So I don’t do anything too major, but I’ve done some research on OCD and I have now become worried that I am affected by OCD. Symptoms I believe I display are:
1. I constantly check my phone. Even if I am not expecting any calls or texts, I worry someone is trying to get ahold of me.
2. When I am expecting a call or text and the person does not call or text, I start to worry about them. I then proceed to create an elaborate story in my head about how they died or they hate me or something drastic like that. I feel stupid later for thinking such things, but I cannot help it.
3. I constantly think people are mad at me, even if I didn’t do anything wrong. Every time someone I know is upset, I automatically think it’s because of me.
4. For as long as I can remember, I have always thought I have/had/am going to have some deadly disease. Whenever I show even a tiny symptom (cough, rash, late period), I automatically refer to a book of symptoms that I have. If I cannot find this book or am not at home to refer to it, then I instantly go online and search until I believe I have found my disease.
5. Every time I miss my period or my period is late, I automatically start to think that I am pregnant. Even before I became sexually active, I would worry that I was pregnant. I would worry I had been raped and got pregnant.
6. I cannot have anything except the pans on the stove when I am cooking. I worry that anything else will catch on fire, even if the object is on the complete opposite side of the stove.
7. I constantly worry that my car is going to start on fire or have some other major problem.
8. My grammar has to be perfect, and so does my spelling, when I am writing or typing, even on instant messenger or when I am texting.
9. I text constantly. If I am not texting someone, I feel very weird. I start to even feel self-conscious when I am not texting.
10. Coming back to the phone thing from number 1, if I haven’t gotten any texts in about an hour, I worry my phone is not working properly and will restart my phone. If I turn my phone back on and there are still no messages, I will text someone and see if I get a text back.
11. I am a 24 hour Facebooker. I feel the need to know what everyone is doing at all times, and when I have not been on Facebook in a day or more, I start to get upset. I also have Facebook notifications sent to my cell phone so I do not have to constantly be sitting at a computer.
12. Towels have to be folded a certain way. If they are even folded slightly wrong, I have to refold it.
13. I have to pee more than once before I go to bed, in fear that I will wet the bed. I am 19, and do not believe I should have this fear.
14. I always worry someone is going to kidnap or rape me.
15. When I am driving alone, if someone is following closely behind me, I worry they are going to follow me home, or somehow get my car to stop, and kill me. Every time. Guaranteed.
16. I am afraid to use the vacuum cleaner, as I believe it is going to start on fire.
17. When sweeping, I have to get every speck of dirt off the floor, and then I find it neccessary to mop up extremely nasty spots on the floor.
18. When cleaning mirrors or windows, there cannot be any streaks or spots. I will continue cleaning until they are perfect.
19. I spend way too much money. I’m in college, and I spent $400 in one week. I still don’t even remember everything that I bought.
20. I cannot think of anything else right now, but I had to have this end in a 0 or a 5.

Some of your symptoms do resemble those of OCD, but some of them don’t, e.g. spending alot of money. I can’t tell for sure whether or not you have OCD, as it also depends on how much time your compulsions take and how intense your obsessions are. When you are cleaning mirrors or windows and there can’t be any streaks or spots, what is going through you mind and what actually makes you want to continue cleaning until they are perfect? OCD stands for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder because first the obsession comes and then the compulsion comes. In the case of cleaning mirrors or windows, there has to be a fear (obsession) for the cleaning until all the spots and streaks are gone to become a compulsion. If there is no obsession, (e.g. if I don’t clean the window/mirror perfectly, my dad will die) then there is no compulsion, it’s just being a perfectionist. Some of your symptoms also resemble those of hypochondria. A person with hypochondria is preoccupied with physical health and body. The diagnosis is used when a person during at least 6 months believes, fears or is convinced that he has a serious disease despite medical reassurance. This fear of disease or preoccupation with symptoms is unpleasant, interferes with the patient’s daily life in a negative way and leads to medical examinations and/or treatment. The patient can only temporarily accept assurance that there is no physical explanation to his symptoms. If you think you might have OCD or hypochondria (maybe both), then you should go and schedule an appointment with a therapist. I hope you will be feeling better soon. Good luck and I hope I helped.

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