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

whit3 · 05-14-2008, 11:19 PM

For the last 2 years or so, i've developed the habit of constantly having to have something to "fiddle" with. Be it a pen, a piece of string, a zipper on a shirt or even my own fingers, i have to be doing something. When i'm at work, if my hands are occupied by work, i'll need to have my foot tapping or my knee jiggling. Sometimes I even rest my chin on my drink bottle and just move that around. If I don't do this I feel kind of anxious. Small things like sitting at my desk moving around a folded up sticky note in one hand is ok. Its when im out and about, im playing with a cord on my jumper or have something in my pocket i can play with, that I really feel silly because alot of people find these things rude. I've noticed when I go to the doctor or I had a job interview or something i'd play with the strap of my bag either next to me or under the desk. I don't know what this is. Could this be OCD? I've never looked up OCD i don't know what the symptoms are. But just the name suggests an compulsion such as this may come under it!

Kathrin74 · 05-16-2008, 02:34 PM

Hm, I am not sure.
In OCD, sufferers do a compulsion because they feel they HAVE TO, otherwise they experience immense anxiety. Typical examples are: Having to wash excessively because of feeling contaminated or because of an irrational fear of germs, having to keep checking something because otherwsie they feel they may be responsible for some disaster, having to have things be put "a certain way" (ever seen "Monk"?), having to ask for reassurance, etc.

Now I wonder if what you describe is more like... a coping mechanism to deal with nervousness?
But it really depends on WHY you do it. What happens if you don't? Does your anxiety build up? Do ou worry that your anxiety might get so high you won't be able to deal with it anymore?

Kathrin

whit3 · 05-16-2008, 06:53 PM

If i don't have something to fiddle with, i feel nervous and anxious and out of place, i get very snappy and irritated, lose all concerntration and feel like crying sometimes.

I don't know if this is nervousness, because its not only in nervous situations. I can just be sitting at my desk at home and have to have something in my hands to move around. It's the same at night.. if i dont have something in my hands then ill toss and turn and thrash around and become very irritated, so i usually play with the corner of the cloth thats on the bedside table, or if im super lucky my cat will be with me and ill just stroak his paw. Its probably not noticable to alot of people, but i actually really noticed it becoming a problem a few days ago, i was outside at lunch time we were just standing around talking and i was playing with the tightening cord that goes around the bottom of my work jacket, and i broke it. Because i was twisting it around my hands and pulling at it, it broke. and someone noticed and it was very embarrasing.