Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Support Group

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric disorder, more specifically, an anxiety disorder. OCD is manifested in a variety of forms, but is most commonly characterized by a subject's obsessive (repetitive, distressing, intrusive) thoughts and related compulsions (tasks or rituals) which attempt to neutralize the obsessions.

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Cleaning Rituals...

GiveMeWings
GiveMeWings
I am more stressed lately and I know the OCD flares up in times like this, but it is like I cant deal with anything. A dirty room, dishes on the counter - all these things I have made some progress on. Cleaning is a huge one for me and all the sudden I am stoked about my kids rooms and their clothes getting dirt on them. I know the wet weather makes it worse because I can see the dirt on their clothes but I want to scream every word in the book... why? In my head I know they are just kids and the rooms aren't 'germy'.

What do those of you trying overcome the cleaning rituals do when your kids are off the hook?
deleted_user
deleted_user
Put them back on it. LOL. (You know, the hook.) OK, not funny.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I gave up on trying to deal with the cleaning thing. Now I'm just clean and happy about it :/
deleted_user
deleted_user
It's great that you can recognise your stressors. With cleaning do you get your children involved in helping you. This could be a distracter to your OCD and to break the rituals OCD brings. It's hard also that children 's clothes do get dirty maybe have a day were you all go out and have a dirty clothes day and leave your clothes dirty for one day. Even if you wash the clothes the next day. With OCD you are trying to break the rituals. OCD can't be beaten in one day but changing even the slightest things can work over a period of time
GiveMeWings
GiveMeWings
Ya, I do try to do things differently (to tweak the compulsion) that is how I have made some progress, but it is soo hard lately. I just wish I could accept being clean, but if I allowed that I would be cleaning all day long :( I want to live my life... not clean my house all day, but if I get nervous or stressed the first thing I do is clean, clean, clean....
deleted_user
deleted_user
omg read this and thought when i was like that with my kids soon as they got a speck on their clothes off they came and into the washer and the same with the housework as i was a perfectionist everything had to be clean all the time...

I am not sure how i got out of that ocd but i did and now i am lucky just to get the house work done in one day and my kids are grown up and on their own and their fine.