Quirky/Odd Habits

[PACMANnot]

Changing to be truly quirky or odd habits you have, not just obsessive-compulsive habits.

 

Well, like the title states, this is a thread about OCDs you may have and how they affect your everyday life. Even if you have none, join on in, but no fighting though. That would be bad.

 

The only one I have, I hope, is that if there is something separated, and it's colored, I just HAVE to arange it by color, if not, it nags me all day until I forget about it. Right now I am actually organizing my colored pencils/pens/markers by color, because I am compelled to. It doesn't really affect my life in anyway, it's just the need to do it, and if I couldn't do it then I would do it later.

Edited June 28, 2012 by SockPuppet Strangler

[War Pig Killer]

There isn't "an" OCD, it's one disorder. You can "act" like you have OCD, like you feel like you need to have certain thing arranged in a certain way. OCD is a general disorder that affects more than just one compulsion.

[tyto_alba]

Well... I hate it when my food touches. :/

It used to be so bad I'd get mad at my mom if she fixed my plate and the food was touching.

Not so much anymore, though. But I will seperate my foods to make sure the fries don't touch the ketchup, or whatever.

 

I also hate seeing trash on the floor.

Even at school, if I see trash in the classroom or in the hall, I stop and pick it up.

Not sure if that's really Obsessive/Compulsive, though.

[Vexx]

x: I have a few little... habits now and again.

I blame my time as a volunteer in the library for my habit of sorting out my books. I have them organized by manga, then comic books, then the funny stuff, then fiction, then classics and then the purely educational. All the Hellboys are together, all the Triguns, etc etc.... And I also try to keep them all lined up and sorted from smallest to largest while keeping to the genre sorting.

 

As for anything else- I'm a typical perfectionist when it comes to art. One wrong line, one wrong color, something won't erase right, I throw the whole thing out. Regardless. I just... can't stand it.

 

 

I also try to keep a certain amount of steps within large tiles. Those big ones, I try to keep 2-3 steps in. The small tiles, I just try to step in them.

Whenever I'm paying attention to lines anyway. I can get distracted, of course.

 

And my room... though a bit messy, everything has its place. |D and the videogames are also sorted by system, the DVDs are sorted by the boxed sets, what I watch most, and the ones I rarely watch/animated oldies. NIMH, The Toy, Trigun, Animatrix, etc.

[solaflar3]

OK, first and foremost OCD is a debilitating condition which COMPLETELY takes over the life of the individual.

 

Stating 'Oh I cant stand it when XXXX (insert annoyance of choice)' is not OCD by any stretch of the imagination.

 

OCD changes, and controls your entire life. It is so much more than 'feeling bad' if you do not do something. It is more than just needing to do something; it is quite simply the inability to move on UNTIL YOU HAVE.

 

OCD disables. It controls lives. The compulsions are as necessary as breathing to the individual suffering from it. It is more than 'needing' something.

 

/rant

[Vexx]

You know....

If you know what a person means by it and they don't mean it in any sort of offensive way, I don't think you need to have a huge hissy fit over it.

 

"What kinda OCD do you have lul" is easier to get the point across than "What kind of habits and thoughts do you have within your mind that may even slightly sort of resemble some form of thought that one with OCD may or may not have at some point or another though obviously you don't have it because it's not controlling your life completely and suffer from it"

[diannethegeek]

You know....

If you know what a person means by it and they don't mean it in any sort of offensive way, I don't think you need to have a huge hissy fit over it.

 

"What kinda OCD do you have lul" is easier to get the point across than "What kind of habits and thoughts do you have within your mind that may even slightly sort of resemble some form of thought that one with OCD may or may not have at some point or another though obviously you don't have it because it's not controlling your life completely and suffer from it"

Personally, I think that it does matter because using OCD colloquially like this makes it harder for people with actual OCD to be taken seriously. 'Pet peeve' might have been a better choice of word.

[Vexx]

Personally, I think that it does matter because using OCD colloquially like this makes it harder for people with actual OCD to be taken seriously. 'Pet peeve' might have been a better choice of word.

I don't think 'pet peeve' would have fit because... well, usually starts with "I don't like _____"

Sure it could be worded differently but eh. -shrug-

 

 

It's like using the word 'gay' to mean something else besides homosexual. You might not like the way it's being used but it doesn't mean they're meaning it as a derogatory term towards homosexuals. Yes, stupidly used, but gay also only meant 'happy' at one point so... -muttermutter-

[solaflar3]

You know....

If you know what a person means by it and they don't mean it in any sort of offensive way, I don't think you need to have a huge hissy fit over it.

