Sufferings of a Husband Married to an OCD sufferer

Sufferings of a husband married to an OCD sufferer.. if hubby would start a blog, that would be the title, definitely. He never complains though but I now that sometimes my constant reminders of things being in proper places bothers him.

I am suffering from Obsessive Compulsive disorder, slight, and is not ruling my life. Still you cannot discount the fact that I am obsessed with lines and organizing.

If you find OCD pretty and so girly, think again.. it is not as pretty as it seems. I suffered (and it means emotionally painful and mentally disturbing) too, back when I am still not aware of my disorder.

What is OCD?
(source)
OCD is classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) as an anxiety disorder. It is characterized by distressing intrusive obsessive thoughts and/or repetitive compulsive actions (which may be physical or mental acts) that are clinically significant. The specific DSM-IV-TR criteria for OCD are as follows:

• The individual expresses either obsessions or compulsions. Obsessions are defined by the following 4 criteria.
  • Recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images are experienced at some time during the disturbance as intrusive and inappropriate and cause marked anxiety and distress.
  • The thoughts, impulses, or images are not simply excessive worries about real-life problems.
  • The person attempts to suppress or ignore such thoughts, impulses, or images or to neutralize them with some other thought or action.
  • The person recognizes that the obsessional thoughts, impulses, or images are a product of his/her own mind (not imposed from without, as in thought insertion).
• Compulsions are defined by the following 2 criteria:
  • The person performs repetitive behaviors (eg, hand washing, ordering, checking) or mental acts (eg, praying, counting, repeating words silently) in response to an obsession or according to rules that must be applied rigidly.
  • The behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing or reducing distress or preventing some dreaded event or situation; however, these behaviors or mental acts either are not connected in a realistic way with what they are meant to neutralize or prevent or they are clearly excessive.
• At some point during the course of the disorder, the person recognizes that the obsessions or compulsions are excessive or unreasonable. This does not apply to children.
• The obsessions or compulsions cause marked distress; are time consuming (take >1 h/d); or significantly interfere with the person’s normal routine, occupational or academic functioning, or usual social activities or relationships.

Some of my recurring thoughts are hurting someone.. you may find this weird but really when I am talking to someone, a sudden thought of hurting them pops in my mind, and I know that thought is not logical but it keeps coming back..

Some of my obsessions are with symmetry and arranging with a compulsion of ordering, straightening, balancing.. When I was a child, I always count my step and always it should be a hundred steps from my house to the park. I can’t walk on steps with cracks. I don’t walk on step with line.

Don’t be scared OK, this is not the whole of me, I always make sure to have a dose of pineapple juice, which according to some, may increase the serotonin level, which again, according to some is the one responsible for OCD.. anyways, I gulped down 2 liters today, no need to worry.