diaz, Howie Mandel, Leonardo DiCaprio, Justin Timberlake, Anderson Cooper and Penelope Cruz. History is littered with the OCD great from Churchill to Einstein. 

As I heard of the particular forms it takes with some people, I started to feel a little left out. Some refer to it as the "rich person's disease".  Maybe that is my problem. I just don't have  enough money to be properly obsessive.    I thought and thought but could not think of a single OCD trait to claim. How sad to be too poor for OCD and Republicanism. Sheesh.

Then I remembered my post on being  Persnickety. Perhaps the two terms are similar?? As I reread my persnickety (also known as anal) traits, it dawned on my that I can likely claim a form of OCD with my frantic obsession of ridding magazines of those annoying cardboard inserts before reading the first word.  

Phew, pretty sure that qualifies since they do cause me anxiety till they are properly removed.  Now I realize that most of us have some of these traits but they are so ingrained in our lives that we are not aware of them. 

Sadly for some people OCD is almost crippling but for the rest of us, it is just something to work around and discuss over coffee, cocktails or on late night TV. 

Do you harbor some OCD traits?  I promise I won't tell.  

33 comments :

  1. My Mom had to rip out all the inserts too. I can't read a magazine with them in it, either. It messes up the page turning.

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  2. I think we all have some things that we can be obsessive about. It seems to me that OCD has become a bit trendy and some make more of these quirks than is warranted. I am also sure there is a spectrum of severity. It is a condition that is pure hell in its severe form.
    I do have a friend who says I have CDO--alphabetical order. I consider it a quirk.

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  3. I have to remove the thick heavy ad pages too. A magazine is not balanced with those bulky half-pages. I did/do love Monk yet. His re-runs are still showing. I've seen them all at least 4/5 times. Is that OCD or Anal?

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  4. It runs in my family. We all have some OCD traits. Mine was very useful when I was compiling an index. My sister folds her laundry in a very specific way and gets anxious if it's not right. I think I'm much more persnickety these days that I used to be. :-)

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  5. Let's see...I rip out magazine inserts, towels & pillowcases can only be folded a certain way and oooh the TP. Only one way the tp or paper towels go in my house.

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  6. I joke a lot that I have OCD - and so does everyone else in my family! sandie

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  7. Nah, at Casa de Cuckoo they just call me the pushy old broad and leave it at that. I like to have things my way, is there something wrong with that? And if it is too bad, so sad.
    At least that's how they act about my manias. I would say that the grands have brought me a lot closer to "oh well, it used to be my way" than they will ever know. I have learned to adapt. Oma Linda

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  8. I wash my hands compulsively, but that's also because I deal with bird poop and other creepy things fairly regularly. Sometimes, though, I forget if I've washed and go back to wash (again). I also fold linens in a certain way. Other than that, I'm as normal as the day is long. LOL!

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  9. Thanks Patti for the note about AnySoldier.com There are still a lot of Our troops deployed in harms way. Letters and Care Packages from Home mean the world to them. My corpsman will soon be deploying down range, AGAIN, so it's close to home for me.
    Never realized I had OCD til I found myself at the doctors office straightening the magazines and removing the inserts...

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  10. Sometimes I think I am... but thanks to my ADD, I get over it.

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  11. I suffered from some OCD when I was a child. It was a rather big part of my life, yet now I cannot remember how it expressed itself. What I felt I had to do. I no longer have anything like that, but I bet you I will obsess over what I felt I had to do as a child.

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  12. I guess you are right. We all have some sort of OCD.. BUT--we don't use it as an excuse for anything... "Excuse me for killing that person. I had OCD... I was sick." OR "Excuse me for not being able to work. I have OCD and it has me bed-ridden." Yipes---we don't have that kind of OCD for sure..

    I cannot stand having the blinds out of place.. If one is lower than the other, I 'fix' it. OR--if one is sorta bent, I 'fix' it.. That's part of my OCD I suppose...

    Republicanism???????

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  13. I'm sure I have many....! One, for sure, is the Magazine inserts---I cannot stand them, because they actually get in the way of reading the magazine....
    Honestly, I don't understand "labeling" behavior like saying it is OCD! Before they came up with that, no one cared if you were particular about certain things---and some jobs are completely dependent on being very very exacting and particular...Frankly, that so many people seem to have this OCD thing, makes me wonder about the whole idea of it. So, ultimately I want to say...Who Cares? LOL!