 

"What kinda OCD do you have lul" is easier to get the point across than "What kind of habits and thoughts do you have within your mind that may even slightly sort of resemble some form of thought that one with OCD may or may not have at some point or another though obviously you don't have it because it's not controlling your life completely and suffer from it"

Are you referring to me?

 

If so, no I am not having a hissy fit.

 

I deal with children and teens who have OCD. It isn't just 'not liking', 'hating' or 'feeling bad'. It's not being able to go to the toilet so you end up peeing or cr@ping yourself because you cannot move until you have finished your compulsion, and then STILL not being able to move to clean yourself up. It's crying with the pain from your bleeding hands when you scrub them for the 500th time that day. It's obsession over every little thing you have thought or done just in case you did or thought something that god might be displeased over and might punish you (that last one is a current case and is very traumatic and worrying).

 

OCD, like Aspergers, Depression and Self Harm has become a fashionable thing which is 'cool' to have. That now devalues the real damage that can and does happen to people genuinely diagnosed with these disorders.

[lightbird]

I may not have it, but using "OCD" as a name for habits is extremely insulting to actual sufferers of the disorder. That is all.

[tyto_alba]

You spelled 'crapping' wrong, Solaflar3. Two P's.

 

Leads to another thing I do. I correct people. Parents, friends, teachers.

I'll correct them all if they say/spell something the wrong way.

Incorrect spelling gets on my nerves.

But I will never point out a typo to be rude. Ever, ever, ever.

I hate it when people say it's rude, too. I politely point out an error, and some people jump on me. "OH MY GAWD YOU ARE SO RUDE!!!!one"

If I wanted to be rude, I would have been. I could have been very, very rude, and very smug, too. :/

 

/rant

[AAurion]

You spelled 'crapping' wrong, Solaflar3. Two P's.

 

Leads to another thing I do. I correct people. Parents, friends, teachers.

I'll correct them all if they say/spell something the wrong way.

Incorrect spelling gets on my nerves.

But I will never point out a typo to be rude. Ever, ever, ever.

I hate it when people say it's rude, too. I politely point out an error, and some people jump on me. "OH MY GAWD YOU ARE SO RUDE!!!!one"

If I wanted to be rude, I would have been. I could have been very, very rude, and very smug, too. :/

 

/rant

Argh, I hate it when people think it's rude. Then I'm afraid others will think I'm rude, and when I correct them I feel bad.

 

Heck, that's true when you correct people about anything, not just spelling... Why can't they just say, "oh okay, thanks," instead of getting offended? If I say/do something wrong, I'd like to be corrected, so I don't go around doing whatever wrong.

[Vexx]

I'll correct them all if they say/spell something the wrong way.

I absolutely

hate it

hate it

hate it

when people say

Liberry.

 

I just...

I don't want to even be near that person any longer when they say that.

[epicguy10000]

Liberry

[tyto_alba]

I absolutely

hate it

hate it

hate it

when people say

Liberry.

 

I just...

I don't want to even be near that person any longer when they say that.

I'm... I'm guilty of that. ;_;

It's this d-mn accent, I tell you. I hate it.

[Kai]

I have over 9001 OCDs.

 

I browse them, inspect them, O-C-Ds you know I collect them.

Pens in my pocket, I must arrange them.

I have more than anyone else!

[AngelKitty]

Edit: Saving this post for another thread, since this is about pet peeves and not OCD, and while I may not be OCD what I have goes beyond "pet peeve."

 

As for my actual pet peeves, I can't stand it when people behind you in line feel the need to get right up on top of you so they can be a little closer to the cashier or ticket booth or whatever. Dude, being two inches from me isn't going to make the line move faster, knock it off.

Edited December 27, 2010 by AngelKitty

[skauble]

You know....

If you know what a person means by it and they don't mean it in any sort of offensive way, I don't think you need to have a huge hissy fit over it.

 

"What kinda OCD do you have lul" is easier to get the point across than "What kind of habits and thoughts do you have within your mind that may even slightly sort of resemble some form of thought that one with OCD may or may not have at some point or another though obviously you don't have it because it's not controlling your life completely and suffer from it"

I have to agree with some of the others that this really can be problematic. And while I do agree with you that it wasn't meant in an offensive way, nothing in your response actually addresses the impact that it might have on people with OCD. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that the OP wasn't trying to be offensive, and it's nice that people have an easier way of saying things, but I think maybe the impact on people who are actually ill and struggling with this might be the thing to look at here.

[Vexx]

....but I think maybe the impact on people who are actually ill and struggling with this might be the thing to look at here.

Alright then.

 

Who here actually has OCD and feels that someone jokingly calling a certain somewhat compulsive habit or two an 'OCD' is the worst thing ever?

