I m 14 I have thought i have OCD for the past year what should i do?

Question

i have the symptoms such as touching things and stupid routines i have to do before i go to bed and i do stuff like tapping the newspaper on my head three times before i read it. only my friend has noticed because her little brother has it quite bad and she said if i leave it it can get worse. i only thing i mildly have it but i m scared and don t know what to do should i see a doctor? would he put me in a mental health home? would i affect my future (jobs etc)? would my teacher at school have to be told? or should i just leave it but it s becoming worse and i really just want to tell my mum and see if i can get it sorted if i have it and see if i go to the doctors but i don t know if i can still live how i live now it the doctor knows and my parents too. i think i ll just break down in tears. can somebody give me some serious advise please? thank you

Answer 1

Awwwww mate.

Dont panic your blowing this tottaly out of situation, its cute how your so worried in a way though.

Mental health home Deffinatly not.

Tell school? If they complain your not doing your work just say you have OCD and they will tollorate it, not let you off.

effect a job? deffinatly not, as far as i know there is no cure as its a mental disorder, i suspect i also have OCD just from having to tidy up all the time even in friends houses.

But its not a big thing like ADHD or anything so dont worrie man, if it gets reeli bad the only thing thats guna happen is that your keeping your house extreamly clean which is never a bad thing :P

=] dont worrie man youll be allright, and dont get paranoid either =]  

Answer 2

Get help ASAP, seriously. I'm 14 now and I have a severe case of OCD. I was 11 when it started but back then I didn't know I had it but I knew there was something wrong with me. I regret not telling my parents about the "something" that was wrong with me because I could've prevented it from getting this bad.

The guy above me is an idiot.

"if it gets reeli bad the only thing thats guna happen is that your keeping your house extreamly clean which is never a bad thing."

You must be effing joking, you have no idea what OCD is about so just be quiet.

Answer 3

Your answer reminds me that we hear SO much about SO many things (from friends, TV, the media), but we really don't know the whole truth about much of anything, and we're always living in fear... for our health, our relationships, the environment, the world, etc.

First and foremost, ONLY a qualified psychologist or therapist can determine if you have OCD, not your mom, not your teachers, definitely not your friends.  

There is no such thing as "normal" when it comes to emotional or mental health.  Everyone is slightly different.  Instead of comparing what you think is normal, a much better way to determine if you have a problem is to decide IF THE BEHAVIOR IS AFFECTING YOUR LIFE IN A BAD WAY, FOR YOU, OR FOR OTHERS.  For example, you say you tap your head three times before you read the paper.  I don't think many people do this, but unless there is a baseball bat inside the paper when you hit your head, what difference does it make?  Now if you cannot read any paper ever without doing this, because you are very afraid something bad will happen to you if you don't tap it on your head, this is when you should see someone (but not because there is something "wrong" with you, rather because you shouldn't be living in fear).  

So think about your behaviors, and ask yourself if this is making you upset or fearful.  Ask if others who observe you think something's wrong, and ask if doing these behaviors makes it difficult or impossible to do your chores, your homework, or to get along with friends.  If you decide the answers are Yes, then you should tell your mom, and decide between the two of you if you want to see a private doctor (psychologist or therapist/counselor), or if you want to ask at school to see one.  In my state (CA), all schools have them and they deal with any kind of problem a student has.  What you tell them is completely confidential (they won't even tell your parents) unless what you tell them shows a threat to your life or someone else's.  They are not allowed to keep quiet about that.

A private or school psychologist could determine if this is really OCD, and much more importantly, how serious it is.  They can help you learn ways to correct it, or cope with it, WAY before it becomes a problem for your future jobs.  I cannot see ANY reason they would put you into a hospital unless you are harming yourself physically.  By the way, when people are put into hospitals for mental health reasons, even though it's scary to think about it, it's for their own good.  I promise you, I am very familiar with this!

A person like you who already has been thinking that there may be a problem is half-way to the solution.  A young person who is willing to tell their mom must have a good family relationship too, so I think you are very close to finding a solution.

I don't think you have a serious problem, but the way you worry about it is GOING TO DRIVE YOU CRAZY.  Take action now - you are probably just beginning high school and there are enough things to be stressed about as a teenager - don't let this issue be one of them, because it's most likely not as serious as you think, and you can get very good help.  You can do it!