Mon, April 22, 2013
This article was written exclusively for BrainPhysics.com by "Tide." He explains how he came to realize that he had obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as well as the effects the disorder has had on his life.
OCD was never prevalent in my family, but as far back as I can remember, I've had what I consider a slight case of OCD.
When I'd get home from school, I would constantly check my pocket to see whether I had forgotten my wallet or keys. I never thought anything of it and always figured that I was just being extra careful.
Throughout my teen years, I would have episodes of OCD flare-ups, usually comprised of checking my school bag to make sure all of my books were in it or making sure the window in my room was locked.
But in retrospect, my OCD symptoms weren’t nearly as bad then as they were later in my adult life, and they never hindered my life in any negative way. My recollection of the disorder coming into its fullest effect and becoming a negative impact in my life was a couple of years ago when I was 26.
Relationship OCD
The first time I noticed my OCD causing me torture was when I was with my ex-girlfriend. I was having some pretty horrific drama in my life, and let’s just say that I wasn’t in a very happy relationship.
I would constantly wonder whether my ex was cheating on me or lying to me. It went from thinking about it once a day to twice a day to eventually staying up for hours checking her websites to see if I could catch her in a lie.
It became not just a daily negative impact on my life but also a daily ritual. The only way I was able to overcome this, albeit for a little while, was to finally end the relationship. And with the end of that relationship, I was relieved of my burden for a while. At least until the next time it occurred...
No Diagnosis Needed
I have never been to a doctor to be diagnosed with OCD, but I know that I have it because I don’t think it’s normal for one to spend three hours locking and unlocking the front door.
With the help of Google and YouTube, I was able to find information pertaining to OCD as well as videos that helped me to lessen my OCD symptoms.
I still have slight tinges of OCD flare-ups every so often but nothing as bad as in my past. I will elaborate more on the different treatments I've tried as well as other OCD episodes in my life.
Till next time!
