That particular aspect has come up quite a few times in the past, like in this fairly recent thread about it: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ing-they-have-ocd-about-their-phones.1944969/
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
How to stop being OCD about iPhone?
- Thread starter Aditya_S
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I wouldn't say it irks me, but people use this term WAY more than they should.
It's a clinical diagnosis that can be pretty dibilitating...I honestly believe people don't really understand that so it doesn't bug me much.
That's why I bugs me.
OCD is a debilitating physiological illness that causes massive stress and anxiety to people's lives.
OCD is not worrying a bit that you might damage your new very expansive mobile phone. That's normal every day life.
Only those lucky enough to be wealthy couldn't care less if they damage phones that cost $1000
my OCD ... sorry personal issue is that i keep checking the battery level what feels like every few minutes to make sure nothing is wasting battery. the amount of time i spent "investigating" what could be the problem i should just enjoy the phone.
i also hate it when my remaining space drops below 20 GB. i end up deleting something just to be above it. its the same with my MacBook, when it drops below 50 GB of 128 GB (SSD) i am like O M G must.clean.something.
so stupid really
i also hate it when my remaining space drops below 20 GB. i end up deleting something just to be above it. its the same with my MacBook, when it drops below 50 GB of 128 GB (SSD) i am like O M G must.clean.something.
so stupid really
Well, to be fair, worrying a lot about your phone to the point that it affects your use of it and your general life sort of crosses some lines.
Unless the OP is checking his phone CONSTANTLY for scratches and defects, seeing there is non but checking it again and again and again to the point that he can't go to school or is too worried to eat or sleep and its causing his life to be completely overtaken by worrying about his phone then no. It's no crossing line.
He's worrying about his phone a bit. If there's anything at play its anxiety issues.
Nothing the OP had said even remotely points to OCD.
He also didn't mention that it is having any effect at all on his general life. Just that he didn't think he was enjoying his phone as much as he thought he should because he was worried about damaging it.
Again, to be fair, there's a spectrum to OCD, and while there are certainly the more extreme cases, there are also more mild cases. I'm not saying anything specific about this particular case given the fairly limited information that has been provided, but it's not really all just one extreme or another.
In any case, as I mentioned earlier, most of this type of discussion has already been going on in threads like https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...ing-they-have-ocd-about-their-phones.1944969/
That's essentially the answer to pretty much most things in life, and it's all so simple, right?
There is that spectrum of course, but one could be very picky or anal retentive and not have OCD. Being extremely picky could also destroy your enjoyment of well, almost everything; but still be far from OCD.
I just slap a thin case on my phone along with a glass screen protector and go about my business. Its just a phone and not the end of the world if it gets damage on it, as long as it works. It seems like worrying about such things are a waste of time. Stuff happens! Thats life!
Well, that is the uppermost similar topic, however its title is somewhat dismissive and ignorant – so I’m not surprised that some people turn off and and away without reading beyond the title. And so here I am
in this topic about an iPhone. Without an iPhone, but with an interest. I imagine using my 2015 YotaPhone 2 for five years or more.
Yeah. The more I use my device, the more I like it. It took me months to stumble across the swipe feature of the integral keyboard.
Mine is neither cracked nor scratched, but on the Gorilla Glass side there’s a vague Z-shaped mark … visible only if I polish the glass and actively look for marks. The other side (always on) is unmarked.
With a first generation iPhone, refurbished and gifted to me, I sometimes used a case. Ultimately the minor damage that the iPhone suffered would not have been prevented by any of those cases.
For the Yota device: every day I plan to buy the bumper case. Dropping the device, more than a few times over a few months, was never sufficiently alarming to make that plan a reality.
To the opening poster
If you have, gathering dust somewhere, something that you previously treasured: discard that thing. Or gift it to charity, or a friend. The sooner you learn that a treasure is not forever, the sooner you’ll happily care less about the treasure that is currently your iPhone.
If you imagine dropping the iPhone: stop imagining. Know that it will be dropped; invest in a protector of some sort.
If you put the iPhone in trouser pockets: make front pockets a habit. (That’s my habit, but it’s often naturally forgotten. I find something breakable in a seat pocket after a long car drive, and so on.)
For myself, I’m now inspired to truly purchase that bumper case. It’ll be with me in a few days.
If I could have given you two thumbs up, I would have.
OCD is an abbreviation for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, It is a debilitating problem for people that suffer from it, and very hard for friends and family of the people that suffer from it. I can also be very embarrassing for all parties involved.
Grammatically, it doesn't work either. It's littered in the forums, and I've never seen anyone point it out.
"I'm OCD..." = "I'm Obsessive Compulsive Disorder..."
"Stop being OCD..." = "Stop being Obsessive Compulsive Disorder..."
Anyway, I think the OP stated their concern / behavior in a very clear manner. There were some nice responses too. If the post is legit, then I hope the OP can work through it. If the post was not legit, then hopefully it will help other people that are having the same issues as the OP.
[doublepost=1458129054][/doublepost]
Thank you for this link! I missed that thread.
[doublepost=1458129136][/doublepost]
You are a wise person.
[doublepost=1458129328][/doublepost]
Actually it can be a part of OCD.
Getting off of forums such as these would be a start.
Too often folks try to make something (E.g. a phone, alcohol, an ex, etc.) less significant in their lives. This often proves fruitless, as the first thing one thinks about when try not to think about a polka-dotted elephant is a polka-dotted elephant.
Instead of making a thing less significant, may I suggest trying to make your life more significant? Visit the elderly, volunteer at a soup kitchen, tutor underprivileged children, travel about on a volunteer vacation, etc. I think you'll find that when you choose to focus your time and energy on something worthy, an "issue" of being too concerned about a phone will take care of itself.
< /.02 >
Not using the phone the "way it should be used" can be an indication of a more serious issue - possibly OCD - possibly anxiety. If the OP is keeping their phone in a plastic bag, to protect it, or not taking phone calls because they fear they may "damage" the phone (dirt, scratching it, etc.) this is an indication that there might be a more serious problem at hand.
OP may have left details out of his post, or included all of them We have no way of knowing.
[doublepost=1458130431][/doublepost]
What you are suggesting is for a person to just tell cancer cells in their body to go away. You obviously have no experience with mental disorders.
It really is that hard...
[doublepost=1458130510][/doublepost]
Fair point.
[doublepost=1458131033][/doublepost]
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) exposure therapy has proven effective in many cases. It requires a lot of work (depending on the severity of the patient) and is hard to implement on your own, but it's worth a shot for people that suffer.
Last edited:
THIS. IS. NOT. AN. OCD. THREAD.
The OP is using a common colloquialism to describe a "problem" in his/her life, not an actual disorder. Using descriptive grammatical theory, it's quite simple to ascertain these things, especially with the perceived educational and maturity levels of the average user in MR iPhone forums.
We get it--this is a "thing" for you, and no one is denying the reality of the disorder or all of your academic know-how on the subject. You've made it abundantly clear that you know somethings about OCD. However, it's also clear that the OP was not referring to a clinical definition, but rather a popular connotative derivation.
P.S. Love the avatar.
Last edited:
Buy a good case (the Apple silicone case is quite protective) and if you wish a good tempered glass screen protector. You'll be fine.
