OCD and Electronics

[Benny-]

Hey guys, I have quite severe OCD than manifests itself in a number of ways especially when it comes to electronics.
I need everything to be in order or to feel like they are in order. Something as small as a failed download, failed website log in or just time itself results in me completely reformatting my computer. It takes about 6 hours to then get everything in "order" as I have to perform things in a methodical order. Usually updates first, copy media, software from my back up, software from the internet. During which time I have to stay focused on this order, something as small as phone call is enough to make me start over again. The only breaks I have is for a shower, of which I have up to four a day they too have a routine.
This extends to my iPhone and iPad. If an update is out for OSX it results in my iMac, iPhone and iPad being reset and vice versa.
Are there any others here with OCD and if so does it extend to your electronics?

 

[strider42]

My girlfriend is diagnosed with OCD, though it doesn't manifest the way yours does. Hers is more about obsessive, intrusive thoughts and anxiety.

Are you actually diagnosed? Have you talked to your doctor or therapist about this? What you are describing is something that will actually affect your life in a negative way.

Cognitive Behavioral therapy combined with medication has been working wonders for my girlfriend (meds alone helped a bit, but not enough). If you aren't doing something like that, I would highly recommend talking with your healthcare providers about doing so. They hopefully can give you the tools you need to break the obsessive cycle.

 

[skitzogreg]

Hey guys, I have quite severe OCD than manifests itself in a number of ways especially when it comes to electronics.
I need everything to be in order or to feel like they are in order. Something as small as a failed download, failed website log in or just time itself results in me completely reformatting my computer. It takes about 6 hours to then get everything in "order" as I have to perform things in a methodical order. Usually updates first, copy media, software from my back up, software from the internet. During which time I have to stay focused on this order, something as small as phone call is enough to make me start over again. The only breaks I have is for a shower, of which I have up to four a day they too have a routine.
This extends to my iPhone and iPad. If an update is out for OSX it results in my iMac, iPhone and iPad being reset and vice versa.
Are there any others here with OCD and if so does it extend to your electronics?

I do have OCD, yes, but it doesn't extend to electronics. I'm not going to give you advice as somebody who's overcome OCD and can give you productive tips; nay, I'm going through OCD myself [and it's literally torturous]. What I can tell you is that the source of your issue is rooted in fear. You're afraid something will happen (though you didn't specify) if you don't reformat your computer. Identify the fear first and remind yourself when you have the urge to compulse (e.g. reformatting the computer), take 15 minutes away from the anxiety and refocus your behavior onto something else. Take a walk, play a game, call a friend, etc. You should get to the point eventually where you can ignore the obsession (the fear) and ignore the compulsions too.

You also need to see a Psychiatrist and/or a counselor. Medication may help calm the anxiety that you're having with the disease, but it takes an effort on your part too for reminding yourself, "It's not Me, It's OCD". From experience, this disease can and will get worse if you don't get treated. It's about reformatting your computer now, but can switch themes easily. I wish you the best, and I prayed that you'll find a way through this with help from others.

To everyone else reading this, OCD is a torturous, awful, chronic mental condition that destroys the life of the person who has it. Please be courteous in your replies.

 

[Benny-]

Thank you both for the considered replies. It extends away from my electronics however usually in smaller ways. Such as feeling the need for excessive showers, routine in almost every daily task and frequent changes of clothes.
It started around 2005 and it has gotten much worse to the point where I'm spending a lot of my time doing needless tasks and even selling or throwing away things that I feel are clutter.
I seldom play games however if I am playing a playstation game and a new one comes out I can't go back to playing the previous game even though I really want to.
Around two months ago one night I emptied my office of things that I considered clutter. In that were some pretty valuable things, I ended up with four garbage bags that I threw out. Lots of software, cables and electronic bits and pieces.
I'm not diagnosed however I'm at the point now where it's impacting on my life and my business and I need to address it.
It's very difficult to explain to others without feeling rather pathetic since it sounds like a non issue, but it impacts greatly.
Skitzogreg I appreciate your advice and your a correct. I myself haven't gotten to the root of what the fear is. It is time I think to address it.

 

[strider42]

It's very difficult to explain to others without feeling rather pathetic since it sounds like a non issue, but it impacts greatly.

Skitzogreg I appreciate your advice and your a correct. I myself haven't gotten to the root of what the fear is. It is time I think to address it.

Do not feel pathetic at all. Its a debiltating condition. A lot of people will say "i'm so OCD" because they like to be neat, but its nothing like that at all. My girlfriends issues related to anxiety and OCD would make her near catatonic for hours, sometimes days at a time. this made her practically scared to leave the house, scared to interact with people. She relied on me for almost any social interaction.

Now she organizes get togethers, does stuff on her own, is way more comfortable in her own skin. Medication and therapy is ongoing, but well worth it.

Make an appoinmtent immediately to get this taken care of. You don't have to live with this much anxiety. If you are indeed OCD, meds might be part of it, counseling is likely to be a part of it, and cognitive behavioral therapy will probably be aprt of it (later on if not immediately) to help you get control and break the cycle of obsession.

There are a lot of associated disorders as well you may be dealing with and no even be aware of it (social anxiety, depression, for instance). When you confront all this head on, your life will get markedly better.

 

[lelisa13p]

Please, please get a referral from a medical professional that you trust.

