Anyone Else Develop Legitimate OCD from Sites/Forum Like These?

[MICHAELSD]

To say devoted Apple fans are more careful with their products than fans of other brands would be an understatement. Thanks a lot, Apple fan-sites for giving me legitimate OCD. Yes, that was sarcastic. Although, I'm sure anybody who's bought a used product from me would thank you. From browsing forums like these and watching videos about cases and accessories, my brain simply cannot let me use my devices without a very careful use.

For example, I can't touch my MacBook Pro without washing my hands thoroughly first then not touching anything else for the time I'm on it. Also can't rest my devices on anything not soft. Don't even think about letting any of my friends use it... although most experiences I've had they unintentionally damage these products even from a few minutes of use. I cringe at most (hmm, all?) of my friends' beat-up gadgets. Thankfully, my iPhone OCD subsided so people can hold it and I'm not as careful as with my MacBook Pro. It's almost like a hierarchy: I'm still much more careful with my devices than anyone else, but it goes iPhone - iPad - Mac in order of OCD. This extends to other devices as well. Literally every product I own looks 99% like it just came out of the box.

Is this an issue? Yes, it limits me around other people and even to some extent using my devices. Does it matter to me? Well, there's a big plus here in condition remaining new and the big aforementioned negative. Does it make me odd? Well, yes but it's from browsing the same sites as a lot of you... just at an earlier age . I can't be the only one with such bad OCD but I haven't met anyone this careful.

 

[Dalton63841]

I have a rule against other people using my Macbook Pro, but that's about it. People around me get a little up in arms about it, but I just don't care.

"Oh, you would let me use your $250 Acer if I wanted to? That's so sweet. You still aren't going to touch my $1500 laptop that took months of saving to get."

 

[Big-TDI-Guy]

Being selfish, / over protective of your material belongings is one thing. Suffering from OCD is entirely something else.

 

[Shrink]

There is a difference between being (excessively) careful of a particular electronic device and OCD.

If you said you washed your hands 15 times a day, and were unable to stop yourself, and feared some catastrophic consequence if you did not wash your hands 15 times a day, and if you found it was interfering with the comfortable functioning of your life ...it might suggest something requiring attention. If the behavior extends to other areas of your life, and the fear of some catastrophic consequence occurring if you do not engage in the behavior becomes a significant interference in the comfortable functioning of your life, ...then you have some decisions to make.

However, you don't seem to be asking if you should seek help with this, so no suggestion will be offered. It is up to you to decide if the behavior is sufficiently disruptive and disturbing to do anything about it. It is your life, and if the behaviors that you describe don't bother you...then it's OK.

 

[Fifteen20s]

I have a swiffer duster in my desk drawer that is meant to only touch my iMac and MBA screen, nothing else ... but to be fair I think Swiffer dusters are the best cleaning item ever and have one for each TV too.

I will not use my MBA if I have grubby hands .. I wont necessarily wash before each use, but I am aware of cleanliness.

 

[ElectroBricks]

I do...

Hello! I just wanted to let you know I'm the exact same way, but I'm trying to get rid of this behavior.

Have you gotten rid of it yet? If so, how did you?

 

[MICHAELSD]

Hello! I just wanted to let you know I'm the exact same way, but I'm trying to get rid of this behavior.

Have you gotten rid of it yet? If so, how did you?

Hi! The exact same way? Wow. Thought this was a unique issue .

No I haven't and I haven't tried to. Exposure therapy could help where you gradually start worrying less. I don't care as much about my iPhone as I did when I was a kid after seeing how well they holdup with careful use. My rMBP I do still baby though lol. Wish I could let people use my devices but especially without my supervision I think it's rational behavior. Just used to them scratching or ruining something after just a while of use. But that's life. Learn from experiences. I'm just gonna buy a guest computer haha.

 

[wordoflife]

I like my Apple products to be nice, but I like them more when they are functional. Lot of the things people do on this forum are not efficient or are a waste of time for me. I do my best, but I won't lose sleep over the scratches and nicks on my MBP.

Anyway, since your MBP is new, it's not unusual for you to be extra careful with it. It's understandable too, as the computers are expensive to buy and repair if something should go wrong. If the things you do to your MBP are things you would've done anyways, that's fine. But I wouldn't let the computer control your life that much.

 

[chrono1081]

There is a difference between being (excessively) careful of a particular electronic device and OCD.

If you said you washed your hands 15 times a day, and were unable to stop yourself, and feared some catastrophic consequence if you did not wash your hands 15 times a day, and if you found it was interfering with the comfortable functioning of your life ...it might suggest something requiring attention. If the behavior extends to other areas of your life, and the fear of some catastrophic consequence occurring if you do not engage in the behavior becomes a significant interference in the comfortable functioning of your life, ...then you have some decisions to make.

However, you don't seem to be asking if you should seek help with this, so no suggestion will be offered. It is up to you to decide if the behavior is sufficiently disruptive and disturbing to do anything about it. It is your life, and if the behaviors that you describe don't bother you...then it's OK.

As someone who had real OCD…This^^^

Mine was with light switches, doors, cabinets, or lids closing, and tv channels (I'd always have to end in pressing the up button even if that meant flipping through hundreds of channels until it looped through).

 

[ucfgrad93]

I'm careful with my devices, but I don't obsess over them.

 

[jkcerda]

I might, depending on how long I stay here