Teen Forums - Teen Chat, Teen Help, Teen Advice & Support

Hey guys
Im 16 years old and for 16 years been worried about things been clean, tidy, nothin out of place..i recently found out that i have an "ocd".. Does anyone else have this? I also get really worried about this because i have 2 younger nieces and fear they will become ill if i do not clean up.. I just wonderd if my ocd could have an affect on them?

Recently me and my boyfriend have talked about the future and i would really like a baby of my own in time but fear that if i do so i ciuld make my baby ill or also make it have the ocd that i have...could this happen?

Sarah xx

OCD is obsessive compulsion disorder. It is just a disorder like a social disorder. It depends on person to person.

I'd recommend talking to a therapist as I don't know your background, etc.

This thread would be better suited in one of our help forums! Just for future reference.

You're sixteen and so, I would hope, having children will not happen for some time to come. However, to adress you question, as far as I am aware your child should be alright. However, I'm not entirely sure in my answer so I would refer you to someone more knowledgeable in this area (Say, Sam1), if you would like a better answer.

"There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love."
- Washington Irving

*Thread moved*

You should go to speak to a specialst about this. Surely cleaning would be seen as a good thing though, i guess...

i have OCD. everything has to be lined up, in ABC order, according to size, etc. i used to be a clean freak. now every time i go into my room, all i want to do is clean, but it is hard for me to do anything at all. i count my footsteps (ie: it took this many steps to get to my room. OR it took this many to get to the bathroom. etc)
this is a weird one that i do not think i have mentioned when i am in the bathroom (brushing my hair or teeth, in the shower, etc) i have to knock on the wall twice. not a loud knock, but a tap. idk why i do it, but i started doing it when i was 14. its not a big deal for me. just kind of annoying when i think about it.

Like they said the best is to look for a psychologist or a some professional help, therapy can help you and they will be more able to give you advice about that than us I guess. Don't let something like that be in the way of your dream of being a mum, look for help

Sarah, who diagnosed you with OCD? Was it a psychologist or psychiatrist, doctors that specialize in mental and emotional problems?

There are a lot of things that look like OCD, and it's possible to have 'OCD-like' features, it can be on a continuum. But, being overly anxious or fussy or fastidious or 'neat' doesn't necessarily mean you've got OCD. 'True' OCD is debilitating, it's really paralyzing..the need to perform certain irrational things is overwhelming and truly interferes witb daily functioning, the person becomes highly agitated if they cannot perform these behaviors, and the thoughts they have are equally irrational and paralyzing. It's not so much the need to count steps or organize things as much as it is what happens if you cannot perform these things.

The good news is that whatever the source of your worries, they are treatable with a combo of really good meds that are now available and therapy, so regardless of what you might have (or it's severity), it can be managed and controlled effectively, so you can live your life relatively normally and safely be around children or other family members and find fulfillment and satisfaction!