How would you assess this from a psychological point of view?

Question

Not a layman's point of view?

Our neighbor recently became very concerned about crab grass and told us we are in danger of being invaded by it. He offered to protect our lawn for us. We declined. He pulled up huge chunks of his lawn by hand and threw them away, and then put some chemical on the patches, which he offered to put on our lawn too, to protect us and help us. We declined.

Later he told me that he had designated an area in our yard where my dogs must eliminate, and to start training them immediately. I said no. Then he set up sprinklers which run constantly. They are directed everywhere, and they spray our house, our yard, our cars and our driveway. We cannot go outside without getting showered. I asked him to move them, but he did not, so I sent my husband over there last night.

My husband said he was very agitated about moving the sprinklers and instead offered to watch for us leaving the house so he could turn them down for a few moments to allow us to come outside once in a while. My husband told him the only reasonable, acceptable solution is to permanently redirect the sprinklers away from our property. The neighbor was very polite, but couldn't make any promises and was very nervous about disrupting his watering schedule.

I think the layman's point of view is obvious, but how would you assess it from a psychological or mental health standpoint? And also, what could have triggered this, or was it there all along and we didn't see it?

Answer 1

Sounds to me like obscessive compulsive disorder. He is preoccupied with his lawn at the moment. I am sure if you could observe his behavior, you would find he has all kinds of compulsions.  If he keeps his sprinklers going continously he is going to have a bigger problem than crabgrass, he will find all his plants, shrubs and grass covered with powdery mildew. If he continues to direct his sprinklers towards your property i would call the police for starters, if that does not stop him, you may have to go to court. Saturating your lawn and house will cause you some severe and expensive problems also. you will end up with all kinds of mold growing and your shrubs and grass will get powdery mildew also.

Answer 2

Fascinating story ... of course, by how you pose the tale and solicit replies, you already know there isn't a definitive answer to this ... but hey, it's worth trying to assess and analyze.

First off, I'm sure I'll cause a bit of ruffled feathers by saying I don't believe your neighbor's behavior is OCD at all. And yes, whatever is the cause behind his sudden, unusual, behavior it has been there all along -and something (not sure what that "something" is ... in fact, no one but your neighbor, his family, and his therapist [if one exists] knows for certain) triggered his heightened attention on the crabgrass.

In my view, the crabgrass is not the issue at all ... the crabgrass simply represents a more disturbing issue ... similar to those who say they wear aluminum-foil antennae in order to be on alert for the next alien invasion.  As much as I say that tongue-in-cheek, I also mean to be sincere and concerned in that your neighbor may very well suffered some form of psychosis and can only alleviate his mental anguish by attending to the crabgrass ... if so [psychosis], then the crabgrass is but the beginning of his focus.

As a neighbor I'd be very concerned -and especially if you have younger children and yes, even the pets.  He's already "warned" you about where your dogs can do their thing.  In my view, this pattern of demanding excessive -and I'd argue from a civic standpoint, illegal- behaviors from you and your family based on his directives will (again, in my view) continue to escalate.

His politieness notwithstanding, please keep in mind that some of human behaviors most heinous and unfathomable crimes are committed by the most unlikely of people -often descrived as kind, the boy-or-girl-next-door types.  So don't be fooled by his moments of reserve or deliberations on your suggestions ... his behaviors will be the best indicator of his state of mind ... and your level of concern.

Please know that my intention is not to be an "alarmist" nor is it to project a feeling of "everything's fine ... don't worry."

Any sudden changes of behavior -from any human being- deserve attention.  His mental health is in some crisis and you, as his neighbors, need to be fully aware of that.  What you can actually do to mitigate any problems is to be wary of your comings and goings and mindful of his behaviors while he is out and about. If he engages in unlawful activity, then certainly put your town's police and other county officials on notice.

I'm certainly not presenting this man as a "bad" person ... I'm simply answering your question and stating that yes, his mental health has been compromised.

Please keep us (or at least me, via email) informed.  I sincerely hope and pray that this gets resolved.  

Answer 3

he wants you!

Answer 4

I don't think this is ocd but definitely something wrong with him. Sometimes if someone looses control in their life they need to gain that back by controlling something. He feels that by sprinkling his yard he can control that and that is why he insists on yours too. he can control his environment. There will be no real reasoning so calling the courthouse and asking what can be done will be your number one choice. Let them help you solve this because when it is something like this you can speak all you want but your neighbor is not going to want to loose his control over this.

Answer 5

The last I heard, crabgrass is not a dangerous plant.

It sounds like he has an obsessive-compulsive disorder. If I were you, I would check with my town to see if there are any ordinances with respect to directing sprinklers on a neighbor's property.

To fight back, plant dandelions in your yard. It will drive him nuts.