Obsess much?

We all have our little OCD moments, triggers, habits, etc. One of mine is counting things. It aggravates me. I do it and I don't even notice it at first. When I do notice, I get angry with myself for not being able to shut it off. It's rather harmless really. But, it annoys me. Another little thing I have is not taking the first of something on a shelf in a store. I do get giggled at for this by family members. It's okay, this one I can giggle at too. And, in reality, the one behind that front one is honestly better. :) No one has torn, ripped, crunched, mangled or fingered the second one.

My mom has to make sure everything is straight and even. She used to stand at our big oriental rug and straighten each string on the fringe. My friend's brother has an obsession about doing things in a certain number. Some people have to sleep on a certain side of the bed. Everyone has their favorites too: favorite shirt, favorite glass to drink from, favorite blanket, etc. But they aren't "have to's".

And then there's Joshua. (sigh) Although his OCD is much better than when he was younger (thank you medication), it is still time consuming. Here are some examples: Tooth brushing. He has a hard time brushing without gagging, he hates the feeling, the flavor, everything. Most of the time we have to do it for him just to get it done. Prior to the act of brushing, Joshua must do a little "dance". His arms, his hands, his fingers, his head...all in some sort of pattern only he understands. If we try to rush him through it or stop him, he starts over and becomes agitated. Utensils. He must have a different utensil for each item of food. He could end up with four forks for one meal. Glasses/cups. He will only use one for a little while and then he needs to get a new one. If it sits too long he thinks it's "old", even if it has been washed out in front of him. Containers. Things like pudding containers or bottled juices. When opening a pudding/applesauce/fruit cup/whatever, you must make sure that all paper or foil is removed. Some residue may be stuck to the side, not interferring with the opening at all, but he will not eat it until it is removed completely. Bottles, do not shake the juice or chocolate milk because he cannot drink it if it has bubbles in it. In fact, he gets downright mad about it. He prefers to have the leftover plastic ring removed from the bottle top, but he is slowly moving past this with practice. These are just a few examples of the OCD carnival in our home.

Some days I have extreme patience with this. Other days, when we're running late, these interruptions in our day drive me up a wall. We lose so much time doing these things. If you've ever watched the TV show 'Monk' or seen the movie 'As Good As It Gets', or if you experience this yourself, you understand a bit of what it's like.

This morning was one of those times when the clock was ticking fast and OCD was shoving its way into our routine. I bit my tongue, gritted my teeth and only started to bark once and held it back. I know this is not Joshua's fault. This has nothing to do with behavior. This is truly an internal thing. I know there are times when it gets on his nerves too.

There was really no point to this blog except to vent about it. Thanks for listening. :)