Is it worth it?

[stanw]

So, in recent years, OCD has certainly hit the front page (if only,
perhaps, below the fold!) of popular culture and attention, huh? But,
is this increasing public awareness, or is it contributing to a
trivialization of suffering and pathology that only we who have this
often overwhelmingly frustrating anxiety disorder?

I was not a fan of 'Monk' and glad to be seeing it ending. He was
just too quirky and shifty-eyed and - and just so superficially trite
as to give the impression that OCD is nothing worse than nit-pickiness
gone kablooey. I for one live in a constant state of spacial and
temporal and neuro-cognitive chaos. I have clutter, literally and
figuratively, *everywhere* - and have no idea how to figure out what's
useful and what's junk so that I can get rid of the junk - again,
literally and figuratively!

Now these t.v. exec/producer geniuses are apparently going to try
their luck at "scooping" OCD and giving it the same treatment as that
deamed suitable for home make-overs, "biggest loser" weight-loss
mockery, and even child-rearing.

Ugh...I just wish it wasn't so blatantly condescending and
ridiculing. I think the biography of Howard Hughes, as well as the
book 'The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Washing, should be required reading
for anyone who dares to opine on our nemesis.

Ahh...I think I feel a little purged already! :)

-stan shura

[A B]

What a pain these reality shows are.
I didn't know they were going to pick on OCD next, where did you hear that?
A. B.

[boostah]

Try the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder OCD Test.

The Florida Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory OCD Screening Test.

I know that it is probably obvious to most of us whether or not we
suffer from OCD but I find it contradictorily interesting that most of
us probably DO suffer from MILD OCD, why not take the test, it only
takes a few minutes.

I think that differing levels of OCD are present in most, if not all
human kind, is there a point where it becomes something we are
suffering from? or is it just individuality?

This screening test is designed as a guide to find out whether you
show symptoms similar to those of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
A high score on this questionnaire does not mean you have OCD. Only a
trained health-care professional can make this diagnosis.
This test has 20 questions in Part A and 5 questions in Part B and
should take about 5 minutes.
It was developed by Professor Wayne Goodman of the University of
Florida.

Click here to try the test
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/surveys/ocd/index.shtml

If you can spare a few minutes I would be interested to read your
reactions.

I also think that there could be a lot more questions, maybe a little
more subtle in essence to diagnose OCD because there were a few in the
test that were a little obvious if you know what I mean, any ideas?

Not interested either way? then feel free to move on, perhaps go and
straighten the curtains or tidy your socks instead.

[boostah]

For a long time now (Not my whole life) I've had a couple strange
habits. One being, I can't "half-read" something. For instance, I
can't read about half a sentence, decide its not important and stop
reading it. If I do that, I *have to* go back and read it, otherwise
my brain kind of... Well, I don't know how to say this, so I'll say it
in simple terms. It gets "out of whack", then I have to go back and
finish reading it. The other one is, I have a problem with odd
numbers. One example is TV volume. I can't have it on odd numbers, it
NEEDS to be even. I hate that because I feel different from friends
and such but I "have to" have it on even numbers. Thats just one
example though. One occurrance was in the past week when I was
visiting my cousin while we were watching TV. My cousin changed the
volume up to about 20. I had no problem with it. Then my cousin told
me about his friend who has a problem with volume being odd. I
mentioned my problem with them. I also told him about my whole reading
thing and he told me that it is probably OCD.
Yeah, I know, wall of text.

[A B]

I tried that. It has the usual problem of trying to diagnose by the subject
of the obsessions and compulsions, rather than how they work. I have severe
OCD myself, but on the first part I scored nearly normal. It just counts up
how many of the usual OCD topics (hygiene, symmetry, religious fears, etc.)
you have some kind of problem with. My OCD problems are all on unusual
topics, but they work just the same as any other OCD. The second part is
how much trouble the problems cause, and mine came out as quite severe -
complete opposite of what the other half said. Blast all questionnaires!
A. B.