Tuesday 5 August 2008

... But is it OCD?

It all started when I read this tweet...

Then I read this blog entry...

... and started paying attention to the quirky stuff I do all the time. I will be updating this list as I notice more, but here are just a few:

  • I must check mail. All the time. Work mail, Gmail, etc. More often than not, I check my Gmail with Gmail Mobile before I get out of bed in the morning.
  • I never let anyone put sugar in my coffee. The ratios must be exactly right, and are different for every place from which I buy coffee.
  • I put peanut butter in as many things as I can.
  • I constantly click pens, or fiddle with the cap if it's not the click type.
  • I always open my cigarette pack in the same way, and always take out the middle cigarette first. Then the one to the right of the middle one. After that, the structure is lost. Needless to say, I never buy softpacks, just boxpack.
  • I always pack my backpack in exactly the same way. Laptop in a certain orientation. Charger cord rolled up and packed in the same corner.
  • Everything in my pockets are always placed in the exact same pockets, and in the same order.
  • My toothbrush must be wet before applying toothpaste, and I frequently wet it just a little during the brushing.
  • Speaking of dental hygiene, my toothpaste must always be squeezed from the back. Not with fingers either; only a flat surface and a toothbrush handle suffice to get every last bit out.
  • I take my feet off the floor when concentrating on writing. Most often I sit in half- or full lotus position, or put my feet on my computer case if I get uncomfortable later.
  • I must make my bed before getting into it, even if it's been made. That way I know it's arranged properly. Pillows all need to be fluffed, regularly and often.
  • I cannot sleep if I'm wearing anything that has a collar.
  • I cannot ignore spelling mistakes, whether in my own or others' writing. I must point it out (others' writing) or immediately correct it (my own writing), even if it breaks my concentration.
  • I hate hate hate having to use someone else's keyboard. Add a couple "hate"s if said keyboard has an inverted L-shaped enter key.
  • Breakfast Cutlery Must Either Be Plastic or Have Plastic Inlay Handles.
  • More breakfast: I eat it out of order and my day starts badly. Oats, eggs, coffee.
  • Arranging things: I arrange things in symmetrical arrangements. ALL the time.
  • Sudden loud noises near me. Take heed, thou noisy person: I have done violence upon the person of transgressors.
  • I cannot parse speech with white noise around. Deal with it.
This entry is now about two weeks old. I have discovered another behaviour: I cannot stop fiddling with the points, to get them in the right order.

I think I either need to seek professional advice about this, or make peace with my own quirks and tics. I really don't know whether any or all of the above is normal or not.

Opinions please?

3 comments:

  1. Cool, I found your blog!!! LOL, no, please don't seek professional advice, just make peace with those. They are all wonderfull, anyway. Now if one of them were "I'd like to clean up the blood perfectly after I've murdered someone", now that would be different... ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hmmm, I would say that I'm OCD as well, perhaps not as badly as you, but a lot of the things on your list are very familiar to me.

    The main thing is - What reaction does your body have if you don't do something exactly how you're used to doing it? If that's a problem (has an effect which effects your health), then it might not be bad seaking a little help.

    I find that in my case, it's more about me being anal and wanting things organised how I want them, a control freak situation I guess you could say.

    Cool post though, don't often read such honesty!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Chris!

    Thanks for the comment :)

    I probably should update this post sometime... Things change, things stay the same. You know.

    ReplyDelete