OCD

[A.L.Weasley]

Do any of you get really bad OCD?? I know I do! I have since I was a little kid. Sometimes I go through phases a lot worse than others. I have to chew my food a certain way. Go up the stairs just so, and touch things and hear things and and twitch my eyebrows all a particular way. It's all based on even numbers and equal amounts for me. Is this a common problem with Bipolar? I asked my doctor if I should go on meds for it and he didn't act the slightest bit concerned! It fricken controls my life sometimes and I am ashamed that I am so vulnerable to something so pointless and stupid. 

[Phyllis]

I am a counter. I have to count whatever I do. For instance, I can tell you that there are 212 steps from my house to the kids' bus stop. Sometimes I don't even realize I'm doing it until I catch myself in the middle of counting. I am also an even number kinda gal or any number that can be cut in half evenly. But 5 is my favorite number. Go figure. LOL I am also a picker. I pick at things that are annoying to me, dead plant leaves are the worse. I once told my shrink that he needed to get a new plant out in his waiting room, because I was going to pick off all the dead leaves on it and there would be nothing left. The next time I came back, the plant was gone. LOL Labels are another thing for me... I can't stand labels. But it makes me even more annoyed if I can't peel a label off evenly.

[A.L.Weasley]

OH GOSH! I hate stuff like that too. Then I catch myself doing it and wonder why the hell I waste my time with such pointless things. Who knows how stupid I look to other people!! 

[Paz]

 I have OCD also.....I count things, 11 is my fave number for some reason. When I am stressed, the OCD is more present.....I guess it's just a way that my brain tries to deal? I am also a crazy checker, checking and re-checking doors, lights, thermostats, if I have my keys, cell phone, etc.
 I also have certain ways that I do things, like cleaning.....and our house is very neat, clean, organized and uncluttered. My clothes in my closet are arranged by colour.....I'm a fucking nutjob!

[spongebobfan]

Nope I don't have this one! But if any of you would like to come organize my house I would really appreciate it 
The only odd behaviors I have are more of pet peeves. I can't stand bare feet. I need everyone to either have socks on or keep there feet far away from me! Not so uncommon probably but my weirdest thing is that I can't sleep if the covers of the bed are uneven. i mean if the sheets don't line up with the comforter and the comforter doesn't hang evenly on either side of the bed. I will actually wake up because I'll notice the weight of the blankets is uneven. Then I have to get up and remake the bed before i can go back to sleep 

As far as your doc not being concerned...maybe you could get another opinion? It doesn't matter what his perception of your symptoms are. If you say they are interfering with your daily life then that should be taken seriously and you should be heard. That's my 2 cents if you wanted it 

Have a fantastic week!

[A.L.Weasley]

Thanks! Actually the bed thing happens to me too sometimes!! My friend watched me make my bed one time and was like.... DUDE!!!!! 

[cadno]

Very mild with me, it only shows up when I'm doing certain things.  Examples of this is arranging beer mats into a certain pattern when I'm out in a pub and my personal favourite, I have to try my door handle three times before leaving the house, I have no idea why it started, how or whatever but I do believe that all bipolars do actually have some degree of OCD, even if its mild like me lol.

Rich

[Dreamline]

I used to have a beautiful long coated dog...I was VERY OCD with grooming her.  I used to bathe her once a week and then blow dry it so it would lie flat and strait.  Every time her hair got messed up I would comb it down as soon as possible.  Sometimes I would even re-wet and re-straiten her coat in between baths.  She was very patient with me.  That was a manic thing when I did that to her.   What cured me was working at a dog grooming shop where I obsessed over many dogs everyday.  Blow drying them, scissoring them etc.  Maybe it burned my grooming OCD out I dunno LOL.  So far my shepherd is safe, he just gets the brush every once and a while.