Is this "light" OCD? - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Message Board

ImTheLucky1 · 01-10-2006, 08:46 AM

Is it possible to have a light case of OCD? I didn't know of any other way to ask.

My step son has to "pick" at things. I never really paid attention to it before until I discovered something yesterday.....

He's 12 and has always picked at his fighting men (you know, G.I. Joe and such) He will pick at the toys till pieces start to come off then really goes to work on them. I never paid much attention before b/c that's all I had really noticed. I thought maybe he was just doing it out of boredom. Well, yesterday I go into his room and find several other things that have been "picked" at: anything made from rubber, foam, plastic. Some I think actually have teeth marks. Then when I went to go online last night I noticed that my mouse pad felt funny. He has picked off the bottom half of the foam.

Should I be concerned or is this just some kind of nervous habit?

jen_thomson · 01-10-2006, 02:46 PM

I "picked" as a child...and my oldest son(now 15 and "pick" free) did, too...by itself, that's not a big deal...but when I "picked" (or rolled up tiny pieces of paper), it was when my intrusive thoughts were at the worst...all those bad thoughts that play over and over again in your head. I mention that only because I remember it being really hard growing up with all those thoughts and not being able to tell anyone about them. With my son, I knew what he was going through, so we've always been able to talk about our ocd...I'm not saying that's going on with your son, but it could be....I would talk the situation over with someone, maybe you could even start with your family doctor...if it's just "picking"- no harm, no foul....but if there's more going on, it would be best to find out about it early...betcha anything your son extremely creative and quite smart, isn't he?

GatsbyLuvr1920 · 01-10-2006, 04:35 PM

I'm a compulsive skin-picker, and I remember having to destroy small objects as a kid (still do at times, in fact), but unlike jen thompson, I don't do it because I'm having obsessions. I just do it as a habit, a compulsion, something I HAVE to do or I just feel restless inside...
-GatsbyLuvr1920-

ImTheLucky1 · 01-11-2006, 06:51 AM

Actually, he's WAY into sports and of average intelligence. Maybe it is just a bad habit. I plan on talking to him about it next time he's here simply b/c he has started doing it to things that don't belong to him. I guess I'll know more from that- see how he reacts and whatnot.

GatsbyLuvr1920-
I'm a "skin-picker" also. My husband says I must have been a monkey in a past life. I wouldn't say I'm compulsive about it though. If I see a blemish of any kind I practically have to sit on my hands- I can't stand it. But it doesn't make me feel nervous or anything like that and I can get past it. So I guess I'm OK with it.

GatsbyLuvr1920 · 01-11-2006, 09:41 AM

No, I'm compulsive about it. If I can't pick, then I get restless inside, and it's just painful. And, I do pick with an OCD-twinge to it: I can't stop until the skin "feels right" or lies down "perfectly"...

-GatsbyLuvr1920-