O C D and Covid

I have OCD but lockdown because of Covid19 has been very comfortable forme. I have been very content staying home and being a crafter I have kept my hands busy and never felt the time long. I have only just started going out very occasionally but Covid certainly did not make my OCD worse in any way....in fact I am very comfortable with it.

My SiL has OCD and suffers from anxiety. Both he and my DD have been working from home in their very small house. He has been obsessive about not going out and making sure everything is super clean. Whenever my daughter went to the shops he would phone her constantly to check she was ok. My DD went into her office once a week just to escape. She has to go back to the office full time next week and will have to go on the bus. I don't know how my SiL will manage his anxiety.

CV2020 - I totally agree you should do what you are comfortable with. But what if someone doing this - is having a huge and disproportionate impact on their loved ones- in a cohersive manner.

My DG said his DF would never admit to having OCD, it would have to be CDO! Seriously though, it must be very hard to take when someone coping with something like compulsive hand washing or similar rituals, hears another with the mildest of compulsions saying that they have OCD.

I know what you mean. My friends have always made fun of my OCD tendencies. I don’t let them upset me. We are all different. I have seen a marked increase in cleaning/wiping things down from beginning of lockdown however since I started going out a little about 6 weeks ago I am easing off a bit. Still very careful wearing my mask and cleaning my hands when out and on returnIng home. I’ve been out fir a meal a couple of times too. We just need to do what we are comfortable with.

ooops one person's OCD and cohersion

at what stage does one person OCD become cooersion and bullying?

B9exchange- this is exactly what I was talking about. This is an open Forum, so won't say more- but it is really hard on all- both wife and children, and of course, grandparents- still not allowed to see their granchildren (since March) and kids desperate to go back to school.

@B9Exchange it sounds like your DIL has developed a mental health issue as a result of Covid. Couldn’t your son move out temporarily and try to get her help? It seems like she really believes he is putting her at risk and must be terrified if that’s the case.

We have a son whose marriage is in real trouble, they have been together for 30 years, since young teenagers, but DiL is obsessed with social distancing, won't let anyone in the house, won't go back to work, is turning the children against DS because he does and she considers he is putting her at risk. She is now continually telling him to leave, it is so very sad.

Thank you so much for your interesting replies.

Problem is with OCD, is when it seriously impacts on others- whole families. And when it sort of becomes a 'controlling' thing, eg- whole family has to adhere to OCD sufferer to the letter and have their whole lives directed by it.

Those of you with OCD do you need to have things in even numbers? Can't stand odd numbers with that 'odd' item left!

I have OCD tendencies too - hangers all the same facing the same way, everything at right angles, symmetry everywhere and I love a good clean even soon after its been done. BUT I also have an Infection Control Nursing background so my experience and knowledge takes over. DH is a rule follower so together we hope we are doing the right thing. I am sure I have had Covid-19 at the start of the pandemic after a trip to London when I went to theatres, bars, restaurants but DH has been shown not to have any antibodies in a random test so perhaps I didn't or didn't share anything with him.

Ph11omena I'm with you, I don't see any of thèse precautions as anything other than precisely that, sensible precautions. We're not out of the woods yet. Might as well keep up the practice as we are in it for the long haul.

I thought from the start of lockdown that anyone with any kind of ocd would find it difficult. One of my friends is really reluctant to leave the house now and everyone who visits has to sit a long way away. It's sad to see.

No but my daughter's anxiety has gone through the roof which meant she cancelled her carer before lockdown because her carer was not socially distancing and still partying. This has put a strain on her marriage and so her anxiety is even higher putting even more strain on her marriage. It is a vicious circle.

Same here Esuriosa!

Lucky girl... similarly here, I am thankful my very ill husband died just before this started.. not because he was OCD but because he wouldn`t follow the rules of constant handwashing. etc... I am not really OCD, but getting there, and we would just not have agreed on this.

My friends have always made fun of me and my OCD for years, but it doesn't bother me in the slightest. In fact it has helped me through this. Knowing how my cleaning, washing, etc habits are, let's me know my home is all OK. I haven't got worse with it through Covid at all, just really carrying on as I usually do.

I have OCD tendencies,, in the initial phase of lock down my cleaning regime became even more obsessive. I am still very cautious when I do venture out. Had to move seats on the train yesterday as a young chap defiantly wouldn't wear his mask.

I too have always had OCD tendencies.
The current situation is making me, and in particular my husband, more aware of it. I am soo happy to have to stick to the new rules. I do it willingly and diligently. Gives me an excuse.
Also, when my husband doesn't take his tablets out of their blister foil box in the correct order I get very upset. It leaves the remaining pills all higgledy-piggeledy. Can you imagine! Shocking! But I used not to mind.
I guess our different versions of OCD can clash, but we laugh and joke about it a lot.

I have also started putting everything away much more neatly and at right angles like Monsieur Poirot, and God help my poor husband if he leaves stuff on work surfaces and they're crooked or - heaven forbid - just on the edge of the counter top! (Thankfully, our plates are round!)
I wonder whether my behaviour will go back to what it was before if and when the virus goes away again.

Why is it strange to isolate parcels and wipe shopping Franbern? Shops are quarantining returns for 72 hours and libraries which are open are doing the same. We are told the virus can remain on surfaces for some hours so surely it makes sense to wipe it? None of this is OCD to me, just plain common sense. We will continue to see friends for walks or in the garden but I really can't see anyone coming in the house for a long time. I do sometimes feel like I'm living in a parallel universe though because other people almost seem to be "back to old normal" as if the virus is no longer with us which is far from the truth.

Strangely no. I've had ocd for a very long time I thought the virus would make me worse. But hasn't affected it at all. But then I'm not stressed at all about the virus. I've asked other people and ones I've spoken to who like me have had depression have not got stressed at all about the virus. I'm far more concerned with depression than germs. But I can understand if someone has ocd it would make it worse especially if have the germ fear anyway.

I am so glad that my OH died just before all this started. He was a very very anxious man, topped off with paranoia during his last year or so. He would have been wrecked by this - and I would probably have gone round the bend by now just trying to deal with it. He needed lots of physical care and would have been worried sick about the carers bringing the virus to him.

I agree with the person you know with OCD, it does feel good sticking to rules, people don't seem to, they probably never had to as children. It annoys me when rules are not followed not just now but even before. My anxiety hit the roof at the beginning of the pandemic, now it has somehow subsided. Agree Franbern we have been given official permission for our behaviour!