Life is too short for you to be locked into counterproductive behaviors that suck all of the joy out of living. If you can get thru this, you'll be astonished at how wonderful life can actually be again.

Holding a good thought for you.

 

[Benny-]

Now she organizes get togethers, does stuff on her own, is way more comfortable in her own skin. Medication and therapy is ongoing, but well worth it.

I'm glad to hear that she is progressing well. lelisa13p I agree completely
I will be seeking medical help for my problems after I return from Germany as I think it is long overdue.

 

[mobilehaathi]

One of the few times I've seen someone mention OCD on the internet where it is probably appropriate!

Otherwise, well, all I can offer are my sympathies...

 

[sdilley14]

I don't have OCD, but I can relate on a smaller scale. I need to have my Trash empty at all times on my computer, desktop arranged perfectly, only the apps being used can be opened, my iTunes is meticulously arranged by artist with every song having the correct album art, all of my vidoes are arranged in a similar fashion. And I have to have my laptop lined up perfectly square on my table, remotes all lined up perfectly square, my table has to be lined up perfectly with my couch, etc. I'm not OCD by any means, but I am definitely mindful about keeping things clean and perfectly orderly on my electronics.

 

[imaketouchtheme]

I don't have OCD, but I can relate on a smaller scale. I need to have my Trash empty at all times on my computer, desktop arranged perfectly, only the apps being used can be opened, my iTunes is meticulously arranged by artist with every song having the correct album art, all of my vidoes are arranged in a similar fashion. And I have to have my laptop lined up perfectly square on my table, remotes all lined up perfectly square, my table has to be lined up perfectly with my couch, etc. I'm not OCD by any means, but I am definitely mindful about keeping things clean and perfectly orderly on my electronics.

No, you can't relate. This isn't remotely close to what OP experiences.

 

[sdilley14]

No, you can't relate. This isn't remotely close to what OP experiences.

Excuse me, lol. That's why I said, "on a smaller scale". Of course what I explained isn't "remotely close" to ACTUAL OCD. It's just an example of being slightly obsessive with keeping electronics clean and orderly, as the OP outlined. Sorry if you took offense to me being so bold as to express that I could relate on some level.

 

[strider42]

I know you didn't mean it badly, but its not even in the same realm. If you've seen someone absolutley despondent over not being able to break the obsessive cycle, until you've seen someone completely unable to move on with their day, until you've seen the frustration of someone with actual OCD, seen how scared they are to even leave the house, you would know that a desire to be neat or have things lined up is not the same thing on a smaller scale. You described a quirk. Actual OCD is a brain disorder that is awful to watch. I can barely relate as the SO of someone who has it and has watched her deal with it.

That doesn't mean you can't understand to some extent what the OP or other people deal with, but it does mean that your experience is not even in the same realm as OCD and the two should not be compared in any way shape or form. Too many people think OCD is just an overwhelming desire to be neat, and its much, much worse than that, and stems from a completely different issue.

An equivelent would be saying you can relate to a schizophrenic because you talk to yourself sometimes as you think through things.

 

[sdilley14]

I know you didn't mean it badly, but its not even in the same realm. If you've seen someone absolutley despondent over not being able to break the obsessive cycle, until you've seen someone completely unable to move on with their day, until you've seen the frustration of someone with actual OCD, seen how scared they are to even leave the house, you would know that a desire to be neat or have things lined up is not the same thing on a smaller scale. You described a quirk. Actual OCD is a brain disorder that is awful to watch. I can barely relate as the SO of someone who has it and has watched her deal with it.

That doesn't mean you can't understand to some extent what the OP or other people deal with, but it does mean that your experience is not even in the same realm as OCD and the two should not be compared in any way shape or form. Too many people think OCD is just an overwhelming desire to be neat, and its much, much worse than that, and stems from a completely different issue.

An equivelent would be saying you can relate to a schizophrenic because you talk to yourself sometimes as you think through things.

Of course I wasn't trying to marginalize those with OCD in any way, saying that my propensity to keep my electronics neat and orderly was ACTUALLY OCD, but I do understand what you're getting at.

 

[strider42]

Of course I wasn't trying to marginalize those with OCD in any way, saying that my propensity to keep my electronics neat and orderly was ACTUALLY OCD, but I do understand what you're getting at.

I know you weren't. And empathy and understanding is really important, and that is appreciated.

There are a lot of misconceptions about mental and physcological illnesses out there. Comparisons with things that seem similar on the surface lead to a lack of understanding. its things like that that make people tell clinically depressed people to "snap out of it" as if they were just really sad, or people with borderline personality disorder that "they are just too emotional" as if they had any control over the way their brain processes emotions. These things can be helped with clinical help, but they are biological problems.

As I've gotten to understand it more (and see where in my past I had some issues as well), I've become a lot more cognizant of the impact this call can have on people. Misunderstandings by my SO's family when she was young only compounded her disorders and made them worse.

 

[Velin]

Hey OP, I'm not OCD. But when significant OSX or iOS updates come out, I'll wipe and restore as well. I hate previous version clutter. I also notice devices work better with a clean install.

Especially iOS7, it worked horrible on older devices using an update versus wipe and clean install. So in a way, it is obsessive, but not necessarily compulsive.

The rest of the things you mention, yes, you should speak to a professional. They likely will have excellent guidelines and advice to help you break the chain of repetitive, compulsive behaviours.