OCD

Obsessive compulsive disorder is a real condition but I think the phrase is used a little too often. Often times, when people have even one "unusual" habit or quirk, they are quick to throw out the phrase "I'm OCD," even though they don't really have the condition. I think that everyone has some little abnormality in their daily routine, that seems strange, but it is different from those that are truly stuck in a state where they must do somethings in order to feel safe. Sometimes I wonder if I may actually have a degree of this condition. I cannot, for example, leave my room without closing my closet door. The reason being that I fear something bad is going to happen if I don't. I'm not sure where I got this from, as it is pretty recent, but unsettling nonetheless. In addition, though I am trying very hard to break the cycle, if I think any bad thought about something, for example, someone I love getting hurt, I must knock on wood with both hands at least three times. In addition, I must not let any of my fingers touch anything else but what I'm knocking on. If I knock on my wooden desk, but my fingers touch a piece of paper, I have to redo it. The worst part of this compulsion is that I feel that I absolutely must do it, or the thing that I thought of will happen. It could be 3am, and I could be trying to fall asleep, but if I think a bad thought, I must literally get out of bed to knock on wood. I used to be much worse with this, and thankfully I am starting to break the habit. I know this makes me sound quite disturbed, but I really am normal. I just have these little habits. Luckily, I can rationalize how silly they are, and have been doing quite well in breaking them. I no longer knock on wood after every bad thought, and despite my urge to do so, I just tell myself that it is ridiculous and skip it. I may still have to close my closet door but I don't think it is that unusual! I'm just OCD ;)