Even or odd numbers (Ocd/Obsessive compulsive disoder?)

[tillyn]

I was wondering does anybody else buy products in 3's, 2's ,4's or let the phone ring 2,3,4 times before answering? Do you line your books tall to short? short to tall? Even number of pillow's on sofa? or odd? Fold things a certain way and only that way? I know we all have our little weird (but not to us right!) . Dare to tell?

[Todash]

I do one thing like that. It's strange, but harmless. Good thing it's harmless because I don't think I can stop. When I was in high school, that was about the last time they taught typing on a typewriter instead of keyboarding on a computer. I learned to center by tabbing to the center of the page, then backspacing one space for every two letters. So if a word or phrase had an even number of letters, it could be perfectly backspaced. If it had an odd number of letters, no luck; one edge of the print would be a little closer to the page.

Anyway, every once in a while I'll think of a word or phrase and count it off in my head to see if it could be perfectly centered. Sometimes, with a sentence, I'll "cheat" and count depressing the shift key as a stroke, even though that's not how it works.

Now you guys are the only people who know that about me. Ah, true confessions on the intarwebs.
[Double Post]
Oh, and I also look at the patterns in everything, but I think a lot of people do that.

[brownmouse]

I'm a proud card carrying member of the OCD club ( ) but I don't have the number compulsions. Words are much scarier for me. My husband knows that he cannot say "never, always, last time, no more..." without me yelling in response:"Take it back!". I would write an example of what I mean but then I would have to take it back and to take it back I would have to delete it so... well, you see the complications.

It's really all about control (for me at least). I can't control the things that really scare me (those would be my obsessions)so I (try to) control the things I can.

HOWEVER- it would be a rare thing indeed for me to walk out of a store with $6.66 in change. Or purchase something for that same amount. Thank goodness for the impulse items (gum, magazines, eye glass screw drivers-what's up with that by the bye?) next to the registers. Oh, and I am not likely to throw down a three of a kind of 6's in poker, no matter how big the pot.

[JohnDalglish]

Hi,

A thing that I learned from discussing 'N' in Just After Sunset, was that we ALL suffer from/enjoy OCD.

It's not a matter of black and white, merely a question of degree IMO.

And eight keeps it straight!

Long days and pleasant nights

[Natjen26]

Well, I don't care for even or uneven numbers, but I do tend to count. The little and the big things. For example, when I do the dishes I count how much pieces I'm washing. Sometimes I'll say before I start I'm just going to do 50 pieces or so and that's it. It doesn't matter of there's only one thing left after those first 50. It will have to wait for the other day.

Also my steps, when I'm walking a long distance, I'm counting my steps.

Another, non-counting neurotic example, I play on my Xbox from time to time, only for one thing, to unlock so many gamepoints as possible. If XBox didn't start this gamepoint thing, i think I wouldn't even play at all.

And I have the tendency to correct people. Even when it's something unimportant. I really have to bite my tongue to not say anything. I can say that this perticular thing doesn't make good friends.

[mojomofo]

LOL- I am all kinds of screwed up! I do prefer even numbers, I like things symmetrical, I count my steps (if anyone remembers Edgar's number game when he starts walking, that's me!), I eat food in a certain order- and the plate has to be color organized. Quite the butt of the joke in my family.

[racheypen80]

My OCD used to be really excessive when I was a kid- I counted and organized- recounted and reorganized and thought nothing of it.

The worst was when I would watch a movie and connect every actor to Kevin Bacon (taking all the fun out of the kevin bacon game).

When I was 21, I started taking medication for the OCD and have calmed down quite a bit.

[brownmouse]

Hi,

A thing that I learned from discussing 'N' in Just After Sunset, was that we ALL suffer from/enjoy OCD.

It's not a matter of black and white, merely a question of degree IMO.

And eight keeps it straight!

Long days and pleasant nights

I gotta say , IMO, that's a little like saying everyone has cancer because we all produce new cells. (and , ugh -if that doesn't make my OCD alarms go off-but I'll keep it to make a point). Many people keep their books in specific orders or straighten errant shirts on store hangers or keep their green vegies from touching their orange ones but not everyone has OCD. OCD is a disease. One that interferes with normal functions in life. If you like to line up your books a certain way there's that but if you have to line up your books a certain way because something terrible is going to happen if you don't there's OCD. This is what I think, at least.

[Oogway]

I do it but I don't see it as a problem but as a mind game, I got for example the LRH book from australia on tuesday 3/3/09 and when I saw the date written my mind saw also 3 x 3 = 9 sometimes while reading a text I can see an other story by selecting some words of the text and leaving others but not changing their order and not by reading it again, I just smile I do not think it bothers me it is a matter of imagination IMO

[smooth operator]

Let's see... I wash dishes in a very definite order, whether I am washing them by hand or putting them in the dishwasher (and I scrub them off first.) I fold clothes in a specific order, so that they are easier to stack and put away. I don't like my food touching on my plate. I don't step on cracks in the sidewalk, if I can help it. I separate M&Ms (or other colored candies) into colors and eat one color at a time. I like things ordered, by height, color, or some way. Some times I am a triple checker, especially when it comes to my keys, but I am a very careful checker of letters, emails, or anything I put my name to. There are other little things, but I cannot remember them right now. If it is not OCD, then I am very organized.