OCD, hoarding & mental health

Former Member

My Mum told me today that she suspects that I have a form of OCD which involves hoarding things. I tend to hoard everything that I've got because I'm scared that if I throw something away, then I am scared of losing the memory of it, or a part of the experience where it's from. The thing is, I hoard anything, from pins, to newspapers, sometimes bottle tops too and I need to get rid of it...

I don't think I have OCD... Whilst often if somebody touches me I have to wash the spot where they touched to feel clean (not always... And it is usually with some men... I don't like being touched in general), I am not obsessed with order and I don't find myself lining objects up on my shelf.

I was wondering if anybody can relate to this...

Since being home, my mental health is spiralling down and I hope to be back in London soon and seeing a councillor. I haven't felt this bad in years... I just need to finish my degree so I can cut myself off from my Dad for good.

Former Member

hey sel,

one of the main questions to ask is, do these thoughts take over your life and what happens if you can't achieve them? the stereotypcial ocd image is that of a person obsessively washing their hands and flicking the light switch on and off. just because someone doesn't fit that description doesn't mean that they don't have an ocd. however, just because you occasionally display some ocd-style behaviours, doesn't mean that you have an ocd. one of my closest friends sudders from the condition and it tears her life apart. obviously some forms are more severe than others, but it is certainly a very serious illness. it irritates me that people march about saying 'i have ocd' when they like things clean or like order, when really they have no clue of the illness or what it involves. [please don't think that i think you are doing that]. as someone who is close to someone with an ocd i would suggest that if you are seriously worried then you should discuss it with someone professional, but i get the impression that your other mental health problems are more severe and in need of dealing with at the moment.


http://www.ocduk.org/

take care love

Former Member

I just wanted to send you some hugs Sel.

Former Member

Thanks... Both of you.

I really don't know, but my mood and enjoyment is pretty cack at the moment... I hate to complain.

I'm going back in to councilling if/when I get back to London.

Former Member

omg hi wrote: »

hey sel,

one of the main questions to ask is, do these thoughts take over your life and what happens if you can't achieve them? the stereotypcial ocd image is that of a person obsessively washing their hands and flicking the light switch on and off. just because someone doesn't fit that description doesn't mean that they don't have an ocd. however, just because you occasionally display some ocd-style behaviours, doesn't mean that you have an ocd. one of my closest friends sudders from the condition and it tears her life apart. obviously some forms are more severe than others, but it is certainly a very serious illness. it irritates me that people march about saying 'i have ocd' when they like things clean or like order, when really they have no clue of the illness or what it involves. [please don't think that i think you are doing that]. as someone who is close to someone with an ocd i would suggest that if you are seriously worried then you should discuss it with someone professional, but i get the impression that your other mental health problems are more severe and in need of dealing with at the moment.


http://www.ocduk.org/

take care love

Yeah, it's my Mum who thinks it...

I don't know what thoughts should be dominating my life. I used to check the door three or four times before I used to go out in case I hadn't locked it. I have to continuously check my bag in case I've lost something too...

But I think they're normal.

Former Member

they could easily be normal.
Hoarding isnt necessarily OCD. it can sometimes be just a bad habit.
checking things lots of times could just be lack of confidence and second guessing yourself. not believing youve done it right first time.

Former Member

i understand kinda what you mean, i am similar but with different things, i tend to get obsessed with germs when my brother comes home or when my dad is around..
i see my right side of my body as the good side and sometimes touch things with my right hand to make it good in a way, and the left is bad, so use that to keep things away.
no idea if i have ocd, probably not. difficult to tell, could just be habits.

Former Member

I agree with SCC, I have a minor habit of second guessing myself but I find that it's not because I _have_ to do these things. I've also established habits just to make things easier for me, like my housekey routine. Since I started that I've not felt the need to double check if I've got them time and again.

I've also done a bit of hoarding, and although I initially thought I couldn't part from these things, now and then I would start going through items I had stored and go "okay, I've not even LOOKED at this (highly important ) item for three years now..." and then without allowing myself to justify keeping it I'd just throw it. I thought I'd feel bad and guilty but eventually I just felt like there was a weight off my shoulder. The more I did it the easier it became. It even feels a little good throwing stuff and decluttering my life today.

Sure, some things I will not throw, like a doll my mom made and gave me, or a camel I got while in Turkey as a kid, but they double as ournaments in my bedroom. The boxed stuff is mostly gone now except for drawings and some of what I have written in the past.

If you do want to throw some stuff, allow yourself to do it in small steps. I barely threw anything the first time I went through some of my boxes and belongings, but the next time I realised with a few more items how much I didn't miss them or feel any attatchment to them, and the next time after that it went even better, and so on.

Try not to worry about it too much, from what you've described I don't think this is a case for concern, you seem to have a lot of other stuff on your plate anyway! Take care of yourself hun.

Former Member

I was watching a show last night aboug hoarding. It was very interesting. They were saying how it usually shows itself in small habbits, and by the 40's is when it usually becomes overwhelming. A couple doctors were showing how they believe that there is actually less activity in some parts of the brain when tese activities are going on, so they are working on a drug for it. One woman they showed, when the city came in to her appt, as it was a fire hazzard, they just dumped everything and she became so disoriented, she couldn' ttell which was was up or down. And everything was in a spot. It was very interesting. If you're ever into downloading shows or anything, it was called help i'm a hoarder on tlc.

Former Member

I woke up today feeling 'normal' and had a talk with my Mum. I've been having ups and downs with my mood a fair bit quite recently. Like I'll have a high silly hyper mood and sometimes have a depressive mood where I'll be really narky and unhappy. Apparently it's more severe than I thought and is really upsetting Mum... I feel a bit shitty for putting her through distress.

The thing is, when I feel 'high' it's great, but when I'm down it's like depression... Though not as bad. But when I'm 'normal' I don't really think about it.

Maybe I just have a wierd personality then.

Former Member

are the moodswings something youve had for a long time, or mainly since youve been home?

Former Member

SuzyCreamcheese wrote: »

are the moodswings something youve had for a long time, or mainly since youve been home?

I used to get them all the time... Doc reckoned it was cyclothymia but I got better.

And it's been Ok for a while, but still there and not as bad. I think with things happening at home it's been getting worse with stress.