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  14. My husband, yes - me, no. (I think I make him anxious.)
    PS Patti - I think my neighbors who are here for the winter feed that fox. It has no fear of humans. Now they've left Breckenridge, and the fox hopes I'll have something good to eat, too. When we're outside, we shoo it away by clapping. It doesn't go far, sometimes lying down to rest and to observe us. I don't like it getting too close to the Grandchildren.

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  15. Sometimes I am in the car and I have to either go back and touch the stove to make sure it is off or go back and double check the house is locked. I can go months without doing it and then have a few weeks of it and boom it is gone.

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  16. The same as you: "a form of OCD with my frantic obsession of ridding magazines of those annoying cardboard inserts before reading the first word."

    I do that as soon as a magazine or catalog comes into the house. And sometimes I do it in the garage beside the recycle bin, to save steps.

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  17. Also, all my hangers have to point in the same direction in the closet; namely, over the hang bar from the front. I hate it if a hanger is turned the wrong way.

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  18. My dear friend is a Nascar fan. She records the race and begin watching it about two hours later. She won't even answer the phone for fear someone will tell her who wins!! Issues, everybody has issues!!!

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  19. As a child I had a number of quirks. One was the way I ate. First I took a bite and chewed on the left side of my mouth, the second bite I chewed on the right. And I hated things that didn't end "evenly". Thankfully I outgrew most of these traits.

    However, when I am travelling I am compulsive about checking to ensure I have my room key with me at all times! I've never been locked out of a room but I still want to make sure it never happens.

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  20. I don't think I have too many really, really severe OCD problems. But yes, I do have a few quirks.

    Oops! Just thought of one.

    I have to record everything I can from our trips, do the blog posts, the album, etc. before I can do anything else. I get so focused on it, I can't do anything else. Art has taken over now for a while so I can finally do a little visiting. Yae! Oh... it's sunny outside. I didn't notice. ☺

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  21. Absolutely, I do. Things have to be straight and sit squarely. Clutter must never pile up. Light switches should always go the same way. And on and on. I think I'm persnickity! I'm just not wacko enough to qualify for OCD. close though.

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  22. What a great suggestion on helping our soldiers over seas. I have lots of OCD. I hate those inserts I have to rip them out too.

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  23. Peruby,
    I know, it is like a thorn in your finger. You just want it out.

    Olga,
    Oh, now that is just too funny. I think I know someone what had that. I used to mess them up by moving the books stored in alphabetical order around in their library. Drove them nuts.

    Manzi,
    Monk was a favorite of mine also so I would just call it good taste in shows.

    Djan,
    I do believe age has bearing on our characteristics. They become more pronounced or else we just have more time to notice.

    turquoisemoon,
    Ha ha, TP doesn't annoy me if wrong(I am an over the top girl) but it does make me shake my head when I see it the other way.

    Sandie,
    Well you are in good company I'd say.

    Linda Wildenstein,
    When you are the boss, it is natural to have things your way. You do supply the meals after all.

    robin,
    Ha, just like the rest of us. With all the hard to pronounce diseases out there, a little extra hand washing to be sure can be a good thing.

    Brighid,
    I really think it is a great program and gives the average person a way to help that is personal--not just a check in the mail.
    Ha, I haven't removed them in the Dr's office but it has been a thorn in my side.

    Marylee,
    Ha, ha, at least you just zoom on to something else and don't dwell on it.

    Inger,
    So glad you outgrew it but sorry if I have set you obsessing about what it was :))

    Betsy,
    For those with the life altering forms of this condition it is a very serious matter. For the rest of us, it is mostly quirky behavior.
    Well at least you have neat window dressing. Not a bad thing considering what a lovely view you have.

    Naomi,
    The serious forms of this condition can be life altering. 99% who claim it do not have a serious form, instead just have a strange quirk.

    Barb,
    I can see your concern considering the threat of Rabies. Still it is so cool to have one be so curious. I would be sorely temped to feed it also which I know is not a good thing.

    islandwonder,
    Better to do that than to do as I do and stew about it for the first part of the trip.

    Judy,
    I know, I do it as soon as I get in the house even though I have no intention of reading it right away.

