Touch of OCD? or just being picky? | ADHD Information
I also mop again after she leaves cause it doesn't feel right. The cleaning lady just left (an ADDers best friend) not 2 hours ago. I went in the bathroom and looked in the shower/spa tub. It didn't look perfectly clean. So I cleaned it again. Turns out it was clean (couldn't tell any difference after I cleaned it), my tub just looks that way. IMO OCDMy dd is OCD/ADD She would do that. Oh, She DOES that. She also has bleached her 2 year old sink so often it corroded the pipes and broke. But yet she will pour bleach down the sink maybe 50 times a day. A bit obsessive. Oh, Henceforth the O in OCD
OCD and being picky are related, I think. The compulsive part of OCD is what made you reclean the areas you mentioned. You saw unclean areas and the obsessive part of the disorder wouldn't allow you NOT to reclean. A tip--mops don't clean well...being on hands and knees one can see everything and are less apt to miss spots 
marzie020
I think I am slightly "OCD" about some things, but it doesn't negatively impact my life. My take on it has been that I can be a little compulsive in overcompensation for my ADD. Example: I can't sleep if my keys are not their special, designated place. But that's because the alternative would be that I space out, and put them down randomly, and then spend 15 minutes in hell the next morning, trying to find them while panicking about getting to work on time -- that used to be my standard operating procedure. Also, I really am quite capable of walking away and leaving the stove on -- I have done that kind of thing before in an ADD, spaced-out stupor (and once had a Pyrex pot explode into a million pieces as a result, thankfully nobody was in the kitchen to be pierced by the shrapnel). So nowadays, I can get a little compulsive to make sure I didn't leave on the stove, that I did lock the doors, etc. I think of that as my self-awareness about the very real possibility that I'll forget. It's interesting that some people think that OCD-ness can be medication related; I never made that connection. Hmm... you know, that's very possible. Meds help me pay attention, maybe sometimes too much attention. But it's better than not enough. [QUOTE=GlenW]dd - nothing wrong with wishing improvement in personal habits and attention. Just be warned - it becomes a non-stop search for perfection that isn't all fun. I go crazy over small details now. Feel kind of... I guess Anal Retentive in my vigilence. Nice but not you know?But if that is your wish all I can say is be careful - you might just get what you wish for lol.[/QUOTE]
Actually at this point I wish the meds would do SOMETHING.
I have been on Concerta and Adderall and so far they have been nothing but a big headache (litteraly and figurativly).
I see no improvement at all, if anything I am worse. The doc suggested increasing the Adderall up 20mg 2x/day before giving up. I took my first 20 a couple of minutes ago, so we'll see what happens. I am pretty sure though that I am going to ask him for something new on Monday
I see your point about the "OCD" becoming too extreme, but I guess that will be something to learn to "deal with" Like having to make a hundred lists just to get through the day. But it still sounds better to me than looking around my house and wondering when the tornado went through it...lol
talk about complementary disorders! what luck that the one off-sets the other. perhaps rather than curing my ADD i just need to pick a couple of new disorders that control it's worst traits????
[QUOTE=Maxdad] I'm think I'm the only person I'm aware of with ADD that is so obsessive about appointments, that I am rarely late, or forget a time and date for something.[/QUOTE]
Maxdad,
You are NOT alone. I HATE being late or missing appointments, almost to the point of obbsesive. If I am on time (ie. not 5-10min early) I become extremly anxious
. It is so bad that I even showed up 1/2 hour early to a couple meetings
. Then I have to sit there embarassed and alone until everyone else shows up
.
I always thought it was b/c my ADD mom is NEVER on time to ANYTHING. If she is invited to something at 5pm, that is about the time she gets in the shower. It drives me crazy
. It is really bad though b/c she is lawyer and has gotten into a lot of trouble with the judge.
Personally I am selectively OCD.
