AS and OCD?? Or OCD traits

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I was wondering if it is part of AS or just something that can be co-morbid. Although not a scientific test, I was just wondering the informal statistics

OCD is defined by obessive thoughts, and repetive compulsive behavior patterns to make the thoughts go away
Some folks, like me, are pure obessionals or pure O which there is no compulsive behavior, just unwanted obessional thoughts.

Anyway, l am curious how frequent it is in others with AS, so if you dont want to comment plz do the poll.

I have the real thing big time since I was 13. It's my 2nd worst issue... I REALLY hate it.

They can be co-morbid, but the traits most frequently associated with Asperger's that can often be misinterpreted as OCD, are seeming obsession with special interests and the need for ritual routines. The two are both very different from OCD rituals though. OCD rituals are usually to compensate for something. One man I read from on a different forum said he touches things in the room three times each, and the purpose is to prevent the death of his children. He know intellectually it doesn't make any sense, but he is still driven to do it, and becomes extremely anxious if he doesn't.

The routine rituals that apply to Aspies are quite a bit different. Some Aspie kids, for example might get extremely anxious if they aren't read a bedtime story every night, or if the bedtime ritual of "brush teeth, put on pajamas, read story, then turn out the light," (or similar routines ~ I realize many refuse to brush teeth) is disrupted for any reason. Unexpected trips to the store, or visits that disrupt normal routines can cause the same problem. This is why advanced warning and mental preparation is so important.

The part about confusing special interest obsessions is just a misunderstanding of what OCD type obsessions are really about. OCD obsessions and rituals are even more irrational. Even the people with OCD seem to know they are. Aspies may not even understand why they are getting anxious, and all it is is a normal routine that's being disrupted.

I have some special interests. They are fun. Interesting.

I have a few routines. Not that many but... key is taking less energy, being predictable. Can break them. Hate change in my physical environment, makes me feel bad.

I have had a few "obsessions", like sorting things. Feeling is calmness, meaning, satisfaction. If interrupted, maybe no feelings. Maybe uneasiness. Depends.

OCD. Feeling is hassle while doing it, hate doing it. No pleasure. Can give relief that OCD itself built up but has no niceness in itself. If interrupted, feeling of doom, panic.

I don't have a problem separating these things because the feelings are so totally different.

I have diagnosed OCD.

In my teen years I had OCD stuff 'flare up' for whatever reason. By my 20's it had faded away by 95% (thank g-d). It involved intrusive thoughts, flipping light switches with counting (3,5,7,9 times, but never once), writing letters (characters) over and over, stepping on cracks, not stepping on cracks, and other things. Not knowing what it was I assumed it meant I was insane, and if I told anyone that men with giant butterfly nets would come and take me away.

In my observations of forums, it does seem (not saying it's scientific) that there's a higher prevalence amongst ASC people, as also seems with Tourette's. And maybe not even the full-blown syndromes, but just hints of it.

I don't know if there are any studies on it, but I've seen the same thing, and notice that a great many professionals relate the same observation. It does seem common among ASD's.

I'm definitely undiagnosed OCD as well as a diagnosed autie.

I was diagnosed with PDD as a kid about 8. I never had OCD until I was 12. It came on suddenly around puberty.
One time it got so bad...I had fears that I could tap into my subconcious and cause myself to quit breathing, so I focused so much on breathing. Several times I caused myself to hypervenilate and nearly passed out.

I often had a disturbing thoughts around sex or evil and would make a ticking noise to "erase" it. My family could not understand this. I was afraid that if I told anyone that my power to erase my thoughts would dissipate. It was not until I went on medicine that the OCD got better.

I hate it for ya'll that have OCD...the combo of OCD and AS is a very challanging one.
Something about the OCD makes me more unstable when it comes to autistic meltdowns...the two feed off each other.

diagnosed OCD but not AS

Ocd is a beast....there was an article in the news section about the onset of OCD in some cases caused by strep throat or actually the bodies antibodies to it. Thinking about it...I got rapid onset OCD when I was 12 and I had a bad case of strep at 11 and a half. Have any of you had Strep near the onset of OCD???

I do not know. A large part of my early childhood is a blur to me. I know I had strep as a little one as well as scarlatina... which is all the same family, no? I really do not know, I am just trying to recall how my mother explained it to me... Anyway, I think she said I had scarlatina when I was two, she was not so specific about the strep as I had that multiple times and I think strep was less disturbing to her or at least not as memorable.

I am trying to remember the first major ocd freak out I had and I think I was three or four... it was back when my great grandpa was still alive and so were my grandparents dogs... the little yellow one and the lab, so yeah... it was before I was in kindergarten because the yellow dog had died by then. I have not thought about that in a long time. I flipped out in my grandma's kitchen because I did not walk inside the little squares within the square tiles and I knew that was why the thought of kicking my great grandpa in the shins came into my head. I kept trying to walk them backwards so I could walk them forward and right the wrong and make the thought go away. That ordeal really upset me for a long time because I thought I was this evil and horrible child because someone once told me that thinking something bad was as bad as acting on it. I am really getting sidetracked here...

I have no way of knowing if my ocd showed up at the same time as my strep issues. The closest I have for ya is that I had issues with both as a very young person.

I didn't have strep as a kid. I had it after I got OCD in my teens.

But a few years ago I had strep again and it didn't make OCD worse but it caused other things. Well it caused an increase in impulses like scary ones that you are going to hurt someone so maybe in that way. But it's not like just the fear, it is an actual impulse that is hard to resist. After the strep I get spells where I get that, not so often which is good. More often I get into a strange way of thinking. It is a little like racing thoughts but not exactly. They tend to disappear sometimes before I remember what I thought. And I get really focused on keeping hold of my thoughts. It's like I have to remember what I'm thinking. Then I overthink every little thing, I try to understand what I'm thinking and I really don't know why I can't just think of it vaguely and let it go. So I go through it several times. I try to get to a point where I understand what I'm thinking (it can be about anything), and I need to sort of finish the thought and feel I have an understanding. Even if I actually finished the thought I quite often get a feeling I haven't. That it's not done yet.

This is really hard to explain. It doesn't at all feel like OCD obsessions. It is more like a mental itch that doesn't stop until I overscratch it. If it does at all. My overall perception is really weird in this mode, I really feel different like I normally do. I feel... like something is seriously wrong with the thinking. With how I feel. It's like an odd haze. It is really, really hard to break out of this mode.

Sometimes I take meds and go to sleep. I wake up totally normal. So strep can really do strange things.

Sorry if I don't make sense but the feeling of how you think is really hard to describe.

I have OCD traits, not really so bad though. But I DO like for things to be in certain places and I will rearrange them if other people change them.

My father has AS traits AND OCD. He most likely doesn't have AS though.