    Muffy,
    I can relate with your friend though I have softened up lately and can even enjoy watching a recorded game, knowing the outcome. Of course it is more fun if we won. Just hate wasting what little time I have left on the down side of life watching commercials.

    Eileen,
    Oops, funny you should mention the room key. I do that too but had forgotten.

    Kay,
    Lucky for us that you do. Your trips are great fun for me to tag along what with all the photos and commentary. I think you ought to hire out as a travel expert. You do a great job.

    Linda Reeder,
    That sitting thing will have your back thanking you. I have been able to cure a bad back and hips with good posture. Wish I had done it all along. Keep it up.

    Linda Starr,
    I too like that program. It is a great way to give back in a really personal way.

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  24. I have some pretty strong ocd tendencies, but seem to do ok for the most part. I do have to check the doors about six times before I leave for a weekend and I will write something eighteen times if I have to until I am happy with it. Sometimes it's helpful, sometimes it's just a pain in the patootie...

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  25. The one thing I am obsessive about is hand washing. When I have to use hand rails in public stairs, when I put up the grocery cart, etc., I use hand sanitizer as soon as possible. I keep it in my purse and in my car all the time. Oh, and I can't stand to see a lamp shade tilted.

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  26. I don't think you are OCD. I think you are selective, and why shouldn't you be when it comes to television viewing? My husband does the same thing. He records all of his shows and watches them later. We record the evening news and watch it when we have time.

    Unfortunately, I have a dear friend who had a child who was severely OCD. It is no laughing matter. It is a serious disorder that can destroy a life. I think we all can be a bit compulsive about our likes and dislikes, but thankfully we are really OCD.

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  27. Those suffering from severe OCD have a difficult life ....I am not sure I have any traits ...but I do feel annoyed if I have to watch a programme with no fast forward time ...I hate not zipping through adverts. My mum had a funny habit ...when leaving the house she would lock the door ...tap it ..and then push it hard ...she said it was to make sure it was locked.
    On thinking about it I have one strange habbit ...with crips(I think you call them chips) I dont often eat them but if I have an individual pack I take out all the whole ones and put them on the side ....eating all the broken ones first ...then return the whole ones to the pack and eat them ....no idea why!!!!.
    We are strange folk ane we not . xx

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  28. Holy cow. I've been in my little cave way to long. I know I've missed a lot in my purpossfull isolation the last twenty years but really. I'd never even heard of OCD before. May be I should turn the TV back on finally....:)

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  29. Don't know how I missed this post, but here I am. I think I have a little bit of OCD. Or some may call it quirks. I try not to put a name to my quirks, so as not to cause myself unnecessary worry. :)
    I tend to wash my hands a lot, even twice just to make sure they are clean. And, I've been known to turn around and go back to the house to make sure the doors are locked. Stuff like that. Oh, and I also tear out those magazines inserts. They drive me nuts.

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  30. Ha! Great post, Patti! It is probably a fine line between being persnickety and OCD. I think I am more on the persnickety side of things.

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  31. RMW,
    I know what you mean about that pain in the patootie:)

    NCmountainwoman,
    With all the diseases rambling about, especially during flu season, I'd call that prudent.

    Retired English Teacher,
    Yes, you are so right. The severe forms can be life altering and aren't the least amusing for the afflicted.
    Your husband is a smart man but you all ready know that:))

    Angie,
    Ah, you are just saving the best to last. I know people who only eat the perfect ones and throw out the rest.Your way is much better.

    TB,
    NO, NO, don't change. How I wish I could unplug. I so admire those who do. You aren't missing a thing.

    Cheryl,
    After reading how everyone hates them, I wonder why magazines persist in stuffing them in. They only clog up landfills.

    Jewels,
    You are probably right. Persnickety has some merit. It makes us individuals.

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  32. Re Holly ...We never leave her in her pen without a watchful eye on her ...if she is under her blankets one or two might nuggle up and China tries to sit on her but Holly 'huffles' and then they sit pressed up against each other (Holly under the blanket). If anyone tries to pat her hard she balls up and her quills go sharp and hard so I think an attack would hurt the cat more than Holly. lol xx

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  33. I knew you wouldn't risk Holly, just wasn't aware of her defense mechanisms. Good to know.

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