Is this OCD?

[robotz]

I have noticed throughout my life I am very technical when speaking and writing. At first I thought that this was exclusive to my usage of language. This is because while speaking or writing I will try to use the perfect word or have the perfect sentence structure. Consistency in language is important to me. It is very hard for me to relax. It is common for me to struggle while speaking or writing because I am always thinking of better ways to express myself. I also realized that while in the act of writing I have obsessive thoughts. Example given: I am starting my math homework. I start writing my name and then erase it three or four times before it looks close enough to the way I want it to look. I do not have messy writing, either. I am simply very specific about the way I like things to appear. When I start writing equations down I have to go through the same process. Write, rewrite. Write, rewrite. I don't let other people write on my notes. It drives me nuts! If someone shows me how to do something, I will erase it because I don't like the way it looks on my clean paper. I arrange things in a very specific manner and so that they appear to be aligned in a parallel fashion.
I have tried to illustrate this to you the best I can. My question: Is this OCD?

 

[getbornagain]

Those are OCD-esque traits. OCD lies on a continuum.... a person is never simply 'OCD' or 'not OCD' but OCD to certain degrees. It only becomes a problem when the obsessions derail your life, and cause definite distress. Your whole writing/erasing thing is unnecessary but you're just a stickler for perfection in that department. If you really want, you can coach yourself out of it if you feel it is ruining your life. I, myself, have Pure-O (intrusive thoughts) which cause distress in my life. I would say I'm pretty OCD, but I've been coaching myself out of it and I'd say I'm less OCD now than ever. So to answer your question, you're a little bit OCD, but I assume and hope it's not destroying your life.

 

[curmudgeon64]

Robotz, that sure sounds like OCD to me! Especially the cycle of writing and rewriting. To further examine a point made by Getbornagain, you might find it worth noting (if you haven't already done so) what proportion of the time it takes to complete the homework is expended upon rewriting. Also, does the urge to rewrite actually increase once the cycle begins?

On a possibly related note, last week someone I know who self-describes as having OCD was writing some answers to math problems in the small spaces of a sheet given out in school. At one point, correcting a mistake, she placed an answer a bit off-centre (and this was in ink). I realized at once that the symmetry of the work was destroyed beyond redemption and wondered how she would handle this. "I'm going to just not focus on that," she declared urgently and soldiered on and completed the assignment.

Although I personally do not believe that not focusing on things is always possible -- or even always desirable -- I found this experience exemplary. I imagine that, knowing she had only a short time in which to complete her job and judging it safe to do so, she wisely chose this course of action, appropriate to its particular circumstances.

To return to your topic, however, care in speech and writing is sometimes associated with ocd. I used to append "I think" or similar clauses to statements of fact out of fear I'd otherwise say something inaccurate; and I was diagnosed with OCD. Long ago, there was a character on "Green Acres" (a mediocre old television sit-com), who always qualified things he said. It was a gag -- but the underlying reality was not remotely funny! And in Chekov's "The Seagull," the character of Trigorin frets over how to phrase his writing. I don't know whether these are the kind of cares you take ... and it isn't all bad: I suppose my awareness allows me to do proofreading ...

If you are interested in getting a genuine diagnosis, (which of course all this isn't), you can always see a professional and answer a short questionaire.