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ker08
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09 Jul 2013, 8:23 am

I'm curious if this is a normal reaction or an OCD one.

One of my coworkers gave me some papers, but stapled on the right (with the staple vertical instead of horizontal) & it's giving me extreme anxiety. I'm fairly certain I have OCD (mostly O) but I honestly don't know what's a normal reaction to things being different from what we're used to and what's not.



the_grand_autismo
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09 Jul 2013, 9:45 am

Not sure if it's an OCD thing, but that's not the average person's reaction. I would think most people would be annoyed rather than anxious. Are there other things like this that cause you extreme anxiety? Do you ever engage in odd or ritual-like behaviors to "fix" them or make yourself feel less anxious? If so, then you are probably right to consider it as part of OCD.



luna12
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09 Jul 2013, 9:49 am

It sounds like someone loaded the copier wrong and everyone who got a set is having the same moment. If the pages are yours to keeps then restaple them. Don't let that little piece of metal or someone's inept copier skills take your focus away. Make it right for you, I am positive everyone fixed it for themselves. But your're right, it's not what you expected and your reaction is typical but the moment is over now so you should fix it and chalk it up to someone needing to use the copier correctly.

Roni



ker08
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09 Jul 2013, 11:00 pm

the_grand_autismo wrote:
Not sure if it's an OCD thing, but that's not the average person's reaction. I would think most people would be annoyed rather than anxious. Are there other things like this that cause you extreme anxiety? Do you ever engage in odd or ritual-like behaviors to "fix" them or make yourself feel less anxious? If so, then you are probably right to consider it as part of OCD.


i often re-arrange things (especially silverware) until they're "just right". Some other things too, but I don't have the "classic" OCD (handwashing, light-switching, etc). I have a very hard time dealing with changes to my routine, to the point where I'll tell anyone/everyone I'm with that "that's not the way it is ___". Let me just say moving was the biggest 3-yr-long anxiety attack ever. Pretty sure my main coworker can't stand me because of my constant everyday, "this is what it was like at home, it's not that way here, I wish I could find ___". It took me 3 years to get used to living at college, and 3 years where I am now.

I'll also say, it's not like I moved to another country. College was 2 hrs away in an EXTREMELY similiar city (though larger), and where I am now is 6.5 hrs away, though is a bit different (I grew up in a more midwest area, this is east-coast/mid-atlantic).



ker08
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09 Jul 2013, 11:02 pm

luna12 wrote:
It sounds like someone loaded the copier wrong and everyone who got a set is having the same moment. If the pages are yours to keeps then restaple them. Don't let that little piece of metal or someone's inept copier skills take your focus away. Make it right for you, I am positive everyone fixed it for themselves. But your're right, it's not what you expected and your reaction is typical but the moment is over now so you should fix it and chalk it up to someone needing to use the copier correctly.

Roni


I need to do that. We have a self-stapler in our office. She's new and I think just forgot how to put it in correctly (I showed her previously but oh well).



the_grand_autismo
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10 Jul 2013, 1:31 pm

ker08 wrote:
i often re-arrange things (especially silverware) until they're "just right". Some other things too, but I don't have the "classic" OCD (handwashing, light-switching, etc). I have a very hard time dealing with changes to my routine, to the point where I'll tell anyone/everyone I'm with that "that's not the way it is ___". Let me just say moving was the biggest 3-yr-long anxiety attack ever. Pretty sure my main coworker can't stand me because of my constant everyday, "this is what it was like at home, it's not that way here, I wish I could find ___". It took me 3 years to get used to living at college, and 3 years where I am now.


It's common for autistic people to have trouble with changes in routines-- it sounds like your issues are more an ASD thing than necessarily OCD, although you could always get checked out by a doctor if you're concerned.

I personally freak out if the furniture is rearranged, nonetheless anything bigger than that, so I really feel you there.



glow
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24 Jul 2013, 3:19 am

ker08 wrote:
I'm curious if this is a normal reaction or an OCD one.

One of my coworkers gave me some papers, but stapled on the right (with the staple vertical instead of horizontal) & it's giving me extreme anxiety. I'm fairly certain I have OCD (mostly O) but I honestly don't know what's a normal reaction to things being different from what we're used to and what's not.


hard to tell, if its common or not, but judging from my own experiences, id say its a mild form of OCD common when you're feeling under stress or suffering from side effects of your own medication. Of course if you feel its more ocd related, a doc will explore your phobias and decide what it is or isn't.



Ettina
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24 Jul 2013, 1:11 pm

That is definitely not typical.

Personally, it would annoy me, but not cause any anxiety. It would just remove the staple and restaple it properly.