Dakota_Skye
10-27-2006, 05:59 PM
ok, i know these are ocd tendencies, but i keep checking my stove over and over before i go to bed at night (even if i didn't cook anything that day), and before i leave for work in the morning (even if the stove was off all night). i do this for about 10-15 minutes, just standing there, and making sure the knobs are "off" and up, where they're supposed to be. and even though i realize rationally that they're off, i still keep standing there, like a statue, looking at the knobs on the stove, to ensure they are perfectly aligned. this makes me late for work...this whole thing only started at the begining of the year....before that it was the door....i used to check the door like six time (pull it) to see if it's truly locked (always when i left my place).....so, now it's not the door anymore, but the stove.
i know what i have, and i take some meds for it, and for anxiety and depression, but i still do it.
do any of you have any suggestions on what i can do to stop my self at least a little, or even to lessen the time that i spend doing this, especially in the morning?
it's interfering with my day, and i can't take it anymore. thanks a lot.
i know what i have, and i take some meds for it, and for anxiety and depression, but i still do it.
do any of you have any suggestions on what i can do to stop my self at least a little, or even to lessen the time that i spend doing this, especially in the morning?
it's interfering with my day, and i can't take it anymore. thanks a lot.
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Mel26
10-27-2006, 10:22 PM
Dakota,
Lol, I feel like ur writing about me, I do the exact same thing... I mean i will stand there looking at the stove... I know exactly the way you feel...
I still do it even though im in therapy and on meds.. If u have any suggestions please let me know... But your a defently not alone...
:)
Lol, I feel like ur writing about me, I do the exact same thing... I mean i will stand there looking at the stove... I know exactly the way you feel...
I still do it even though im in therapy and on meds.. If u have any suggestions please let me know... But your a defently not alone...
:)
T335271
10-27-2006, 11:00 PM
Hi this is my first time I have posted on a messge board. Let me know if this goes through. I used to do do the very same thing. It would be nice to see what helps others.
BadMalibu
10-27-2006, 11:19 PM
Dakota-
Remember that OCD isn't about what were doing, but it's more about what our sub-conscious is thinking and how those feelings and emotions come out. Of course if you left your stove on your house burning down would be horrible, but for me what I think is that you make the connection with bad things happening in your life when you look at the stove because if the stove was left on, and the house did burn down, how much control would we have over this to stop it?
We manipulate things in our enviornment like the stove, washing machine, TV remote, anything we can because it's concrete and we can control it. Sometimes there are things bothering us that we can't control, and that's what makes the OCD flare up. Disasters, illnesses, sickness, accidents, we can't control any of it, so that's when our OCD flares up and slaps us in the face trying to get our attention. But as we all know, OCD over does it a bit.
My suggestion would be since your stove has four knobs. Try promising yourself that you'll check 3 instead of all 4. Work with that for awhile and gradually progress when you're comfortable to only checking 2...then 1..then none. You'll see as you gain confidence in yourself that you'll be able to leave the house without checking any of them, and when you come home your house will be where you left it.
Hope this helps! :D
Remember that OCD isn't about what were doing, but it's more about what our sub-conscious is thinking and how those feelings and emotions come out. Of course if you left your stove on your house burning down would be horrible, but for me what I think is that you make the connection with bad things happening in your life when you look at the stove because if the stove was left on, and the house did burn down, how much control would we have over this to stop it?
We manipulate things in our enviornment like the stove, washing machine, TV remote, anything we can because it's concrete and we can control it. Sometimes there are things bothering us that we can't control, and that's what makes the OCD flare up. Disasters, illnesses, sickness, accidents, we can't control any of it, so that's when our OCD flares up and slaps us in the face trying to get our attention. But as we all know, OCD over does it a bit.
My suggestion would be since your stove has four knobs. Try promising yourself that you'll check 3 instead of all 4. Work with that for awhile and gradually progress when you're comfortable to only checking 2...then 1..then none. You'll see as you gain confidence in yourself that you'll be able to leave the house without checking any of them, and when you come home your house will be where you left it.
