is this ocd? - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Message Board

ok kid a · 08-31-2005, 09:29 PM

hello. I'm 15 years old and after hearing about this disorder, I am wondering now if i might have it. I have been "cracking" (clicking?) my jaw since I was 3, usually when I write, draw, or type. my parents never thought it was bad, they thought it was unique, they thought i was just moving it up and down. i was always picked on for that as a child, and after my 5th grade teacher told me to "stop doing that thing to your mouth while you work," i knew i had to stop. i've been able to quit it, but only in school. at home i dont think about.
what exactly makes/made me do this? is it bad for my jaw? why does it feel good? does anyone else feel this way?

and sometimes, not always, ill get this thoughts in my head. recently it has been that there is a bullet, about the size of a thumb, in the heel of my foot, and i am picking through many layers of skin with my fingers and sometimes a tweezer until i find it. theres no blood or muscles or anything, it's like my foot is only of layers of skin. and when i think about this i imagine pain in my foot and my head feels frustrated and the whole thing drives me insane, but i've never told anybody but they just call me crazy.

also, when ever I see numbers, like the time, date, or phone i always add them up until they are a single digit and i prefer when it equals 5. if it doesnt, thats ok, but i still add them up and i dont know why. and i have alot of germ phobias and food phobias etc.
is this curable?

and responses to this will be appreciated.

tnmomofive · 09-04-2005, 06:44 AM

hi
do your parents know about all these things? If not tell them ,they can decide if you should see a doctor about it ,which I think wouldnt be a bad idea

good luck

hry33 · 09-04-2005, 05:12 PM

doesnt sound serious to me
more spoirt and exercise always relax you and reduce stress
we mostly all have some bad habits

Frank186 · 09-04-2005, 09:47 PM

definately sounds like a mild case of ocd.... like hry33 says though it doesn't sound too serious so try improving your health, diet and stress levels and maybe you'll be able to balance yourself out.

Frank

rasaht · 09-07-2005, 09:26 AM

Oh god, I used to feel like I had to do all sorts of weird things like that with my muscles etc. When I was about 7 I used to feel like I had clench my teeth, shut my eyes tight, tense up a muscle under my arm.... I didn't get into "typical" OCD cleaning and checking until age 9, so didn't know until recently that this was connected. I used to find these body compulsions like an itch that you just can't ignore. But I discovered that if I could just absolutely refuse to act on them as much as possible they would actually become less common over time. Haven't been bothered too much by them since I was young in fact.

I also have to do things like add numbers up or read words backwards, and I get fixated on rhythms, particularly from clicking sounds, like a clock or a faucet drip.

I'd say what you have does sound like OCD, or could just be O-C personality disorder. If it's not affecting you too much you needn't worry about it. But if there's anything that is really disrupting your life you should see a specialist, or try cognitive behavioural therapy on yourself - try rationalising about the behaviours and refusing to act on them. OCD is an anxiety disorder, so technically if you can reduce your anxieties the symptoms may abate.