Please say something, I'd feel more compelled to not roll my eyes at someone who actually has the disorder instead of third parties who think that it might be offensive.

[solaflar3]

You spelled 'crapping' wrong, Solaflar3. Two P's.

 

Leads to another thing I do. I correct people. Parents, friends, teachers.

I'll correct them all if they say/spell something the wrong way.

Incorrect spelling gets on my nerves.

But I will never point out a typo to be rude. Ever, ever, ever.

I hate it when people say it's rude, too. I politely point out an error, and some people jump on me. "OH MY GAWD YOU ARE SO RUDE!!!!one"

If I wanted to be rude, I would have been. I could have been very, very rude, and very smug, too. :/

 

/rant

I'm a grammar nazi too. I can live with typos, we all make them and sometimes I have what I term 'dyslexic fingers', especially when tired. My husband, who isn't the best at spelling and grammar, always asks me to check something that he is writing if it is important. I invariably find something to correct, which he then seems to take offence at. We had this out the other day when I asked him why did he bother to ask me to check what he writes if he doesn't like it when I find mistakes. He thought about it for a while then agreed it was quite silly of him.

 

I wouldn't say it is an OCD thing though. I just think that a letter has more impact when it contains correct spelling, grammar and punctuation.

 

Now getting on to true OCD, my mother has it. She obsessively cleans and I mean obsessively cleans. Her hands are a terrible mess due to the amount of bleach that she uses; she goes through six 1.5lt bottles in a week. When she is stressed, she cleans even more.

 

She has a lifetime of mental health issues which began at age 15 when she had a complete breakdown. My mother is very aspie and was a high flyer. She was the first in the family to attend grammar school and had a lot of expectations placed on her. My grandfather died when she was 11 and that hit her hard. At 15 she had her first breakdown and another at 21 which she experienced psychotic episodes and was sectioned. She recovered from that and got married to my dad but then suffered anorexia on and off over the years. Over the last ten years she has developed OCD.

 

She struggled a lot during the years we lived abroad simply because she didn't have the support structure of close family around her.

 

 

 

 

[Koroshiya-Ichi]

Roll your eyes all you want Vexx, it doesn't change the fact that misusing the term OCD perpetuates a fundamental misunderstanding of the disorder. Using the term to refer to someone's healthy quirks and idiosyncrasies is inaccurate and potentially harmful to those who actually have OCD because it strengthens the already widespread perception that OCD is a simple and slightly humorous case of, say, liking to sort your DVD collection by title, or being really neat.

 

If the thread had said "what are your compulsions" or even "do you have any obsessive-compulsive tendencies" it would be one thing, but OCD very clearly refers to a specific mental illness. (I suspect some people honestly don't know the difference though.) In any case it's good to be clear about what OCD actually is, it never hurts to spread awareness.

[Vexx]

In any case it's good to be clear about what OCD actually is, it never hurts to spread awareness.

Then make a thread for it, obviously our uncultured and uneducated minds all over this board will see this thread and think "oh so that's what OCD is, I was totally thinking something completely different" so we'll need every explanation available followed by various links to every study known to man on it. And be sure to explain every single detail, someone might misunderstand something.

I know this forum doesn't only have the brightest people out there, but I'd think that most of these folks would know the difference between a 'compulsive habit' and OCD. Labeling something as another thing isn't gonna make someone as confused as you people may think it does. Putting a sticker that reads 'Door' on a toilet seat isn't going to make me want to go through it.

And if people on here really are as stupid as that, then, well, no idea what to say there.

 

 

I can understand working around/knowing/living with someone who has a disorder and being touchy about it. But seriously.

My mom has bipolar disorder, I get touchy whenever some little middle class preteen punk starts blabbing to everyone that they are bipolar like it's a fashion statement, but I still go around saying, like, "god I hate Texas, its weather is so damn bipolar."

Edited December 27, 2010 by Vexx

[skauble]

Alright then.

 

Who here actually has OCD and feels that someone jokingly calling a certain somewhat compulsive habit or two an 'OCD' is the worst thing ever?

Please say something, I'd feel more compelled to not roll my eyes at someone who actually has the disorder instead of third parties who think that it might be offensive.

Actually, I do. I'm lucky that an incredible amount of therapy has helped me manage it more, but I'm also bipolar and abrupt shifts in my mood can set my OCD off in a major way.

 

The problem that I have isn't that I think that anyone here is trying to be offensive or cruel or anything like that. My problem is that I've been through periods of sever mental health problems - hospitalization, day treatment, transitional living homes, etc - and so I also know a lot of other people who are really struggling with mental illness.