Hope this helps! :D
Dakota_Skye
10-28-2006, 02:29 AM
hi malibu,
you're right when you say that it's our subconscious mind that's making us over react in such cases (i completely realize my lack of control in certain areas of my life, especially lately, and there are two pretty major ones)......
but, god, just reading about checking only 3 knobs made me anxious...like, no way jose!!! can't do it, nope...have to at least "eye" the last one too.....
thanks for the suggestion though!!! see, i know that if someone were to stay in the house (after i left) i wouldn't care so much about the nutty stove....i'd be calmer, surer of nothing bad (god forbid) happening, since the person would be there.
at least i've gotten better...i dont' touch the ridiculous knobs anymore, or point to them and say "off", "off." "off," ...anymore...Lol
Thanks Mel and T33... It's good to know i'm not alone in this , but i really, really HATE it!!!! :dizzy:
you're right when you say that it's our subconscious mind that's making us over react in such cases (i completely realize my lack of control in certain areas of my life, especially lately, and there are two pretty major ones)......
but, god, just reading about checking only 3 knobs made me anxious...like, no way jose!!! can't do it, nope...have to at least "eye" the last one too.....
thanks for the suggestion though!!! see, i know that if someone were to stay in the house (after i left) i wouldn't care so much about the nutty stove....i'd be calmer, surer of nothing bad (god forbid) happening, since the person would be there.
at least i've gotten better...i dont' touch the ridiculous knobs anymore, or point to them and say "off", "off." "off," ...anymore...Lol
Thanks Mel and T33... It's good to know i'm not alone in this , but i really, really HATE it!!!! :dizzy:
karimah1
10-28-2006, 04:51 AM
This is one that used to drive me crazy, I would also stare at the knobs and still would not feel secure that they were off. My roomates would joke how they loved having me for a roomate as they had zero chances of dieing in a fire if I was there.
The funny thing is I was more frightened about the thought of being the one to accidentially start the fire then of a fire in itself.
I read somewhere to check once and walk away and live with the uncertainty and I actually have been sucessful in this area and now it really isn't a problem for me, but this technique hasn't worked for other areas of my ocd.
The funny thing is I was more frightened about the thought of being the one to accidentially start the fire then of a fire in itself.
I read somewhere to check once and walk away and live with the uncertainty and I actually have been sucessful in this area and now it really isn't a problem for me, but this technique hasn't worked for other areas of my ocd.
kburgess612
10-30-2006, 11:59 PM
i check stoves, too. its insane but...i just got to.
purplegirl1
10-31-2006, 07:18 PM
I check the stove too, my husband for real has the habit of leaving the burner or oven on when done cooking so that makes it worse, but I only check the stove when we have used it, I know it is off but I have to look at the knobs and then touch them to make sure they are off and lined up right. I used to do several physical compulsions as a child, less now as an adult. I check the phone all the time, when I hang up I pick up like 10 times to make sure it is really hung up. CBT is good, it helps you sit with the anxiety until you learn not to be bothered by it...you have to learn to just sit w/ the uncomfortableness...
Nanner1222
11-01-2006, 08:18 AM
I do this, too, but with the dryer instead of the stove. (maybe because I don't like to cook!) lol. My dryer is in the basement, and I will actually go back down the basement stairs again to be sure the dryer is off, even though I checked it 10 or more times when I was down there.
Dakota_Skye
11-06-2006, 12:39 PM
oy-vey,
sometimes, it makes me laugh out loud--the things we people do...
i never see any other animals (and we are animals too, by the way) out there engage in such ridiculous behaviors....LOLOLOL
i see my cat looking at me and thinking to himself, "here she goes again, poor, pathetic little thing. and she thinks homo sapiens are better than us." :D :D
it's funny in a way, really.
anyway, may god bless all of us!!! :angel:
p.s. did not intend to put anyone down re their ocd behaviors...was just thinking "out loud"
sometimes, it makes me laugh out loud--the things we people do...
i never see any other animals (and we are animals too, by the way) out there engage in such ridiculous behaviors....LOLOLOL
i see my cat looking at me and thinking to himself, "here she goes again, poor, pathetic little thing. and she thinks homo sapiens are better than us." :D :D
it's funny in a way, really.
anyway, may god bless all of us!!! :angel:
p.s. did not intend to put anyone down re their ocd behaviors...was just thinking "out loud"