Checking

Sometimes I struggle to leave the house without checking something - like turning a light off. Once I've done this I then start thinking about other things to check like all of the windows/ taps in my flat. I've even left and then gone back in again to check these things. Does anyone else experience this and how do you overcome it?

[Yankee_Doodle]

I've had aspects of OCD I think all of my life. I think most people do. I guess it only becomes a problem when it prevents you from doing what you most want to in life.

Is your checking making you feel distressed or upset? If not, I would argue that it is nothing to worry about.

[Mr-Niggle]

I have a thing about switches in the house too, I think I'll come home to find the place burned down if I think I've forgotten to switch something off (I think this comes from a housefire that severely burned my brother before I was born).

I tell myself that we leave certain switches on all night without anything happening, so it should be ok if I leave one on when I'm not in the flat for a few hours, and usually I'm ok with this. On the odd occasion though I do find myself going back home just to make sure the switches are off.

[seashell18 in reply to Mr-Niggle]

Hi new to this site but just read both your blogs, very good advice on how to manage our anxiety! and yes I have a bad habit of constantly checking that doors have been locked (it drives you potty but you have to do it) I often wonder how I manage to get to work in a morning!!

[Ridster]

I have and still do suffer with checking OCD. At my worst it took me over 2 hours repeatedly checking taps, windows, plugs and doors before i could go to the busstop. The funny thing is that once I'm on the bus all my anxieties fade and I'm quite happy that everything is switched off and shut. These days it takes me 30min to 40min which may still sound a long time, but compared to how I was 30 min is bearable to me.

I have had CBT for my condition but it did not have an immediate impact on me. It did teach me a lot about anxiety and how it works. Clinical Hypnotherapy worked much better for me. We worked on relaxation and visualisation. Things started to improve for me.

About coping with my OCD I do, thanks to mobile phones with cameras, take pictures of my taps and doors. This reassures me that everything is off and shut. I wouldent however recommend that, unless your OCD is as bad as mine used to be. Because at first I just did the same behaviour as repeatedly checking, so I'd end up with 30 or 40 pictures of my taps and doors. These days I take about 6 pictures and then usually I'm good to go.

So all I can say it's completly normal to worry every now and then if you are not sure you've switched a tap off. However if it starts to affect your day to day life and making you late for work or appointments, then I would recommend therapy for it (CBT, hypnotherapy or even NLP. Whatever you think might work best for you)

[greengrape]

Yes, sometimes I will check that I haven't left any taps running or something plugged in over and over again before I can leave the house. I don't really know why it happens sometimes and not every time. To be honest I try to laugh it off because if I start to worry about it I'll make it into a bigger problem than it is. However, I am aware that this can be a very distressing and debilitating problem for some people.

[ArcticTern]

I check things several times before I can leave my flat or go to bed at night. I have found CBT helped, and although it has not solved the issue I have managed to reduce my checking..i.e from over 600 times to 32 to 80 for my front door.

This means that I will use as few rooms, sockets, lights in the house as possible, and my fears can prevent me cooking, washing up, or even being able to unlock the front door some days (although I will still keep checking its locked). I fully understand how debilitating this form of OCD can be, completely taking control of your life.

But as i said I'm doing better and although the issue has not gone away it is down to a level where I can appear to have a normal life.

Take care and look after yourself xx

[Hidden]

I have this problem - I often worry I've left something switched on and the house will burn down, that I've left the door open and we'll be burgled, etc. It's fairly mild but gets worse when I'm really stressed about something.

I try to create a visual memory as I switch each thing off, so that when I start worrying later, I can return to the mental image and reassure myself.

[ArcticTern]

Unlike Ridester my anxieties don't fade but are constantly there through the day - the best thing I find is to try and stay busy, otherwise I just spend all my time out of the house wondering if things are off/unplugged/locked. This sucks enjoyment out of the day, and also has a negative impact on my concentration.

Take care xx

[Hidden]

Thanks for all of those helpful comments - BlackSwan I like the idea of a visual memory! I've been saying to myself out loud things like "I've locked the door" or "that tap is turned off" as I do it so that it makes it feel more 'real' in a way and logs it in my mind a bit more securely! It can help quite a lot so anyone who experiences the same thing, I would certainly recommend trying that trick.

Thanks!

[toni88]

If it helps, my partner has started to make a checklist and includes the time against each thing he's checked, and that way he can feel certain during the day that he's turned everything off if he needs some reassurance.