Forum Topic

One for the OCD Checkers

I thought I would pass on this handy tip for all the OCD checkers.  If you don’t know what I mean, it is people who obsessively check their homes that things are turned off and doors locked before they go out.  Going on holiday, it can take forever to leave the house:Take a photo on your phone of everything you check, then it will give you piece of mind when you are away.I have passed on this tip to 2 OCD checkers that I know in Putney.  One lady thanked me today and said it had made a big difference to her when she went away.

Martine Guy ● 2571d18 Comments

Great. Then they only have to keep checking their phone to make sure they took the photos.

Freddie Francis ● 2571d

Freddie, I take you don’t have this problem.  I know of people who have to go through routines to get out the house..  It is a great relief to me to do this, I don’t have to keep checking the phone when I am away.  Just taking the photo is enough, I have found.  It really works and I hope it helps other people.

Martine Guy ● 2571d

Martine, you're probably not prone to pattern balding and welsh like me but a little light humoured poking at those afflictions is not going to send me into fits of depression. I'm sure anyone with this problem (OCD), one which I sometimes am mildly prone to myself, who isn't(?), can easily see the funny side of my 'joke'.

Freddie Francis ● 2571d

Freddie, Sometimes I think humour doesn’t come across well on the Forum.  You can’t always tell if people are joking or not, so thanks for your reply.Yes it does mean you have to check your phone, but it takes a few seconds instead of going round and round your home for ages.

Martine Guy ● 2571d

Friendly neighbours with a key can be a useful back-up.

David Ainsworth ● 2571d

Yes they can, but do you really want to bother your neighbour to ask them to check the iron’s off.  I take it you aren’t an OCD checker either, David,?  you have to be OCD to understand.

Martine Guy ● 2571d

I have shared a workspace with one such person. It appears to be agonising when extreme.

David Ainsworth ● 2571d

It has plagued me most of my life, but I know it’s not causing me pain or suffering, it is just very annoying.  Thankfully my husband and children aren’t OCD checkers or we would never leave our home.  It was my husband who suggested taking the photos and it has really helped me overcome the stupid anxiety.

Martine Guy ● 2571d

Martine, I think I know a bit of what you have experienced.  A good friend's OCD got particularly bad after her father died. She was alone in her office one early evening and had the keys to lock up. She checked all the doors and windows for over two hours, at which time she phoned a colleague to come, just so she could get out of the building.  She was terribly upset, so I think anything like this is very good news.

Bunny Payne ● 2571d

Thanks, Bunny.  I had to lock the office I worked at on very few occasions, but It was a nightmare for me going round checking.My particular OCD thing is switching off the iron and when we are on a break, I can ask my husband if I left the iron on and he shows me a photo with me holding the unplugged iron. This is a great relief to me.I hope this simple thing will help all my fellow OCD checkers.  Thankfully I don’t have rituals because some people have a routine and if this gets interrupted,they have to start again.

Martine Guy ● 2571d

I have two friends plagued by OCD. They are on anti-depressants for life, which really help with the problem.

Frances Clarke ● 2570d

I have OCD about spelling, so I have to point out that the phrase is "peace of mind", not "piece of mind" :-)

Sean Hodges ● 2569d

Sean. Isn't that pedantry rather than OCD?

Michael Ixer ● 2569d

Sean. In fact, being pedantic, "piece" is spelt correctly. I think you're questioning which word should be used?

Michael Ixer ● 2569d

Are you giving him a piece of your mind?

David Ainsworth ● 2569d

Oh dear Sean, I didn’t notice my mistake.  Should have gone to Specsavers - again.

Martine Guy ● 2569d

Yep, you got me! Not a typo but use of wrong word in context. My foreign-born wife has superb english, but I realised a few years ago that she thought the slightly vulgar expression "I can't be arsed", was the rather milder "I can't be asked". When I told her, her face was a picture as she re-ran all the times she had inadvertently used a rather stronger phrase than she had intended :-)

Sean Hodges ● 2568d

Lol.  Mistakes slip in.  There's a grammatical error that irks in your last post!  There are probably lots in mine!Good idea Martine.  The iron and cooker are mine + just locking the front door.  Usually all done automatically.  How about also setting a regular day to check on the smoke/carbon monoxide/heat alarms in your home?  The LFB will visit and advise still I think.  Be wary of online buying eg Amazon for buying electrical things as there have been items which do not reach UK standards for sale on there and false ratings.  See consumer group Which? -  www.which.co.uk

Philippa Bond ● 2568d