Ive turned into one of those people...

This is a serious reply, although it may sound flippant...

What you must do, when you feel the urge to "check that lock" or whatever it is, when you know you'd already done it....is to resist and overcome that urge to check it.

I've mentioned before that I was diagnosed with having borderline or mild OCD...I hate putting labels on someone, but in this case it's a label that fits.

Thank God, mine is under control because of a medication I take for something else. But still, I have to be aware of it.

I'm obviously no doctor or anything, but here's what I learned from my own experience through reading up, and through counseling, and my own behavior...

depression, anxiety disorder, and OCD are (or can be) all inter-related chemically in the brain. My main thing was the anxiety attacks, and again, thank God I haven't had one of them in years.

Every time you engage in the checking behavior you are reinforcing it in your brain. When you resist....a part of your brain will jump up and say "hey, she's not giving us our fix" and will immediatly start proding you "do it, do it, do it" it'll keep saying that until you do....and your brain will be satisfied, momentarily.

It's obviously more complicated than that, but I don't want to get into the whole thing right now.....

Anyway....when your brain starts telling you "do it, do it, do it" and you resist, it'll start saying "DO IT, DO IT, DO IT" because it's needing it's fix.

However, ultimately your brain says the the equivilant of "aw screw it, she's not going to check that lock" and quiets down.

Don't worry, it's only uncomfortable for a bit, then it goes away. Since this has been going on only a month for you, it hasn't gotten a big grip.

Oh! Here's a hint....when you brain says "DO IT" say back to it "NO, I"M NOT GOING TO, SO KNOCK IT OFF!!!!"
Sounds funny, but it works. You'll know it working when you don't think about it anymore.

I know there has to be others with OCD on A2K....I wish they'd say something too.

Great advice thanks.
The thing is I dont think ive ever gone back and somethings been unlocked adn I know that when I HAVNT locked something, like the car I get an odd 'naked' feeling which makes me think I REALLY havnt locked the car and im not even a step away from the car.

All that worries me is someone stealing the car or burgling the house because I havnt locked or checked.

Its hard to explain but the DO IT feeling is more to do with not being blamed for a burglary/theft than an urge to check.

But I will do my utmost to ignore the silly voice in my head.

No, that makes perfect sense. There's always a Reason your brain is telling you to "do it", one that anyone would see the sense in, if it wasn't being taken to the point you feel you are.

I mean, we've all forgotten to lock the door, and went back to recheck because we were preoccupied with something else...only to be glad we did check.

It's when you KNOW you locked the door, shook the door to make sure, but still have to check.

If this has been bothering you for only a month, you should be able to get a handle on it.

Do a little reading about it on the internet....but don't get obsessed on THAT!

Thanks.
I think just posting this and reading your advice has made me realise how silly Im being.Hopefully Il start to stop.

Re: Ive turned into one of those people...


It might be attributed to stress. Or being tired. Or having a thyroid disorder (I know, weird...). Or getting old.

When I was first diagnosed with Graves, I was having trouble remembering everything. I'd literally go back to the house 2-3 times almost every day to check and recheck things. I'd worry all day about things. If we went somewhere, I'd worry I didn't do something. It was weird but a sympotom of my medical problems.

Now, it's better but I have to verbally remind myself as well that I've done something. Otherwise I second guess myself.

God it sounds awful.
I paid attentio to what I did as I left home at lunch so I know ive locked up......tho I may have left the car unlocked outside!!!
I will resist, I WILL resist!!!