OCD Checking, House/office alarm Anxiety
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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder presents itself in many guises, and certainly goes far beyond the common misconception that OCD is merely a little hand washing or checking light switches. Although those are valid OCD compulsions, such perceptions fail to acknowledge the distressing thoughts that occur prior to such behaviours and also fails to highlight the utter devastation that constant compulsions (no matter what they are) can cause.
Although there are infinite forms of OCD, it has been traditionally considered that a person’s OCD will fall into one of these five main categories, with themes often overlapping between categories too.
Checking
Contamination / Mental Contamination
Symmetry and ordering
Ruminations / Intrusive Thoughts
Hoarding
It’s common for someone with OCD to spend considerable time checking that their home or office alarm is set, sometimes through staring at it, sometimes constantly resetting until such time it ‘feels’ set. The primary obsessional worry is that if it’s not set correctly somebody will break in and valuables will be stolen, the secondary obsession is that the person has an heightened sense of responsibility to check, otherwise theft will be their fault, and it will make them feel guilty and like a bad person for not checking enough.
Although there are infinite forms of OCD, it has been traditionally considered that a person’s OCD will fall into one of these five main categories, with themes often overlapping between categories too.
Checking
Contamination / Mental Contamination
Symmetry and ordering
Ruminations / Intrusive Thoughts
Hoarding
It’s common for someone with OCD to spend considerable time checking that their home or office alarm is set, sometimes through staring at it, sometimes constantly resetting until such time it ‘feels’ set. The primary obsessional worry is that if it’s not set correctly somebody will break in and valuables will be stolen, the secondary obsession is that the person has an heightened sense of responsibility to check, otherwise theft will be their fault, and it will make them feel guilty and like a bad person for not checking enough.