I HATE: Being late, when people squeeze the toothpaste in the middle, when hair is left in the hair brush, when the binding of a book is bent (my mom and I are opposite on this too) and I fold my underwear
On the otherhand
: I rarely clean my house, I am not great at cleaning the litter box, let dishes pile up and never make my bed and the list goes on....
Here's one that might be interesting in someone with ADD. I'm OCD about a number of things, especially about being on time for meetings and events. I'm think I'm the only person I'm aware of with ADD that is so obsessive about appointments, that I am rarely late, or forget a time and date for something.
talk about complementary disorders! what luck that the one off-sets the other. perhaps rather than curing my ADD i just need to pick a couple of new disorders that control it's worst traits???? 
[/quote]
LMAO
It has always been a weird trait. In college, I would always procrastinate studying for tests and could never focus well enough to study for very long when I did. So I knew going into a test that I was about to fail it miserably. BUT ... I was always there 10 minutes early!
[quote=doggidoc]
You are NOT alone. I HATE being late or missing appointments, almost to the point of obbsesive. If I am on time (ie. not 5-10min early) I become extremly anxious. It is so bad that I even showed up 1/2 hour early to a couple meetings . Then I have to sit there embarassed and alone until everyone else shows up
.[/quote]
Cool. There's two of us! Perhaps we should start a therapy group with the goal of getting in touch with the inner tardiness in ourselves.
[quote=doggidoc]I am not great at cleaning the litter box, [/quote]
That's okay. After all, your name is DoggieDoc, not KittyLitter!
[QUOTE=GlenW]I never suffered OCD until the meds either brought them out or created them. It's odd - I used to be a slob and shrug off details of any kind.[/QUOTE]
I know every one will think I am weird, but since we are confessing... The above statement is exactly what I am hoping will happen once i find the right meds (unfortunetly I'm 0 for 2). I really like the few things about me that are OCD-like (or anal retentive) and the fact that I am a slob and have very little attention for most detail frustrates me to no end.
So there I have said it, and I don't care who know
dd - nothing wrong with wishing improvement in personal habits and attention. Just be warned - it becomes a non-stop search for perfection that isn't all fun. I go crazy over small details now. Feel kind of... I guess Anal Retentive in my vigilence. Nice but not you know?
But if that is your wish all I can say is be careful - you might just get what you wish for lol.
wow and here i thought i was just strange my husband jokes at me all the time that i have ocd and never had it before i was diag add!!
i go nuts if things are put in a certain places where they go as i always say, and never as obssive about the house being clean till the meds don't know if its a good thing or bad
saphire
More often than not a person with ADHD has something else going on as well, a "co-morbid" condition. OCD, I believe, is a fairly common comorbid condition with varying degrees of severity.
When I was diagnosed with ADHD I was also told that I had OCD "traits".
This comes out in being a perfectionist with certain things (obsessing a bit more than than the average person).
So I would say if your ADHD, then re cleaning like you do could be considered OCDish. .......it can be a good thing as we've heard...a good balance
I never suffered OCD until the meds either brought them out or created them. It's odd - I used to be a slob and shrug off details of any kind.
Now - at work I'm severely OCD! I take my job details super serious and will not allow others around me to slack off and forget details of cleanliness, hygiene or safety. It's frustrating for me as many just don't bother and when I tell them to put safety goggles on or not to stand around they look at me as if I'm speaking a foreign language. I know I've made many enemies at work but the OCD won't allow me to not do it.
The management at my workplace have taken a liking to me though. They have seen my dedication to safety and detail and have mentioned it a lot. So I won some and lost some I guess.
At home I am cleaner but in no way as detailed as at work. Selective OCD as it was said above I guess.
OCD can be a blessing but it's obsessive in that you MUST do it. That can lead to it's own dangers and troubles. It can be an endless loop (hence those who clean hands endlessly or clean the sink as was mentioned to rusting). I can see how if it was a whole lifestyle change that I'd go nearly mad. I feel bad for those that are slaves to OCD as it must be horrible.
i also can't stand being late which is hard as i can't remember appts and i forget to write them down.