Can OCD cause these obsessive thoughts?

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I don't know. I'm pretty sure I don't have ocd, but I suppose I might. I do get the unwanted thoughts stuff, and the impulses. Like this one curtain has to be closed a certain way on the school bus. It HAS to. I close it every day when I get on the bus. And sometimes, if I'm cleaning something, and miss a spot, I go and clean it again. Then the "germs" get spread even more, so I have to clean that. And then I have to keep cleaning this spot in different ways, until the "film" I imagine is gone. Just little things like that.
What I'm wondering, is can it cause obsessive beliefs about other people? This is super embarassing, but my one friend recently has made another internet friend who's a girl. And I was kind of jealous, because I like him. But it's taken a step further. Now I'm always convinced whenever we're talking less, that it's because he'd rather be talking to her, or is more focused on a conversation with her. And when he needs to go to bed, it's because she's gone offline. And that he's starting to like her more than me. Our conversations DID get dull lately. He doesn't know I feel this way.
It's distressing because I ALWAYS think this...Even though it's logically highly unlikely, and shouldn't matter anyways. It depresses me, because I think about this a lot, and it brings me down, and makes me not want to talk to him, and makes me angry. I'm always convinced hes getting tired of me, and thinks bad things about me behind my back. Basically I'm being obsessive over this. And it makes me do stuff I'm ashamed of. Like saying I have to go, then signing back on msn as "offline" and watching to see if he gets offline, too. If he doesn't, I will take it to mean hes talking to her, and having an amazing conversation at that.

Can OCD cause things like that? I'm so ashamed of my thought patterns. Why should I be this obsessive? It's quite frankly...Creepy of me.

I think that they can. My best friend has OCD, and he always checks his van, before we walk into a building.

Yes that can cause stuff like that. I myself also have some OCD and I used to have constant unwanted thoughts of eating a person. I was worried I was going crazy until I told my doctor about and now I don't really have them anymore

Hmm. I have to do the checking thing, too. since I got my new phone, my alarm checking ritual has easened up.
What if my thoughts are correct though?

I'm pretty sure I have OCD even though I've never been diagnosed.

Hey, me thinks I recognize that situation. Except that I hardly ever use the "sign in as offline" function. I've heard that this paranoid kind of "mind reading" is common, though. Still, "just 'cause you're paranoid, don't mean they ain't out ta get you", as the saying goes.
I'm not diagnosed with any disorder, but I am both obsessive and compulsive.

I have OCD (diagnosed and treated with CBT) and the first thing I thought when I read your description of the curtain and cleaning was in regards to your reasons for the particular behaviors. It's an anxiety disorder, so you do odd little things because if you don't you think that maybe something terrible will happen. You can do all kinds of things like counting your steps without even meaning to, or checking and rechecking things (convinced that if you don't, the stove, for example, might burn the whole house down with everyone you love inside). When you close the curtain on the bus, is it because you have a fear that if you don't something bad will happen?

And the things where unwanted thoughts come into your mind is the worst part (for me) of OCD. It can feel like you're going crazy. For example, you're doing the dishes or some mundane thing when all of a sudden a horrible thought comes into your mind with a terrible force, like a spike driven into your head. Usually these thoughts are about hurting people or animals you love dearly, so there's some sort of betrayal of trust through a gruesome, often murderous act that throws aside any feeling of morality you have. The other side of that is that people with OCD are typically good people who would never, ever do such things and who are horrified by these thoughts that seem to come out of the blue. These thought patterns are embarrassing and just worsen the anxiety. Also, the more stressful things are, the more of these "spikes" one experiences.

Another example is this, I was cleaning once right before a big important trip (moving and leaving a stressful place I'd lived for 10 years). While sweeping I found a button in what had been my special interest room. I picked it up, mildly delighted as I thought it was a cute, useful little button. I put it in my pocket. My mind switched gears and I thought I shouldn't take it because if I did that would cause us to get in a terrible accident - that I had better just leave well enough alone and leave. So I tossed the button back on the floor. Then I thought, god, that's ridiculous, so I picked it up again, then paused, looking at it - no, no, it's not that silly of a thought, it could happen, then I'd know it was my fault. So I tossed it back down. On it went for several rounds.

Also, examine your reasoning for these kinds of things - usually, people with OCD are very bright so they're able to come up with elaborate reasoning that can get them from something like a button to an imagined tragedy.

Also OCD can develop as a response to stress. In my therapy we determined that it may have started with certain traumatic experiences as a kid and was later exacerbated by more stress in adulthood. Hope this helps.

That sounds like totally normal mild OCD stuff. If it's only mildly annoying to you, there's nothing to worry about. It's only if it becomes very stressful to you or if it causes serious problems in your ability to deal with life that it would be anything to be concerned about. And while you might be embarrassed by it, from what you describe, it sounds well within the normal range of behavior. I wouldn't really consider that creepy behavior.

Or at any rate, what you describe is stuff I did in my teens and early twenties and look how I turned out... Hmmm.... maybe you should be concerned

But seriously, I think to some extent, some mild OCD occurs because we don't have control of a particular situation. Compulsive behaviors can be a way of feeling like we have some action that will magically control unpredictable outcomes. Obsessions may come, in part, because not knowing feels like a dangerous situation and so we keep thinking about a situation to try to know it. It's that lack of complete knowledge that makes us keep going back to try to get further knowledge. You want to know where you stand with this friend and not knowing drives you nuts. It seems perfectly reasonable to me.

In regard to that, I made a comment to you about impertinence and rhinoceroses which had more to do with my weird sense of humor than anything you actually posted. And now I have become anxious that I have offended you which was not my intent. In the past couple of hours, I have been growing more and more concerned that I have caused you some hurt. Realistically, you probably just thought I was some weird guy and that was the end of it, but because I don't know if I upset you, and I have no way of immediately resolving this question, I think about what I wrote and start to obsess on it. (So, by the way, I'm sorry if I offended you in any way)

See... it doesn't matter how old you get, you can still worry and obsess in exactly the same way. It can get easier to deal with, but if your inclination is to be mildly OCD, you'll probably have a touch of it all your life. My attitude is to use it to your advantage. Because of my compulsions, I never lock my keys in my car, I always make sure the coffee maker is off before I go to work and have yet to burn down the house, and I try to make amends before things get too out of hand. I am a big believer in making your psychopathology work for you.

Kind regards,

Lars

Happymusic- Wow, mine is not as bad as yours! It isn't really done out of fear...It just feels wrong, and causes some stress if I don't do it. I do adhere to my door rituals stricter if I'm upset. And my parents think that in particular is odd...But other than a couple strangeish ones, I think it is pretty normal, then.

Lars- Thanks for putting me at ease. That's a good idea abotu making them work for me, I think they already do, that's why my parents think I'm "more responsible" than my sister. And if I drop anything on the floor, or think something needs to be cleaned, or leave a dish out, the only reason it gets dealt with is because of the anxiety of not doing so. XD So it keeps one from being a bum I guess.
And no! You didn't offend me! Maybe ever-so-slightly for a fraction of a second, but that was it. Sorry you got upset several hours, deary me! I figured it was a misunderstanding. You're forgiven, but there was nothing to be sorry for to be forgiven.

Thanks

WOW! This sounds like me. Thanks Lars.

Taupey