 

One of the things that I've seen that many of us have problems with are family and friends who really care about us, but their way of dealing with mental illness is to minimize it. You have depression? Why don't you think happy thoughts. You're bipolar? Just calm down. Have OCD? Just stop washing your hands, you know they're clean. It's a form of denial that is understandable in some ways. If you love someone then you may not want to admit that they're dealing with a terrible illness. Sometimes parents feel like it's their fault and so they refuse to see things as they really are. Some people minimize it simply because they don't want to believe that things like that happen because it makes them feel vulnerable.

 

But regardless of the reason, the fact is that there are people out there that downplay mental illness in a way that makes it more difficult for those of us who have it to deal with them and often with everyday functioning. When the perception of OCD changes so that it becomes an umbrella term for things that are really, really annoying, then what gets added into the idea of OCD is that it's a very voluntary issue. That people with OCD are just letting their preferences and habits get the better of them. And that kind of thinking makes it even easier to dismiss us all.

 

In my experience, things can be said in a way that absolutely no hurt is intended and no one is trying to be mean. But those things can still have an impact beyond whether they hurt a person. I wasn't personally offended by the use of OCD here. My problem is the larger picture. It's about how these terms shape the view of mental illness, which is still a relatively mysterious thing for a lot of people.

 

I just believe that in these kinds of cases, it's often best to step away from "what did they mean" and look at "what does it do".

 

ETA:

I can understand working around/knowing/living with someone who has a disorder and being touchy about it. But seriously.

My mom has bipolar disorder, I get touchy whenever some little middle class preteen punk starts blabbing to everyone that they are bipolar like it's a fashion statement, but I still go around saying, like, "god I hate Texas, its weather is so damn bipolar."

 

I think that the difference may be is that this thread is about things that people do mistake for OCD. Whereas that's not the same with something like the weather.

Edited December 27, 2010 by skauble

[Vexx]

You have depression?  Why don't you think happy thoughts.  You're bipolar?  Just calm down.  Have OCD?  Just stop washing your hands, you know they're clean.

Oh man.

I really hate it when people are like that. It's just... Ignorance, really.

 

 

 

 

 

I'd like to say right here....

If someone is in such denial about what something really is, I highly doubt that it's random forum threads that is making them that way. Seriously.

If someone truly, honestly, really doesn't know what OCD is and thinks that way... Well, one post here giving a quick explanation or even a link to an article or something would have worked, now, wouldn't it? Not this little -fest that this seems to be turning in to.

(Or even the actual OCD thread I mentioned before.)

[Koroshiya-Ichi]

Then make a thread for it, obviously our uncultured and uneducated minds all over this board will see this thread and think "oh so that's what OCD is, I was totally thinking something completely different" so we'll need every explanation available followed by various links to every study known to man on it. And be sure to explain every single detail, someone might misunderstand something.

I know this forum doesn't only have the brightest people out there, but I'd think that most of these folks would know the difference between a 'compulsive habit' and OCD. Labeling something as another thing isn't gonna make someone as confused as you people may think it does. Putting a sticker that reads 'Door' on a toilet seat isn't going to make me want to go through it.

And if people on here really are as stupid as that, then, well, no idea what to say there.

 

 

I can understand working around/knowing/living with someone who has a disorder and being touchy about it. But seriously.

My mom has bipolar disorder, I get touchy whenever some little middle class preteen punk starts blabbing to everyone that they are bipolar like it's a fashion statement, but I still go around saying, like, "god I hate Texas, its weather is so damn bipolar."

 

...uh, okay.

 

There were several threads about this sort of thing in the past, not sure if any are still around. But making a distinction between OCD and nonpathological compulsions wasn't uncalled for here, since the OP failed to do so.

 

I'd like to say right here....

If someone is in such denial about what something really is, I highly doubt that it's random forum threads that is making them that way. Seriously.

If someone truly, honestly, really doesn't know what OCD is and thinks that way... Well, one post here giving a quick explanation or even a link to an article or something would have worked, now, wouldn't it? Not this little censorkip.gif-fest that this seems to be turning in to.

(Or even the actual OCD thread I mentioned before.)

 

This is GD, every thread is a potential (and likely) wankzone.

 

 

 

On topic, I have a ton of compulsions, a lot of which border on dysfunctional. I sort, count, have weird selective germ issues, and have this whole thing about touch that usually makes no sense when I try to explain it. When I go out (hell, or stay in) I have to touch certain things, even if I really don't want to because of germs, and of course that has to be done in a certain order/a certain number of times, and if it feels 'wrong' I have to do little cleansing rituals... ugh. I don't like my foods to touch either, and I CANNOT share utensils with anyone. I don't even like sharing a bar of soap with someone, it's just disgusting to me. Most of my life has some stupid ritual associated with it. :/