Wednesday, January 07, 2009

More Random Things I'm OCD About

I made a list back in July (see here) of a few things I'm OCD about...I've realized over the last couple of days that there are lots of other weird things I do. So of course, I wanted to share them with you fine folk! haha.

Here we go:

1--following my handwashing routine. I have to pump the soap into my hand, wash my hands, and shake my hands three times into the garbage can to get excess water off. Then, I pull down three pumps' worth of paper towels, dry my hands, use the paper towel to wipe off any water on the paper towel handle, and dump the paper towel in the trash.

2--putting mail in a mailbox. I hold the mailbox door open and down, letting the mail rest on top of it, then spread the mail out to verify all envelopes have an addy and a stamp. There have been times I've been tempted to actually open envelopes and make sure I signed my checks, but I usually resist that impulse (not always, however).

3--checking for the car's headlights to be off. I'll check my car door two to three times to make sure the lights are off. I've actually walked away, then walked back to check again...like the car gnomes would have turned the lights on in the point-three seconds I was away.

4--making a mental list of homophones. every time I hear or read one (is that the right word, where they sound the same but have different spellings?), I make a mental list of it. I don't know why--it's not like I'm compiling a book or something. But I have to make a mental note of the word.

5--mentally typing. I often think in terms of how words look on a keyboard. Sometimes, I'll even move my fingers along when spelling out the word in my head, like I'm pretend-typing them. My goal is to find words that use all eight of my fingers once. And when I do, I make a mental list of those words, as well.

6--turning off dueling electronics. I can't have two sound-making electronics on at the same time. If the TV is on, I can't STAND when someone has a radio on in the other room. I can't even stand when the radio is on and the TV is on mute--I can almost hear the electronic hum of the TV, so it's no good. When I write, I usually put on my iPod and crank it up so I don't hear anything else...my new headphones really kill external sounds, which is a total blessing.

7--"clearing" the microwave timer. I can't stand when the microwave is left on 1 second left. If I see it, I'll cancel out of the job so it won't be on "hold" anymore. This will drive me insane, and it'll be all I see if I don't do it.

8--staring at dashes in the road. When I'm riding as a passenger in a car, I stare at the lines in the middle of the road. More specifically, my eyes jump to every other line.

9--lining up my flags/paperclips. I have to have symmetry in certain aspects of my life: when I put post-it flags on stuff, they have to be at the very edge of the paper, and all spaced equally apart from each other (same with paperclips and binder clips).

10--popping body parts. I have to pop certain parts of my body every day: knuckles, elbows, shoulders, knees, and jaws. I feel weird if I don't.

What about you? Any OCD tendencies to share? I know I'm not the only weird person out there...haha

10 comments:

  1. I have to count to 8 or 15 when filling something with water. But other than that, I'm completely normal. Unlike some people I know. LOL

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  2. HAHAHA hey, leave me alone. haha

    Why 8 or 15, by the way??

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  3. I only like numbers that are divisible by 2 or 5. Except for 7, which is God's perfect number and therefore, the only exception. Well, and 21, which divisible by 7 and seems okay too.

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  4. Um, was this post too weird? ROFL, sorry if it's TMI. Anyway, I'm an odd duckie, but I'd venture to say everyone's figured it out by now. :D

    I promise, I'm not crazy-talk, though...at least, I hope not. haha

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  5. I've talked about it before, but I have an absolutely irrational and yet POWERFUL fear of putting my hands where I can't see them. I'll put my hands into the PO Box, but I bend over to watch. If it's dark I will force myself to do it anyway, but get chills.

    I totally get the microwave thing. Drives me nuts.

    I lock the car and then wait for the automatic light to go out.

    People who watch a DVD and leave it out, not in the case... O M G ... we won't go there.

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  6. Anonymous3:42 PM

    I think we all have weird idiosyncracies but that's what's cool about people.

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  7. YAY, I'm glad there are others with me! LOL.

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  8. Omg, Rhonda. You crack me up. You would not be able to enter my house without having a mental melt down. we always have multiple electronics on, and the microwave generally has a few seconds left on the timer. However, I'm a compulsive popper and if I hear someone pop their knuckles, I have to do it as well. Also have to pop neck, back, elbows, knees and ankles. LOL

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  9. #2 reminded me of that scene in "When Harry Met Sally".

    I have a really strong urge to disorganize your paperclips now just to watch you spin.

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  10. Anonymous8:19 PM

    you're not really ocd. you just have odd little habit or maybe just minor compulsions. i came across your site researching my ocd diagnosis. when people call these idiosyncrasies "ocd" they're downplaying the seriousness of the real disease. ocd produces thought loops. you get obsessed about something - germs, numbers, things be "just right," someone breaking in. and then it makes you really really anxious. to relieve the anxiety, you have to carry out some compulsion or action - such as washing your hands, counting, checking or constantly rearranging things until they are your mind's idea of "perfect." ocd is an anxiety disorder and it's not cute, weird or funny. it's really awful.

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